Spiritual Solutions

(Note: This article is composed of adapted excerpts from The Healing Flow, an article by the former Unity minister and author, Eric Butterworth, which I have also made into a 9-minute audio meditation for your use and enjoyment. You can scroll down to the bottom of the article to access the audio.)

If you feel the need of healing of any kind right now, begin to envision your whole body enveloped in God’s radiant health. See your body as a “temple of the living God,” the perfect dwelling place of the Infinite. No matter what you are going through at the present time, you can be sure that God is with you, and that the healing flow is manifesting through you.

Let your mind be open to the activities of life. Let go of any thought that there is any condition beyond help, beyond relief. “Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Enter the stream of wholeness now, the free flow of divine life, and flow along with its current. Fill your heart and mind with thoughts of the activity of the divine process, knowing that no power on earth can in any way dim the light of life that shines eternally in you and through you. See your whole body glowing in every atom, coursing through every artery and vein; see your body as the perfect dwelling place of the creative life of God.

As John says in Revelations 22:1, “Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal . . .” This cleansing river of life is right now flowing through you, dissolving every condition of imperfection, renewing every cell of your body with abundant life. Consciously banish every tense or anxious thought about your health. Think of every cell of your body being filled with the pure life of God; think of every organ, cell and nerve as blessed and harmonized by God’s presence in you as healing life, and know that you are one with God, that through this oneness you are part of an unbroken flow of life, circulating constantly, steadily, regularly through you, healing, flowing, healing, flowing, for “in Him we live and move and have our being.”

If you could envision your life as a tapestry and yourself as the weaver, you could begin to see how every experience has added something to the picture of the whole. Even the experiences that you have resisted and resented have added to its depth and strength. You cannot see the complete design, but by knowing that the experiences of today will blend with the experiences of tomorrow, even as they blended with the experiences of yesterday, they will form a beautiful and satisfying pattern of good. Let each day, each experience, in the spirit of a creative artist with faith in yourself and the pattern of life that you are weaving in ways perhaps you cannot completely understand, let it be that all things work together for good.

The whole presence and power of God lives within you, and would have you rise and walk in pleasantness and peace. When you become completely immersed in the sea of healing and renewing life, you feel waves of vitalizing energy radiating in your entire being, you feel the warm, radiating life of Spirit flowing through you as it floods your consciousness with peace and joy. It vitalizes your body temple, making it every whit whole. No matter where you are, no matter what challenge you have to meet or situation to undergo, you are never in any way separated from this divine flow. No matter what you are going through right now, you can be sure that God is with you as a guiding hand, a healing influence and flow.

Don’t ask yourself why things are the way they are. Rather than ask why, face the fact that any need for harmony or healing reveals the need for a closer attunement with the divine flow, the need for a greater realization of oneness with all good, the need for an increase of faith, the need for more time in quiet reflection and prayer.

Healing comes through oneness with the divine flow. Open your consciousness to this flow. Turn all of your mind and heart to this healing flow that is moving from within your being. As you lift your thoughts to this consciousness, feel your body temple being filled with health and harmony, feel every nerve and cell being charged with glorious life that continually rebuilds and revitalizes after the pattern of perfection that is in the divine plan for you.

Be still, and consciously feel life tingling within you, in every nerve, cell and organ of your body. Feel the warm, soothing, adjusting, cleansing power of this flow of life bubbling up within you. Open your mind and heart to the healing flow of God-life. Clear away any obstruction of thought or feeling or belief in anything that would accept something less than perfection by quietly, persistently affirming that you are an open channel for the healing flow of life.

Gently know that the life and peace of God permeates your entire being right now, and quietly rest in the assurance that you are healed no matter what the outer condition seems to be. Take firm hold of the promise and belief, “I will restore health to you and your wounds I will heal.” (Jeremiah 30:17) Rejoice that the Spirit in you is the activity of God in you and that you are one with this divine flow. Right now, know that God’s infinite life and wisdom is permeating every part of your being and every part of your life and affairs. Give thanks that God’s wisdom and intelligence are constantly guiding you, that His love is harmonizing you and blessing every detail of your life. You are now established in the divine flow; you are healed, renewed and restored.

