That Hurts, Stop It!

As a young child, you may have learned that touching a hot stove causes pain and therefore you should not touch a hot stove. Physical pain teaches us a very simple and logical lesson: stop that and don't do that again. So why then do so many of us refuse to learn the exact same message from our emotional pain?

The truth is that most people fail to realize that our pain is a result of something we are doing and instead, we seek to blame the pain on an external source. We blame other people, circumstances, and even God for our pain. This leads us to develop the false belief that something else is responsible for our pain and therefore we cannot heal or prevent further pain ourselves. In some cases people do blame themselves and then begin to punish themselves, which leads to even more pain! Stop looking for someone or something to blame.

I'm not saying that the actions of other people cannot hurt you--but I seek to remind you that you have the power to learn from your pain and to stop doing whatever you were doing that resulted in the emotional injury, just as you would learn to not touch a hot stove after being burned. If you don't start learning from your emotional pain so you can heal and grow, you will start learning how to numb your pain through addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, food, or other activities. Perhaps you have already started using addiction to avoid learning from your pain, and addictions (regardless of the form they take) always lead to more emotional turmoil and troubles in your life.

The next time you find yourself broken-hearted, crying your eyes out, blaming someone for your pain, shaking your fists at God, or turning toward addictions, stop and take a long look at what has happened to make you feel such pain. Rather than placing blame on any outside influence or punishing yourself, ask yourself what you could do differently to stop this pain and avoid it in the future. The answer may be tough to face, and the solution may involve taking an action (such as getting out of a toxic relationship) that you hoped you wouldn't have to do.

Turning away from, numbing or ignoring your pain will not help you; it is a deliberate choice to ignore the opportunity for growth and healing. Truly facing and learning from your pain takes courage and strength and you may be afraid to do it on your own, but you don't have to do it alone! True wisdom includes asking for help when you need it: ask your angels for help, seek the guidance and support of a therapist or counselor, or participate in a twelve step support group.

If you burn yourself on a hot stove, you learn to not touch a hot stove again and you tend to your injury to promote healing. When you learn from your emotional pain, also stop and take care of yourself as well. You may get hurt in different ways in the future, but you will truly benefit from taking the time to really learn the lesson your pain is trying to teach you.

~*~Monica Who~*~

Introduction to Meditation

Meditation is a practice that brings inner peace and harmony, spiritual enlightenment, healing, balance and overall wellness for your mind, body and spirit. Meditation is a vital aspect of spiritual growth and it can also be used for getting in touch with your innermost feelings and developing greater awareness of your body. Regular meditation will help you cope with stress and toxic emotions, feel stronger and healthier, and can even help you overcome problems such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, post traumatic stress, eating disorders, addictions, phobias, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and much more! Meditation is also the best way to initiate contact with angels.

I cannot tell you how many times people have asked me how to meditate! First, I want to tell you that meditation is not difficult; with just a little practice, you will be on your way to achieving all the benefits of meditation.

Relaxation is a key element to any meditation. You may want to meditate lying down with your eyes closed, but you might find yourself drifting off to sleep. If you want to meditate in a sitting position, make sure to employ good posture, with your back straight so you can breathe evenly from your diaphragm. Breathe deeply and evenly, and release all tension from your body.

There are countless ways to meditate, but there are two general methods of meditation. The first method is to focus your thoughts on a concept, idea or image and the second method is clear your mind of all thoughts, enabling messages from your angels, spirit guides and higher self to flow into your mind unencumbered by your mental clutter. You will find the first method much easier at first but both methods require a great deal of concentration, which is not a natural state for the human mind! For whichever method of meditation you choose, you must first train your mind to concentrate.

In the beginning it's best that you do not try to force concentration, rather begin by allowing your mind to wander freely. This can be both entertaining and enlightening as you learn more about your innermost thoughts. Once you have allowed your mind to wander freely, you will find it easier to focus your thoughts. I recommend that you give yourself fifteen to twenty minutes of roaming thought before you settle down and attempt to focus (use a timer). As you develop your skill, gradually reduce the time for rambling thought until you no longer need to give this freedom to your mind.

