Feeling Joy, Finding Ananda

Posted on August 11, 2014December 7, 2015 by Sandi Amorim

In grade 2, my best friend was Barb, a girl of Scottish descent who loved books, reading, creativity, and play.

We were devoted to each other, and spent most of our free time together.

Picture two pig-tailed girls, devouring books, dreaming dreams, and writing stories together.

I loved her with all of my 7-year-old heart, and was shattered when her family moved away.

We promised to keep in touch, and for a couple of years we did but it was hard. Her new neighbourhood seemed so far away, much too far to navigate by bike or by bus on our own.

But for those years we lived one street apart?

Our friendship consisted of total devotion to each other, and joy at our shared interests.

It was bliss.

Which got me thinking about happiness.

Ananda Hum doodle with pen, ink, and Pixlr

Deepak Chopra (and many wisdom traditions) say that happiness is our true nature.

I knew that as a child; I think we all do.

As an adult however, my skeptical brain sometimes gets in the way of this truth, and I question the joy that was once so natural and normal.

“Happiness is part of who we are. Joy is the feeling.” ― Tony DeLiso

As I begin another round of meditation with the Chopra Center, I’m thinking of joy and happiness and how elusive they can sometimes be.

And I wonder…

What would it take to return to that state of joy?

For me it would take embracing happiness as a way of being.

No striving or earning necessary.

[Tweet “Ananda Hum – I am bliss. #thisisbliss”]

People don’t talk about bliss. I think we worry that it seems selfish.

Who am I to want bliss when so much of the world is at war, and suffering?

But wanting to feel happiness is not selfish; it is a human desire to return to the essence of our true nature.

Joy

Bliss

Happiness

Happiness is our true nature; all I have to do is think back to those days with my best friend Barb to remember.

I also think it takes a commitment, for in the busyness of life, we forget – I know I do.

[Tweet “Today, a new practice begins, a devotion to feeling joy, and finding ananda within. #thisisbliss”]

A Simple Relaxation Technique to Connect Your Heart & Mind

Posted on October 23, 2013May 25, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 14 Conversations

Family visits are usually a roller coast ride of emotions, and my recent three-week visit home definitely qualifies.

There was the sweet nostalgia of spending time with my ninety-one year old grandfather, the indescribable feeling of being there for my parents, and then the sadness of saying goodbye.

This visit was a great reminder of how important it is to slow down, take more deep breaths, and be present.

Because life keeps doing its thing, throwing out unexpected curveballs, and life is just so damn busy.

Your brain has to deal with millions of bits of information each day. It’s exhausting.

We get worn down by it, becoming more and more unresourceful as time passes.

While home, I researched relaxation techniques to help my Dad with his hypertension, which led to discovering the Institute of HeartMath, which then led to a couple of hours absorbing the art and science of connecting hearts and minds.

And even though I’ve been involved with personal development for many years, the impact of practices like meditation and breath-work on physical conditions still surprised me.

I fell in love with the following exercise because of its simplicity; it’s short, easy to follow, and you’ll feel the difference immediately.

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There is No Finish Line

Posted on July 10, 2013May 25, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 23 Conversations

“There is no finish line. There is no prize. There is no path, no schedule, no time line. There is no right direction, right choice, right way. All of that would imply there was something out there that is not here now. It would imply that there is something you could be that you are not now. You are the energy you are looking for. Right here. Right now.” – Jeddah Mali

These words by Jedda Mali have been on my mind lately. They speak to me of truth, and the duality of life.

No Finish Line

There is no finish line. No prize. No right way.

The little voice in my head hollers, “What’s the point then?”

You see, I like getting to the end, reaching out for the prize, and feeling the satisfaction of completion.

I’ve learned that life doesn’t always deliver the prize the way we want it. When we don’t get what we want the ability to respond creates the future, while reaction takes us back to the past.

There is no finish line and there is no shortcut, but you’ll always come to know yourself better, and that in itself is a prize worth the angst.

No Right Way

How do you know which way to go if there’s no right way? What tells you you’re making the right choice?

All you can do is follow your heart, and if you listen it will show you the way. Some days it’s not that easy, the head is so good at distracting us with its obsessive need to control and understand.

Too often, the head wins out, and leads us down the path of survival.

The compulsion to understand is a powerful motivator, but when it gets in the way of what feels good, you’ve got to take a step back because understanding is almost always the booby prize.

Out There vs. Here Now

It’s easy to forget, to look outside yourself for comfort, validation, and love.

But no matter how much you get from others, it will never be enough if you don’t give it and get it from yourself.

You are the one you’ve been waiting for.

You, and only you, can give yourself what you need.

When you really get that, you and everyone else will be taken care of and the finish line?

Will disappear for good.

Meditate Right Now

Posted on December 31, 2012May 25, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 41 Conversations

Amida Buddha, the largest Buddha outside of China, at the Lahaina Jodo Mission.

We know that meditation is good for us.

On a physical level, meditation can reduce your blood pressure, boost your immune system, diminish chronic pain, and that’s just for starts.
Emotionally, meditation brings greater calm, a feeling of spaciousness and a sense of humor about the vagaries of life.
Spiritually, meditation is the path to become truly human: loving, patient, understanding, forgiving, clear yet relaxed and playful.

Yet, we resist. We moan and groan, “There’s not enough time.”