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham
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Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over forty years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com

Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend. You may also reproduce and publish this article if you also include this reference box. Thank you!

If you’d like to receive “Rich Words,” featuring weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at www.alanrowbotham.com
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Do you yearn to have a happy and fulfilling new year? Do you desire better things? In a sense, this is proof positive that you most certainly can have that better year. “Desire, or hope,” as Emerson puts it, “is the beginning of its own fulfillment.” That is why we are told, “Before they call I will answer” (Isa. 65:24).  Your very desire to find help, even before you formulate it into a full-blown request, is God’s answer pressing itself out into visibility. As Emilie Cady says, “Desire in the heart is always God tapping at the door of your consciousness with His infinite supply.” But she adds this caveat: “A supply that is forever useless unless there is a demand for it.”

We are forever looking at the circumference of life for that which can only be found in ourselves. You may have already set New Year resolutions and outer goals for 2011. But the great need is to find our oneness, to find a sense of self-realization of inner security, of the “peace that passes all understanding.” The happy new year that we all wish for, and that we wish for one another, and hope will manifest for the world, may well depend upon the degree to which we can follow the guidance of the apostle Paul, “Awake thou that sleepeth, that Christ may shine upon you.” The key is in prayer or meditation.

It was Emerson who said, “Prayer is a study of truth; a sally of the soul into the unfound infinite.” The problem is that we have been taught that we begin with emptiness, and we go forth into the world to find fulfillment. Hence, we are always attempting to find out there that which fulfills us in here. We remember that Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7) But there is obviously much more than is generally realized to the word “ask.”

Without verbalizing, we ask for many things, good and not-so-good. For example, we ask for affection of family and friends simply by giving love; in other words, asking as though we fully expected our love to be requited in kind. We ask for success through our industry and our practice of personal responsibility; we ask for trouble and rejection through our doubts and slovenliness. In our trust and willingness to give aid, we are asking for friends, whereas in our fault-finding and suspicion we are asking for loneliness.

In prayer, asking deals with creating the consciousness, the mental receptivity which makes the results inevitable. You ask God for what you want by getting into the spirit. It is not something God has to do for you; it is what you must do for yourself in order to enable this divine process to do through you and as you that which it is the “ceaseless longing of the Creator to do.”

That is why Jesus would say, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Lk. 12:32). We may offer conventional prayer for the good we desire, and at the same time be busily expecting through our doubts and fears something quite different. If only we would remind ourselves that our prayers are for the alteration of our consciousness, we would find ourselves pointed in the right direction.

Therefore when in need, we would ask God for guidance and help by placing ourselves in a position to receive; we would work toward that position in consciousness by affirming the truth, declaring that which we desire as already being real right now; give thanks that you have (rather than “will have”) the desires of your heart. As Jesus says, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk. 11:24).

So, affirm the truth, speak the word, and thus get yourself into the spirit and create the condition, the channel, the conduit, through which God’s answer can flow into manifestation. So, whatever you want, ask for it, but ask in the consciousness that creates the conditions that make the results inevitable. Ask in your emotions, in your actions, in your spirit, in affirmation and in the spoken word of truth.

To achieve what you hope and pray for, the need is not to change anything but rather to change the way in which you have been seeing things. Examine the way in which you have been accepting yourself. Suddenly realize that you are what you want to be. You are a successful, harmonious, happy whole creature.

Move forward into the New Year with confidence, with faith, and seek to live the life you have imagined. Release the potential within you, and you will find an entirely new experience. You will have a different consciousness; you will make the very most of all experiences that come, in terms of releasing your own potentiality. And it’s very likely that you will have the best year of your life.

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham
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Rev. Alan Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-eight years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com

Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend. You may also reproduce and publish this article if you also include this reference box. Thank you!