Concentration and focus can be achieved through several means. Here are a few that I find useful:

1. Focus on the sensations of your body. Control your breathing, listen to your heart beat, become fully aware of the air surrounding you and the feeling of the surface you're sitting or resting on.
2. Think of and make yourself fully aware of just one part of your body, such as your hand, and exclude all other sensations in the rest of your body.
3. Repeat a mantra over and over, either out loud or within your mind. Phrases from the Bible are useful mantras when you want to connect with angels and feel closer to God. A good example is, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," but of course there are many others that would work. Choose any phrase that inspires inner peace for you.
4. Visualize a simple object, shape or colour and think of nothing else until your mind is fully focused and undisturbed by any other thoughts or images.
5. Focus on one single emotion (love is best when you seek to connect with angels) until you fully grasp the meaning and experience of it.
6. Focus on a physical object such as a burning candle or power stone.
7. Focus on a mandala (an image portraying religious or mystical concepts; generally an image within a circle inside a square, with intricate or kaleidoscopic patterns.)

Training your mind to focus and concentrate may not be as easy as it sounds, but with continued practice you will achieve success. Include meditation in your daily routine to reap the full benefits for your mind, body and spirit, and in time you'll find that you can meditate in any position, anytime and anywhere!

~*~Monica Who~*~

P.S. Stay tuned--in a few days I will post about a simple yet beneficial meditation practice that even the busiest person can incorporate into their daily routine. I understand some people feel they cannot make time for extensive meditation every day.

Yes You CAN Talk to Your Angels!

When I advise someone to talk to their angels, they sometimes reply, "But I can't talk to my angels like you can." Yes, you can! You might not hear their replies in the ways I do, but there is absolutely nothing blocking your ability to talk to them or their ability to hear you. In time you will develop greater ability to receive and recognize the messages your angels are communicating to you.

The first step is to start talking to them. Some people are most comfortable writing letters or journal entries to their angels. You can use your voice to communicate with them, although you might feel silly doing that and it isn't always appropriate (such as when you're around other people). Instead, you can address the angels in your thoughts. Talk to them about anything and everything. They're with you to help you, they deeply care about you, and they are your friends--so talk to them that way!

You may expect to hear their responses as voices, but you might not be ready to develop clairaudient abilities just yet and not all angels communicate that way. Let go of any preconceptions and expectations regarding how your angels will communicate with you, and be open to receiving their messages in many different ways. Voices and whispers certainly are one way your angels can communicate with you, but here are some other ways:

• Intuition: It can be difficult to recognize intuition because it comes to you in your own thoughts rather than a different voice or something else immediately recognized as coming from an outside source. Angels often provide you with new thoughts and ideas, and instinctive knowledge.
• Dreams and visions: When you're asleep you are more open to spiritual communication. Visions are less common but are mentioned in connection with dreams because visions often involve similar imagery as our dreams and learning to interpret your dreams can help you to understand the symbolic visions you might receive.
• Music: If you have a song stuck in your head even though you haven't heard it recently, the lyrics could have a significant message the angels want you to hear. Likewise, you might turn on the radio just because and hear a song that is relevant to your current situation. (In both cases you're also receiving and responding to intuition.) If you associate the song with a time in your life or another person, that could be the subject of the message the angels are trying to communicate.
• Sounds: Angels can communicate through other sounds as well, such as bells, chimes, footfalls, and knocking. This is a clairaudient experience that can be much easier for you to pick up than actual voices, and these sounds all indicate that your angels are trying to get your attention.
• Emotions: When the message relates to emotions, your angels can communicate through your emotions. Pay particular attention to changes in your emotions that don't seem connected to the events around you.
• Scents: Our sense of scent is strongly linked to our memory, and sometimes you may pick up a smell that has no physical source in your environment. Usually it will be a familiar scent that reminds you of a specific time in your life or even someone you know. This is a clairsentient experience and your angels may be trying to communicate a message about your memories or the person the scent is associated with.
• Physical sensations: A feeling of exhilarating (not uncomfortable) chills or tingles is a fairly typical clairsentient message from the angels, usually intended to confirm something that was just thought or spoken. Sometimes you will feel a comforting sensation as if someone has placed their hand on your shoulder or even hugged you, and it's a way the angels may comfort or encourage you.

There are many ways your angels can communicate with you, and you may have stronger abilities to pick up messages in some of these ways than in others. If you start to recognize the messages angels are communicating with you in one of these ways, they will probably begin to communicate with you in other ways too. Be open to receiving messages from them in these ways, as well as others.