We keep putting meditation off until tomorrow, next week, next month. Until illness or death arrives and we’re twisted by fear, wracked with regret.

How can we die peacefully if we haven’t tasted peace of mind in life?

There’s one simple and immediate solution to the problem of no time: Meditate Right Now.

You Can Meditate Right Now

You don’t need elaborate preparations, the right space, incense, or even a meditation cushion.

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Spring Cleaning from the Inside Out

Posted on April 20, 2012October 23, 2012 by Sandi Amorim 20 Conversations

According to Wikipedia, spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. According to Martha Stewart, it’s a bit more detailed with a three page checklist celebrating the satisfying rite of the annual clean.

Once upon a time, I was enamoured of all things Martha. What? Don’t look so surprised!

But then I grew up and realized picture perfect cakes and anal-retentive holiday decorating was not my style.

So why am I talking about Martha?

Because underneath the surface of all that spit-and-polish, handmade, homemade OCD there are nuggets of wisdom to be found – kind of like finding that favourite shoe that’s been missing for months under the couch!

Her spring cleaning checklist suggests going through your home, room by room, with a detailed list of tasks. And while that’s all good, and I’m sure my home could use that kind of attention, my mind-body-spirit could use it even more, so that’s where my cleaning strategies and I are focused.

A new perspective on spring cleaning!

Spring Cleaning from the Inside Out

Mind / Office

One of the great things about working as a life coach is the opportunity to continually do my own inner work.

For me to give my best, I have to make sure this ‘room’ is spacious and clear. That doesn’t mean I have to be perfect and have everything handled, but that I regularly take a look at what’s working and not working in my own life and business.

Working with Jenny Bones in creating the Summer Camp for Solopreneurs has presented this kind of opportunity. As we’ve created the Camp’s curriculum, I’ve uncluttered my schedule to make time for more work I love, and am in the process of clearing physical space in my office.

While I’m amazed at what I get done with the stacks of books and materials around me, I also know I’m more productive and intuitive when my physical world is clean and clear. This creates room to move, and space to breathe and create.

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Are You Ready to Listen?

Posted on February 20, 2012February 23, 2013 by Sandi Amorim 11 Conversations

Listen. . .

Your heart is beating.

It beats without instruction, whispering of a life force beyond your control.

Listen. . .

Your soul is speaking.

It speaks of why you’re here, and what’s important.

It doesn’t waste time with external considerations.

It wants what it wants. . .

For you. For your present. For your future.

[pullquote]“Don’t think or judge, just listen.” – Sarah Dessen[/pullquote]

Listen. . .

For when was the last time you truly listened?

Start with 5 minutes if that’s what you have.

But start.

Sit. Or walk.

Your presence is all that’s required.

Now breathe.

Listen to your heart, for there are things that make it come more fully alive.

Listen to your soul, for its only purpose is to guide you.

Turn down the volume of your mind to a barely audible hum.

For just 5 minutes, close your eyes.

And listen.

Here I Am

Posted on November 14, 2011April 16, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 21 Conversations

Reflections From A Retreat

Here I am, again.

Reacquainted with my Self.

Time slows down,

Here.

Here, I am in need. . .

Of rest and connection.

It always seems easier,

Here.

Here I am, ready,

To let go of all plans.

To start anew,

Here.

Here, I am centred.

I am always here,

But I’m only now,

Remembering.

The Ultimate Approach to Self-Care

Posted on October 23, 2011October 22, 2012 by Sandi Amorim 21 Conversations

The Homage to Self-Care continues with a much needed perspective on care of the mind, from my favourite inner explorer, Sandra Pawula of Always Well Within.

The ultimate way to care for your self is to make friends with your own mind.

Why? Because the mind is the creator of happiness and the creator of suffering; the creator of goodness and the creator of harm. How you experience your world – your internal world and the external one – all depends on how you perceive.

[pullquote]”There’s nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Shakespeare, Hamlet[/pullquote]

Who’s the Boss?

Simply said, there are three avenues through which we create happiness or suffering for ourselves and others: the body, the speech, and the mind. But which one is the boss?

I’ll let you in on the secret right away. It’s the mind that’s running the show.

You might say, “Hey, wait a minute. I suffer because my body hurts. Isn’t it the body that’s the culprit?”

But it’s not the pain sensation itself that determines how we perceive it. A prime example in mainstream medicine is the way that pioneers like Jon Kabat-Zinn are teaching mindfulness meditation as a highly effective pain reduction technique. You don’t have to be a meditation master to see the beneficial effects. Mindfulness meditation is a safe form of medicine that works extraordinarily well when it comes to pain reduction and improving other types of illness for ordinary people like you and me.

Biofeedback is another mechanism through which we can manipulate physiological functions and control processes like brain waves, muscle tone, skin conductance, heart rate, and pain perception with the mind.

So it’s not the body that’s in control. The mind is powerful and can indeed transform our perception of physical experience. But it does take training.

When it comes to speech, what you say is entirely up to you and is determined only by your mind – unless you happen to be controlled by demons! Your words are the result of your thoughts and emotions.

Of course, there are times when you “speak without thinking.” But even so the words didn’t appear out of thin air. They’re the result of your own habitual patterns of thinking, emoting and responding which have created specific neuronal circuits in your brain. Exciting breakthroughs in modern science show us that these confused neuronal pathways can be redesigned as we consistently change our patterns of thought and action.

So back to mind.

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