In April 2014, I uploaded to YouTube "A Guided Meditation = Receive Answers from your Higher-Self". This quickly became my most popular video, generating many comments (both publicly and privately). I've put together this FAQ in the hope it will answer questions more easily than scrolling through the comments, and perhaps give you some additional insights you didn't think to ask:
Q. I find it really difficult to concentrate during meditation. My mind keeps wandering.. I really liked your meditation. However I was not able to get any message.
A wandering mind is perfectly normal. :-) Notice how we have senses (e.g. sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste), but "who we are" is not any one (or even all) of those senses. I view thoughts similarly -- we have thoughts, but we are NOT our thoughts. Thoughts will come and go, and that's OK. Whenever you are aware of your wandering mind, focus your awareness back on your breathing. Do this in an effortless way, e.g. simply breathe a little deeper and focus on how this feels. With practice, you will be less distracted by your thoughts and more aware of simply being "aware". In this peaceful state, messages are more likely to spontaneously arise.
Q. I received and felt nothing, what does this mean?
Did you really experience nothing? Or was your experience accompanied by wandering thoughts (e.g. thinking of others things you could be doing, wondering what message you might receive, etc)? One approach you may find helpful is to listen to the meditation again with your eyes open throughout. During this time, have a pen and paper with you and write down all the thoughts that occur to you. Don't filter, judge or limit it. Just keep writing down as many thoughts as you can as they happen. At some point, you may notice a gap in your thoughts. When this occurs, close your eyes and enjoy the tranquility of this moment. When the next thought occurs to you, open your eyes and start writing again. Afterwards, review what you have written with an open mind that you will identify a message and/or useful action to take. Trust your inner-guidance and, if appropriate, take action as soon as possible.
Q. How do I know if I am really connecting with my Higher-Self, or if it's just my imagination?
Take notice how you feel during the meditation. A connection with your Higher-Self typically includes feelings of love, acceptance and/or gratitude. If you experience tears, warmth, tingling, joy, or simply a sense that "everything will be OK", this validates your connection with your Higher-Self. My best suggestion is to relax and trust the process. If you remain concerned it could just be your imagination, but receive a valuable insight or action to take, then maybe your Higher-Self is communicating via your imagination? To a large extent you will get what you expect... This is why it helps to be open to the possibility that it really does work! Then it can.
Q. During the meditation, I experienced a particular ________________ (e.g. vision, scenery, colors, etc). What does this mean?
This is one of the most common questions I receive. Where possible I do my best to answer intuitively for the person asking (it's not a "one size fits all" type of answer). I feel a much better approach is for you to ask yourself the question! Try using a pen and paper, to discover the answer(s) for yourself... Start by writing the following, and just keep writing (without "thinking" about it too much):
Thank you for my experience of ___________________________ during the meditation. I would love to now understand what this means... I feel what this means to me is ____________________________________ [and just allow yourself to keep writing, to see what you discover!]
Q. How often should I listen to the meditation?
As I say at the end of the meditation, I recommend listing to it whenever you feel inspired to. If you would like to create a routine, start by listening to it once a day... Try different times on different days to see which feels best (e.g. soon after waking, just before sleeping, after going for a walk near water or trees, etc). You can still listen anytime it spontaneously occurs to you. Another suggestion is that it can be useful to meditate before making big decisions -- it may help increase your clarity to choose confidently.
Q. Can this meditation be done more than once in a day??
Yes, it's OK to use this meditation multiple times in a day. Sometimes your experience will feel superficial, other times profoundly deep. Whatever happens, be grateful. If you feel drawn to meditate for an extended period, allow yourself to move if you feel any physical discomfort. Sometimes during meditation, you may feel a spontaneous desire to sway your body, or stretch in some way... Providing you are in a safe environment to do so, I encourage you to allow yourself to gently experience such movements.
[Note: If you are trying to "force" a particular answer, instead of meditating you may find it more helpful to journal on paper.]
Q. Thanks for your meditation, it helped me with ___________________. I feel I want to give back in some way, any suggestions?
I love the "Pay it Forward" concept, so if I have helped you feel better in some way then my best suggestion is for you to perform a random act of kindness for someone else! One way you could help me to do this is by sharing the following website link with others:
www.ARandomActOfKindness.net -- this site has an eBook I wrote as a gift ("Timeless Truths for Today's Teens"). I believe teenagers, their parents and teachers will find something in it of value... Thanks so much for anything you can do to help spread the word! :-)
Q. What is the music you have playing in the background?
The background music is from an audio CD called "Zen and the Art of Relaxation" (by Anzan). The two specific tracks I had playing were: "Peaceful Passage" (Track #3) and "Petals of Wisdom" (Track #7). For your convenience, here is a link to the CD on Amazon:
US -- http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Relaxation-Anzan/dp/B0006BKHR4
UK -- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zen-Art-Relaxation-Anzan/dp/B0006BKHR4
Q. I am a bit distracted by the sound quality... Do you have a higher-quality audio version available?
At the time I made the recording, all I had on-hand was an inexpensive headset with microphone I'd purchased many years earlier... Rather than risk losing my inspiration waiting to buy better equipment, I followed my intuition and did the best I could with what I had. The sound quality could be better, but it certainly could be worse too! ;-) The energy I put into it was still captured beautifully.