If you’d like to receive “Rich Words,” featuring weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at
www.alanrowbotham.com

Special thanks to those of you who have sent tithes or love offerings for “Spiritual Solutions.” I am very grateful for your generosity.
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Meditation can help you to understand something of your own unique relationship with the Infinite process. Just as you have been conditioned to think that God is “out there” or “up there,” so your prayer has probably been much the same as forging out into the world to make a new career. Prayer has been a going up or out, a trying to make contact with some secret source of divine support.

In meditation, we are not trying to reach something, but to give up the idea of reaching. It is a matter of being still. It is a process of experiencing an inner flow. To understand this, we need to revise our understanding of God.

GGod is not a person to be prayed to; God is a dynamic flow of power and love to be prayed from. You need to “plug in” to this Presence. As Jesus said, “the kingdom of heaven is within you.” (Luke 17:21) Our goal should be to let it come “on earth as it is in heaven.”

We live in a supportive Universe, and we are surrounded by the supportive Presence of God. We don’t have to reach far away from ourselves to find God. We must let down our defenses, give our consent, and let God express through us.

In order to clarify this idea, let me suggest that instead of praying to God, know that God is praying for you. Know that the entire supportive process of the Universe is on your side, working for you. It will heal you, help you, and guide you, if you only get still. Your need is not to “get it” but to “let it . . .” The Bible says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jer. 31:3)

Don’t approach your meditation as if you were entering a void, nor with the thought of sitting in an empty room, nor with the thought that you are alone. Tell yourself that when you get still enough, the whole, dynamic activity of the Universe is moving in and through you, and it’s flowing forth as you in a dynamic, meaningful process.

Divine Mind is not off somewhere, a place you might reach if you pray in a certain way. You live in Divine Mind. You are an activity of Divine Mind.

Many people have subscribed to all sorts of Eastern practices such as Yoga. These are helpful as a discipline if you feel the need for that discipline. But a proper posture for meditation may also be sitting in a straight-back chair, feet flat on the floor, hands folded and body erect.

Whatever you choose to do, don’t make a fetish out of the position. The only reason for assuming any posture is to make it easier to center your attention on God, and to become receptive to God’s Infinite power. This is not meant as a criticism of any particular practice, but simply a reminder that “it is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail.” (John 6:63)

The first step in meditation is to realize that God is not to be reached for, but that God is already present. The second step is letting go of your tensions, a drill in relaxation, suggesting to your body that it is free and relaxed, and suggesting to your mind that it is open and receptive. “Be still and know . . .”

Sometimes I use the suggestion, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) as a vehicle for going into meditation by dropping off one word at a time as I focus on relaxing and going deeper, i.e. “Be still and know that I am God . . . be still and know that I am . . . be still and know that I . . . be still and know that . . . be still and know . . . be still and . . .be still . . . be.”

Then I rest in stillness and silence. If and when extraneous thoughts come up I may use a “sacred” word of my own choosing that reminds me to bring my attention back to focusing on the Presence.

Don’t expect a loud voice or colored lights, or any kind of phenomena or show. This may happen because of your imaginative nature, but this is not “where it’s at.” Just be still and know that there is a flow in you.

To paraphrase the words of Plotinus, if you can get yourself relaxed enough, and get you out of the way, “the spirit will come rushing, streaming, and pouring into you from all sides while you stand quiet.”

There is no way to tell you “how” to meditate. I can only share some ideas that can lead you into your meditation. If you are sincere enough and relaxed enough, the Infinite process will work through you.

Remember, God is Blessing You Right Now!

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Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-seven years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions.

Please feel free to publish this article in your blog or newsletter or share it with a friend, as long as you include this resource box.

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Meditation is a state of being where your body and mind are consciously relaxed, yet alert and focused. People who practice meditation report increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook on life.

Meditation is often linked to an image of monks, mystics, and various spiritual disciplines. However, you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits; you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it. You can even do it in your own living room.

There are many different approaches to meditation, but the fundamental principles remain the same. Among the most important of these principles is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus. This clears the mind and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

Negative thoughts you have, whether of noisy neighbors, bossy office personnel or workmates, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam in your e-mail, all tend to contribute to the “polluting” of the mind, and shutting them out allows for the “cleansing” of the mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts.

