ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?
The answers you are seeking are within. Something I’ve heard over and over as a spiritual seeker and Yogi. And yes, I believe the answers are within, but it takes a bit of effort and specific practices to effectively access them.
As we enter the peak light of summer, it is the perfect time to cleanse and and prepare your field to open to clarity and to clearly see what the universe holds for you.
Here are three simple steps to accessing the inner answers:
1. Clear your field, 2. Ask the questions and 3. Take time to listen.
Step One:
Cleanse your home, clear your clutter, do a deep cleanse, and try a smudge ceremony, (see May 26 blog).
Practice mantra and meditation to clear you mind and calm your thoughts.
Talk to a spiritual mentor or friend and journal to clear your emotions.
Cleanse your body with a mini food cleanse, (see May 4 blog), bathe in the ocean or lake or soak in a tub of sacred herbs like rue, rosemary, and mint.
Once you are prepared you are ready for Steps Two + Three which can be practiced with the ancient technique of Nishta Drishti.
Nishta Drishti – Tantric Mediation to Connect to Your Wisdom Center
The naval center, or belly button area is an important focal point in many healing traditions. In Tantra and Ayurveda, it is considered the portals to the body, breath, and mind. Bringing your attention to the naval center can strengthen your digestive fire and enliven your breath, quiet your mind, and give you access to the wisdom of all three layers.
The Practice:
Set yourself up to be comfortable, lying on your back on a folded blanket with your knees bent, feet wide and knees dropping in to touch each other (the constructive rest position). You can roll up a towel, not too big, and place it under your neck to keep a gentle curve in the cervical spine. Make any adjustments to keep you comfortable for a good 20 – 30 minutes in this position with your spine as lengthened as possible.
- Lay down and relax.
- Scan your body for any holding and allow yourself to let go.
- Begin to breath smoothly from you lower belly up through your collar bones and back down again. No stress. No strain.
- After several smoother and smoother breaths just let go of any doing.
- Turn your attention to the belly button area. Throughout this practice you will just watch this area. That’s it. Just watch. Feel the gurgles, notice the pulse, feel the belly rise and fall naturally with your breathing. This is it. Do not wander off into space. This is a practice of focusing on the physical naval center for about 20 minutes. As you focus here it will begin to stimulate your digestion and to make room for easier breathing. This begins a clearing or fogginess and muck that gives you access to your intuition.
- After about 20 minutes focus your attention on your breath swirling around your belly. Just beneath your breath see your wisdom center, your source of intuition housed right there at your naval center.
- Then ask yourself a question. What do I need today? What do I need to best care for myself today? Or ask a specific question. How can I best care for…? this situation? And then wait and listen.
- You may hear different words or sentences arise. You may get lost in your thoughts. You can repeat the questions over and over if you like. Eventually something will come through that feels like it is coming from intuition and not thought. After several Nishta Drishti practices you will be clearer about when it is intuition talking. Be patient.
- When you feel complete, take a stretch. Take your knees to your chest or any other simple stretch. Come up to sitting. Hands in prayer and close your practice with a gratitude.
Click Here to Listen on Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/soniclauren/nishta-drishti-with-lauren-hanna