[Sometimes we get distracted by things which aren't that important... If you happen to be someone who puts off doing something because you feel it has to be "perfect", why not make the choice to do the best you can right now with whatever resources you have? If you insist on waiting for better resources first, you might be waiting a long time -- and some people will miss out on the gift of your creativity. Believe it or not, your willingness to start a project now (with whatever resources you have) will attract more resources!]
Q. I don't want to have to visit YouTube all the time to listen to the meditation. Is it available as an MP3 download?
In exchange for you performing a random act of kindness and telling me about it, I'd be delighted to give you a copy of my original recording of the Guided Meditation, without background music. You will then have a clear, spoken version of the meditation that you can listen to anytime you wish (and the option of playing your own preferred music in the background!). Please contact me HERE to tell me about your random act of kindness (and so I know your email address, to send you a link to download the MP3 audio file).
Q. What inspired you to create this Guided Meditation?
I actually recorded the audio for the meditation in May 2013, as a bonus for participants in one of my coaching programs (called the Awakening Abundance "88 Day Prosperity Program"). My intention was to create a guided process that would assist them to take appropriate actions each day in-between our weekly sessions. It was almost a year later before I felt inspired to release it publicly!
Q. Do you have any other Guided Meditations available?
I am working on designing another guided process to release any negative associations from past experiences. It isn't ready just yet, but if you'd like to be one of the first to receive it, I recommend subscribing to my YouTube Channel. In the meantime, you may also appreciate some of my other YouTube videos. Two of my personal favourites are: "Words of Wisdom" and "Success Seeds".
Q. Are you available to discuss a current challenge, problem (or opportunity) in my life?
Yes, absolutely! :-) I love speaking with people from all walks of life, about almost any topic... We can discuss whatever is most important to you. I'll do my best to assist you to feel clearer, more confident, and inspired to take action! To request a conversation with me, please ask HERE. Thank you. [Note: Usually this is a paid service, however I don't want to exclude anyone just because of their financial situation. So if you truly cannot afford payment, and I have free time, I am happy to make our first conversation free.]
Q. I find it really difficult to concentrate during meditation. My mind keeps wandering.. I really liked your meditation. However I was not able to get any message.
A wandering mind is perfectly normal. :-) Notice how we have senses (e.g. sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste), but "who we are" is not any one (or even all) of those senses. I view thoughts similarly -- we have thoughts, but we are NOT our thoughts. Thoughts will come and go, and that's OK. Whenever you are aware of your wandering mind, focus your awareness back on your breathing. Do this in an effortless way, e.g. simply breathe a little deeper and focus on how this feels. With practice, you will be less distracted by your thoughts and more aware of simply being "aware". In this peaceful state, messages are more likely to spontaneously arise.
Q. I received and felt nothing, what does this mean?
Did you really experience nothing? Or was your experience accompanied by wandering thoughts (e.g. thinking of others things you could be doing, wondering what message you might receive, etc)? One approach you may find helpful is to listen to the meditation again with your eyes open throughout. During this time, have a pen and paper with you and write down all the thoughts that occur to you. Don't filter, judge or limit it. Just keep writing down as many thoughts as you can as they happen. At some point, you may notice a gap in your thoughts. When this occurs, close your eyes and enjoy the tranquility of this moment. When the next thought occurs to you, open your eyes and start writing again. Afterwards, review what you have written with an open mind that you will identify a message and/or useful action to take. Trust your inner-guidance and, if appropriate, take action as soon as possible.
Q. How do I know if I am really connecting with my Higher-Self, or if it's just my imagination?
Take notice how you feel during the meditation. A connection with your Higher-Self typically includes feelings of love, acceptance and/or gratitude. If you experience tears, warmth, tingling, joy, or simply a sense that "everything will be OK", this validates your connection with your Higher-Self. My best suggestion is to relax and trust the process. If you remain concerned it could just be your imagination, but receive a valuable insight or action to take, then maybe your Higher-Self is communicating via your imagination? To a large extent you will get what you expect... This is why it helps to be open to the possibility that it really does work! Then it can.
Q. During the meditation, I experienced a particular ________________ (e.g. vision, scenery, colors, etc). What does this mean?
This is one of the most common questions I receive. Where possible I do my best to answer intuitively for the person asking (it's not a "one size fits all" type of answer). I feel a much better approach is for you to ask yourself the question! Try using a pen and paper, to discover the answer(s) for yourself... Start by writing the following, and just keep writing (without "thinking" about it too much):
Thank you for my experience of ___________________________ during the meditation. I would love to now understand what this means... I feel what this means to me is ____________________________________ [and just allow yourself to keep writing, to see what you discover!]