Some meditators seek to shut out all sensory input of sight, sound, and touch, and try to detach themselves from the commotion around them. If this is your goal, you may now focus on a deep, profound thought. We are all too accustomed to constantly hearing and seeing things, so it may seem deafening at first, but as you continue this practice you will find yourself becoming more aware of a deeper level of being.

Some body positions you may have associated with meditation, those with impossibly arched backs and painful-looking contortions, may seem threatening. But you need not worry; the principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration. This may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and even walking.

If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that is a good starting point. While sitting or standing, the back should be straight but not tense or tight. In other positions, the only no-no is slouching or falling asleep. If this happens, then you might try a different position more conducive to being alert.

Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot since tight fitting clothes or belts tend to make you feel tense.

Your place of meditation should have a soothing atmosphere. It may be in your living room, bedroom, or study, or any place in which you feel comfortable. If you plan to take on the more challenging positions (if it makes you feel more focused) you might want to use an exercise mat. In any case, you may want to have your meditation place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

Silence helps most people to relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area away from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine. Pleasing scents also help can often help too, so using an aromatic candle can sometimes be a good idea.

You may have seen monks on television or movies making monotonous sounds while meditating; they are actually repeating their mantra, a simple sound which, for these meditators, holds a mystic value.

You do not need to use a mantra, though it should be noted that focusing on repeated actions such as following the breath and humming can help a practitioner enter a higher state of consciousness.

The principle here is focus. You could also try focusing on a certain object in your mind’s eye or on a particular thought, or, with your eyes softly open, focus on a single sight such as a candle flame, a pattern in the carpet or an apple on a plate.

Another routine could be to, while in a meditative state, silently name every part of your body while focusing your consciousness on that part. Be aware of any tension in any part of your body and mentally visualize releasing this tension. It works wonders in relaxation.

Mediation is a relatively risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort (or non-effort, since we are relaxing).

One of the important side effects of meditation is that it has been found to bring about beneficial physiological effects in the body. There has been a growing consensus in the medical community to further study such effects. So in the near future, that mystical, esoteric practice we call meditation might become a science itself.

God is Blessing You, right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

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Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-seven years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at Spiritual Solutions.

Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend.

If you’d like to receive “Rich Words,” featuring weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words.

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Spiritual growth is the process of inner awakening, and becoming conscious our inner being. It means the rising of the consciousness beyond the ordinary existence, and awakening to some Universal truths. It means going beyond the mind and the ego and realizing who you really are.

Spiritual growth is a process of shedding our wrong and unreal conceptions, thoughts, beliefs and ideas, and becoming more and more conscious and aware of our inner being. This process uncovers the inner spirit that is always present, but hidden beyond the ego-personality.

Spiritual growth is of great importance for everyone, not only for people who seek spiritual enlightenment and choose to live in far away or secluded places. Spiritual growth is the basis for a better and more harmonious life for everyone, a life free of tension, fear and anxiety.

By discovering who we really are we take a different approach to life. We learn not to let outer circumstances influence our inner being and state of mind. We manifest composure and detachment, and we develop inner power and strength, all of which are very useful and important tools.

Spiritual growth is not a means for escaping from responsibilities, behaving strangely and becoming an impractical person. It is a method of growing and becoming a stronger, happier and more responsible person.

You can walk on the path of spiritual growth, and at the same time live the same kind of life as everyone else. You do not have to live a secluded life in some far away place. You can raise a family, work or run a business, and yet at the same time engage in practices that lead to inner growth.

A balanced life requires that we take care not only of the necessities of the body, feelings and mind, but also of the spirit, and this is the role of spiritual growth.

10 tips for spiritual growth:

1. Read spiritual and uplifting books. Think about what you read, and find out how you can use the information in your life.

2. Meditate for at least 15 minutes every day. If you do not know how to meditate, it is easy to find books, websites or teachers who can teach you meditation.