P.S. I wanted to share a personal example of how the angels use music to communicate with me. During my first week in Helsinki, I went out for a walk at 4:30 am. I consulted the map before I left, but around 5:00 am I realized I was quite lost! There was no one around to ask for help, so I asked the angels to show me the way. Just as I found the right street to get back home, a Finnish song called "Varjot" by my favourite band, Turmion Kätilöt, started playing on my mp3 player. I still don't know what the words mean, so when that song gets stuck in my head I know the message isn't related to the lyrics. The message is always either that I'm on the right path now or the angels want to show me the right way. Needless to say, I really like it when "Varjot" gets stuck in my head!

I would love to hear some of your stories about how the angels have communicated with you.

~*~Monica Who~*~

Meditating with Angels and Power Stones

Power stones are a fantastic focal point or tool in meditation that can provide essential energies, and there are 11 Master Stones that angels are attracted to. All angels are attracted to at least one of the 11 Master Stones, which are citrine, jade, moonstone, amethyst, rose quartz, sodalite, howlite, lapis lazuli, malachite, onyx and bloodstone.

Citrine is technically a "burnt amethyst," iron gives it a warm golden colour. Citrine clears negative energy, promotes optimism, attracts abundance, and enhances the body's healing energy. It is good for mental focus, endurance, and self-esteem and it corresponds to the Solar Plexus chakra.

Jade helps balance male and female energies, encourages meditative travel (including astral travel and remote viewing), helps make dreaming productive and healing, and is a stone of protection and shielding from attacks and illness. Jade corresponds to the Heart chakra.

Moonstone attracts feminine and lunar energy, improves intuition and discernment, and balances and cleanses negativity from all the chakras. It can also assist with female reproduction, protection during travel, and can bring good fortune.

Amethyst is considered the most highly prized form of quartz and is a stone of peace and strength. Amethyst assists psychic and channeling abilities, promotes a feeling of contentment and connection to spirit, can improve relaxation and sleep, and provides protection. Amethyst activates the Crown chakra.

Rose Quartz is known as the love stone; it encourages compassion, forgiveness, healing, calming, and helps release anger, resentment, jealousy and fears. Rose Quartz raises the vibration of loving energy, eases sexual and emotional imbalances, and enhances confidence and creativity. Rose Quartz corresponds with the Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown chakras.

Sodalite improves logic, intellect and efficiency, and helps in social environments. Sodalite is especially helpful in encouraging the truthful expression of emotions, and it corresponds to the Throat chakra.

Howlite is a stone of memory, knowledge and progress. It encourages reasoning, observation, discernment, patience and tact, and helps to relieve pain, stress and anger. Howlite corresponds with the Crown chakra.

Lapis Lazuli is another stone of protection and it stimulates awareness, attunement, intuition and psychic ability. It strengthens the connection between the physical and celestial. Lapis Lazuli corresponds with the Throat and Third Eye chakras.

Malachite encourages balance and transformation and is a stone of spiritual evolution. Malachite stimulates intuition, allows insight into emotional factors that may manifest as physical illness, eases delivery in birthing and also helps one to recognize and clear past negative experiences. It represents fidelity, loyalty, practicality and responsibility, and Malachite corresponds with the Heart chakra.

Onyx assists in the grieving process and helps one to make wise decisions. It promotes alignment, centering and self control. Onyx corresponds with the Root chakra.

Bloodstone is a stone of courage and helps one overcome distress and anxiety. Bloodstone provides centering and grounding, and it corresponds to the Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus and Heart chakras.

There are many power stones that can assist you in your meditation and your day to day life, but if you want to attract and work with angels you should have all of these 11 Master Stones in your collection. Meditate with a specific stone when you want to attract angels with similar abilities as the stone you've selected, or angels that strengthen and use the chakra that corresponds to the stone. You can use moonstone in your meditation to help you connect with your guardian and guide angels, and ask them to show you which stones each of them are most drawn to.

I highly recommend keeping your collection of power stones in a bowl or out where angels can be drawn to and interact with them, rather than storing them in a closed container. I like to keep mine in a bowl next to my bed. I often write down special prayers or goals I'm working to achieve, then fold the paper very small and place it with the stones to receive additional angelic assistance with these things. When I travel, I like to bring my Master Stones with me in a small pouch--I carry the pouch with me when I'm out and when I return to my hotel, I place the stones out on the table next to the bed. I have found these power stones are so useful that I try to never be without them!

~*~Monica Who~*~