Q. How often should I listen to the meditation?
As I say at the end of the meditation, I recommend listing to it whenever you feel inspired to. If you would like to create a routine, start by listening to it once a day... Try different times on different days to see which feels best (e.g. soon after waking, just before sleeping, after going for a walk near water or trees, etc). You can still listen anytime it spontaneously occurs to you. Another suggestion is that it can be useful to meditate before making big decisions -- it may help increase your clarity to choose confidently.
Q. Can this meditation be done more than once in a day??
Yes, it's OK to use this meditation multiple times in a day. Sometimes your experience will feel superficial, other times profoundly deep. Whatever happens, be grateful. If you feel drawn to meditate for an extended period, allow yourself to move if you feel any physical discomfort. Sometimes during meditation, you may feel a spontaneous desire to sway your body, or stretch in some way... Providing you are in a safe environment to do so, I encourage you to allow yourself to gently experience such movements.
[Note: If you are trying to "force" a particular answer, instead of meditating you may find it more helpful to journal on paper.]
Q. Thanks for your meditation, it helped me with ___________________. I feel I want to give back in some way, any suggestions?
I love the "Pay it Forward" concept, so if I have helped you feel better in some way then my best suggestion is for you to perform a random act of kindness for someone else! One way you could help me to do this is by sharing the following website link with others:
www.ARandomActOfKindness.net -- this site has an eBook I wrote as a gift ("Timeless Truths for Today's Teens"). I believe teenagers, their parents and teachers will find something in it of value... Thanks so much for anything you can do to help spread the word! :-)
Q. What is the music you have playing in the background?
The background music is from an audio CD called "Zen and the Art of Relaxation" (by Anzan). The two specific tracks I had playing were: "Peaceful Passage" (Track #3) and "Petals of Wisdom" (Track #7). For your convenience, here is a link to the CD on Amazon:
US -- http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Relaxation-Anzan/dp/B0006BKHR4
UK -- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zen-Art-Relaxation-Anzan/dp/B0006BKHR4
Q. I am a bit distracted by the sound quality... Do you have a higher-quality audio version available?
At the time I made the recording, all I had on-hand was an inexpensive headset with microphone I'd purchased many years earlier... Rather than risk losing my inspiration waiting to buy better equipment, I followed my intuition and did the best I could with what I had. The sound quality could be better, but it certainly could be worse too! ;-) The energy I put into it was still captured beautifully.
[Sometimes we get distracted by things which aren't that important... If you happen to be someone who puts off doing something because you feel it has to be "perfect", why not make the choice to do the best you can right now with whatever resources you have? If you insist on waiting for better resources first, you might be waiting a long time -- and some people will miss out on the gift of your creativity. Believe it or not, your willingness to start a project now (with whatever resources you have) will attract more resources!]
Q. I don't want to have to visit YouTube all the time to listen to the meditation. Is it available as an MP3 download?
In exchange for you performing a random act of kindness and telling me about it, I'd be delighted to give you a copy of my original recording of the Guided Meditation, without background music. You will then have a clear, spoken version of the meditation that you can listen to anytime you wish (and the option of playing your own preferred music in the background!). Please contact me HERE to tell me about your random act of kindness (and so I know your email address, to send you a link to download the MP3 audio file).
Q. What inspired you to create this Guided Meditation?
I actually recorded the audio for the meditation in May 2013, as a bonus for participants in one of my coaching programs (called the Awakening Abundance "88 Day Prosperity Program"). My intention was to create a guided process that would assist them to take appropriate actions each day in-between our weekly sessions. It was almost a year later before I felt inspired to release it publicly!
Q. Do you have any other Guided Meditations available?
I am working on designing another guided process to release any negative associations from past experiences. It isn't ready just yet, but if you'd like to be one of the first to receive it, I recommend subscribing to my YouTube Channel. In the meantime, you may also appreciate some of my other YouTube videos. Two of my personal favourites are: "Words of Wisdom" and "Success Seeds".
Q. Are you available to discuss a current challenge, problem (or opportunity) in my life?
Yes, absolutely! :-) I love speaking with people from all walks of life, about almost any topic... We can discuss whatever is most important to you. I'll do my best to assist you to feel clearer, more confident, and inspired to take action! To request a conversation with me, please ask HERE. Thank you. [Note: Usually this is a paid service, however I don't want to exclude anyone just because of their financial situation. So if you truly cannot afford payment, and I have free time, I am happy to make our first conversation free.]
Thanks so much to everyone who has commented or asked questions. I'll update this FAQ in response to future questions.
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The right quote, at the right time, can be very inspiring...
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Maybe you will appreciate one of these quotes:
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"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." –William Hutchison Murray |
"I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." –Maya Angelou "You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." –Buddha "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls." –Joseph Campbell "Ask & it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you." –Jesus "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." –Mark Twain |
To contact me with feedback, questions, suggestions (or just to say "Hello!") please click HERE (Note: I read every comment with a spirit of gratitude, however due to other commitments I cannot always promise a personal reply).
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Help make a difference in the lives of teenagers...
Please read and share my book: Timeless Truths for Today's Teens |
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