3.  Learn to make your mind quiet through concentration exercises and meditation.

4. Acknowledge the fact that you are a spirit with a physical body, not a physical body with a spirit. If you can really accept this idea, it will change your attitude towards many things in your life.

5. Look often into yourself and into your mind, and try to find out what is it that makes you feel conscious and alive.

6. Think positive. If you find yourself thinking negatively, immediately switch to thinking positively. Be in control of what enters your mind. Open the door for the positive and close it for the negative.

7. Develop the happiness habit, by always looking at the bright side of life and endeavoring to be happy. Happiness comes from within. Do not let your outer circumstances decide your happiness for you.

8. Exercise often your will power and decision making ability. This strengthens you and gives you control over your mind.

9. Thank the Universe for everything that you get.

10. Develop tolerance, patience, tact and consideration for others.

Spiritual growth is the birthright of everyone. It is the key to a life of happiness and peace of mind, and the manifesting the enormous power of the inner spirit. This spirit is equally present within the most material person, and within the most spiritual person. The level of the manifestation of spirituality is dependent on how much the inner spirit is close to the surface, and on how much it is covered and hidden, by thoughts, beliefs and negative habits.

Remez Sasson writes and teaches about spiritual growth, meditation, self-improvement, positive thinking, creative visualization, success and mind power. He is the author of several books about success, creative visualization, affirmations and the development of inner strength and power.http://www.SuccessConsciousness.com for articles, quotes and e-books.

Visit his website

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

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Rev. Alan Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-seven years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com

You can go directly to the blog, at http://spiritualsolutionsblog.com/blog/

Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend. You may also reproduce and publish this article if you also include this reference box. Thank you!

If you’d like to receive “Rich Words,” featuring weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at

www.alanrowbotham.com

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Meditation can be used to describe a multitude of different practices; however the goal is to turn your attention inward and get closer to your spiritual core.

Meditation originated from Vedic Hinduism and is generally regarded as an aspect of Eastern religions although Western spiritual practices also employ meditation. Meditation focuses on the spiritual and its main focus is on relaxation and peace, seeking to slow the mind down to a different state of consciousness. It is often used to concentrate the mind and so to listen closer to God; it is also commonly used as a means of personal growth and development.

Some individuals choose to meditate as a way to alleviate stress from their lives, while at the same time searching for a greater feeling of peace and tranquility. Many people choose to also practice yoga for further relaxation as yoga combines the mental relaxation with the physical.

Meditation, being closely connected to relaxation, is sometimes referred to as being meditation relaxation. Other common terms include chosen relaxation and conscious relaxation. Many people choose to learn how to meditate in order to find a state of serenity where they can be at peace.

Mediation is much easier to achieve than most people believe it to be. In fact most people have exercised a chosen form of relaxation in one way or another. Even when you focus on something to the exclusion of something else, such as when you are writing a test, this is also a form of chosen or conscious relaxation. When you try to manage pain in one form or another, this is also a way that you can meditate by way of relaxing your mind to cope with the situation at hand.

When you take a practical approach to pay attention to your breathing, such as when you engage in deep breathing (breathing that comes from the diaphragm) you are attempting to take your mind away from any worries or problems and take it to a better place where you are able to relax and be as calm as possible.

The mind is often filled with useless clutter and removing this “mind clutter” can go a long way in improving your mental and emotional health and well being. If you repeatedly make an effort to clear your mind of the junk that is in it then you must seek to empty it completely and then allow the energy of meditation to take over. You will open yourself up to so many insightful things in your life such as calmness, relaxation, peace and serenity.

Meditation is a way of relaxing your mind and in turn your body and this helps to separate you from your everyday problems and worries. Be aware that with time and faith in yourself you will be able to learn to meditate and it will bring about positive changes in your life. Be also aware that you must commit yourself to practice meditation as frequently as possible in order for it to become an important part of your day-to-day life.

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

———————————————————————

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-seven years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter at Spiritual Solutions.

Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend.

If you’d like to receive “Rich Words,” featuring weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words.

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