Lately I've been trying to stay in the moment. I've always had a habit of worrying about the past, and nervously anticipating the future. As I've gotten into a more regular meditation practice, I've noticed that these habits have gone away and that I can finally relax and be present. Best of all, I now can watch Game of Thrones and remember the characters' names!
Besides TV making a lot more sense, there are a lot of benefits to staying in the present moment (I mean duh, people have been practicing meditation for thousands of years). Food tastes better, your communication skills improve and you honestly feel blissed out pretty much all the time. I would definitely check out Suze Yalof Schwartz's book,Unplug: A Simple Guide to Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers, for getting started with meditation. It's a quick read and provides a lot of insight on the practices of meditation, as well as why it is so effective!
Besides meditation, my other favourite way to stay in the present is to keep up with my Gratitude Journal. A Gratitude Journal can be a separate notebook, a section in your journal, or somewhere on your phone. It gives you a few moments in the day to reflect and appreciate how fortunate you are. Using my journal has also reaffirmed my high school yearbook quote, everyday may not be good but there is something good in every day. Even on my worst days, I'm still able to focus on a positive aspect of it. Whether it be the way my cats cuddled with me as I woke up, or a soothing cup of tea, there's always a glimmer of light in my life. I think keeping up with my journal has also kept me a more consistently positive person!
I've been using the Five Minute Journal app as my gratitude journal. I really like the layout, and as the name boasts, it literally takes 5 minutes.
When you first open the app, a quote pops up. If you know me, you know I love quotes, so already, this app is perfect for me. I also really liked that this one was a fairytales quote!
You make two entries a day- one in the morning, and one at night.
For the morning, you put what you're grateful for, how you'll make the day great, and a daily affirmation. Sometimes I make my affirmations silly, other times I'll use a kundalini mantra. Starting my day with these thoughts keeps me connected and in a positive headspace for the rest of the day.
]]>All my life I've been fascinated by crystals, but have never really understood them. However, so many of the people I look up to have been raving about their healing properties, and I decided to investigate. I've spent a lot of time devoted to learning more about crystals over the last year, and they've really been integral on my spiritual journey.
There are so many crystals to choose from, and it can be really overwhelming. These are the crystals I use daily- and are a great selection to start with.
Clear Crystal Quartz
Clear Crystal Quartz is the number one starter crystal! Specifically known for their healing properties, these crystals are used across all continents. These crystals are used to heal many ailments, as they absorb energies from all different situation. Because of their clear colour, they are also great to use when setting intentions and meditating.
Amethyst
Out of all the crystals, amethyst is the one I've always found myself drawn to. As I've learned more, it totally makes sense! Amethyst is specifically used to develop intuition and promote calmness and peacefulness. I've always lacked these traits, and so I believe my higher self called me to these crystals. Amethyst also clears negative energies, especially negative minds.
Rose Quartz
Rose quartz is my top crystal for people who want to dramatically improve their lives. Known as the Love Stone, Rose quartz is know to benefit romantic love, unconditional love, and most importantly, self love. Rose quartz is a healing crystal, and helps your remove negative thoughts and energy that you associate with love.
Lately, I've been meditating with my rose quartz stone, and have been focusing on setting my intentions around self love. It's working!
Peach Moonstone
My goddess stone! Peach moonstone was famously used by the ancient Romans as jewelry, but it's also known to promote passion, peace, creativity and help you get in touch with yourself. Similar to rose quartz, wearing this stone also promotes self love and improves how you see yourself! All of these qualities clear your heart and fill you with positive energy, allowing you to be the goddess you truly should be.
Peach moonstone is also great for automatic writing, which is why I think I've been called to it so much since I've started blogging!
Black Tourmaline
I always recommend picking up a small tumbled black tourmaline as a way of protecting yourself. Black tourmaline removes negative energy, and acts as your own personal shield. I especially like to carry this stone on me when I'm around negative people so that I don't pick up on their bad vibes!
Witches are also known to love black tourmaline as a way of protecting themselves against negative spirits and spells. It's a psychic shield, keeping us away from any attacks!
]]>It’s the beginning of the month, and I thought, what better way to start the blog off right then with a post about setting intentions!
You may have seen these lists pinned all over Pinterest, or on your favourite Instagram, but what really are intentions? And why should you set them?
Intentions are your first step to making your goals a reality. By clearly stating your intentions, you’re laying out the path to following your dreams.
So why set intentions? Intentions help keep you in the moment, and get you focused on your goals. Not only that, but you’re actually visioning your goals, and that’s the first step to making them happen! Setting an intention helps connect you to the Source, your higher consciousness, the Universe, whatever you want to call it! and you’re providing direction on how you want your life to go.
Be specific.
If I were to say to you, picture yourself in your dream car, how quickly would you be able to do it? Instead, if I said to you, picture yourself in a red 2016 mustang with dark leather seats, you’d be able to envision that much faster.
The more specific you are with your intention, the easier it is to manifest it into reality.
Be positive.
It’s really easy to be jaded in this day and age, but keeping a positive headspace while setting your intentions is a must.
Be adaptable.
You might start writing an intention and realize it has a mind of its own. That’s okay! Your Higher Self knows you better than you know yourself. Let it guide you to your true purpose.
Be grateful.
The universe has your back. There’s a reason everything that you’ve experienced has happened. Appreciate what you’ve been given when setting intentions, and thankful. You have to be open to receiving gifts from the universe, and being grateful is the first step in doing that.