Guided Meditations

The universe speaks to us through signs and synchronicities. It is always speaking to us, guiding us. You merely have to ‘check in’ to hear the messages.

How do you do this? It’s simple. Pay attention to the people, places and things you encounter day to day. Don’t discount things you happen across. If something stands out. Take note of it. You will be surprised at what you are missing simply because you have allowed yourself to remain unaware.

This has been a year of change for me and my family and it has taken a lot of faith to let go of the old and go through the opening doors. This week we reached a critical point and I had trouble letting go of my fears but the universe was there for me and kept presenting me with the sign of a buffalo: first on a quarter in my dryer, then on a quarter on the floor of my car, then on a wrapper of jerky that fell out of a kitchen cabinet. It took three times before I realized that I was being given a message. And when I went to decipher the message, taking out my copy of Animal Spirit Guides: An Easy-to-Use Handbook for Identifying and Understanding Your Power Animals and Animal Spirit Helpers, I read, "Trust that you'll always have whatever you need. Focus on being grateful. Have faith in the natural abundance of life." This was the perfect message for me in that moment.

The universe sends me messages of affirmation through signs and synchronicities every time I begin to panic. Often times these messages come in the symbol of an animal and so far I have always had something at hand to help me make sense of the message. On occasion, I have encountered the actual animal. For example, though I live in the middle of a city, I have crossed paths with a great horned owl, a coyote, a toad and a pair of ducks. Other times the image of an animal will repeatedly turn up. And each time I recognized the encounter as a message, I have received words that eased my journey at that time:

Great Horned Owl - Be fearless and ferocious when working toward your goal. Look to what is being unsaid.

Coyote – Lighten up and look for lessons in the turmoil you are experiencing,.

Toad - This is a volatile period of change. A new you will emerge.

Duck – This is a time of fertility, the turmoil has passed. Take comfort instead of denying your needs.

Each day I greet the morning with open eyes, open ears and an open heart seeking to hear the voice of my guides and see the magic at work in my daily life. I practice daily meditation to connect with my higher self, spirit guides and to open my heart to the sacred and with practice I began to live intuitively.

The first step on this path is to pay attention to the world around you. To open your eyes and acknowledge the sacred you encounter in your daily life. I am a believer in dreams, portents, signs, and synchronicity. Though these I have heard and felt my guides reaching out to me.

Pay attention to what catches your eye or ear. Don't worry about what it means, just notice. If you are able, jot the thing that you notice down and look for patterns. Don't dismiss those intuitive hunches and always ask questions. What are you trying to show me? What is the message I am supposed to be receiving? What is the lesson I am supposed to be learning? What do I need to know? Most importantly be open for the answer.

If an immediate answer doesn’t come to you then look it up. If you still are unsure then meditate on the sign. Meditation quiets the mind and increases your vibration, both necessary for increased intuition. The easiest way to do this is to sit comfortably in a quite room and allow your mind to become as blank. Relax as you slowly and deeply inhale, then exhale. Now visualize a giant blank screen as you breathe. As you relax see the curtain before the screen draw back. Now visualize the symbol and wait or mentally ask your question. Take note of any images or sounds and any feeling your experience. You will either: hear the answer, see it in your mind's eye, get a feeling about the answer, or else simply know the answer.

Keep a journal of your findings and note any reoccurring patterns. Patterns are one way to decipher our intuitive voice. (Such as encountering the sign of the buffalo throughout the day.)

Guides come in many forms. An animal totem is a power animal that acts as a spiritual guardian offering messages from the natural world. Animal totems can change through the course of your life as your needs change. There are many books on totem animals. My favorites are: Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer Ph.D and Nature-Speak: Signs, Omens and Messages in Nature by Ted Andrews.

You can meet your totem animal through a vision quest or meditation. When you do find your guide then do some research on the animal you've connected with and find out why that particular creature has attached itself to you.

Meditation to meet your Totem Animal

Set aside about a half an hour for this exercise. Find a peaceful place where you will be allowed to be completely calm and undisturbed for the entire session.

When you're ready, sit quietly with your eyes closed and your palms face up in your lap.

Ask for your Guides and your Guardian angels to be present for the entire session and to keep you safe and protected at all times.

State your objective. "I want to meet my totem animal." “Reveal to me the face of my guiding spirit.” "In this moment, I accept the message of this guiding spirit” or “show me what I am searching for”.

Do a simple ground and center.

Visualize the infinite creative energy of the Universe swirling around you, like a gentle whirlpool moving all around your body. ( I see it as a white light shining down from above) Draw this light into your crown chakra and send it down to the next chakra point with each slow deep breath you draw until you’ve sent the energy though your root chakra and back into the earth.

Breathe. Imagine the energy growing to surround you in a cocoon of color as each of your chakras spin and glow like bright jewels of energy.

Feel the energy of the Universe wrap around you, strengthening your aura with a rainbow of colorful energy, mending any holes or thin places.

Take a moment to bask in the beautiful healing light. You are now at peace.

Take a deep breath and visualize on the screen of your mind that you are sitting on a couch in a room with a closed elevator. You notice that the doors of the elevator are made of shining chrome. It draws your attention and you rise from the couch and walk towards the elevator.

Your shoes click on the tile floor as you cross the room. You notice your reflection growing larger as you approach the reflective doors.

The elevator opens and you step inside.

The floor indicator shows you are on the 10th level. The lower floors are numbered chronologically below.

You look at the elevator keypad and push a button to send the elevator down. The doors close. You feel the elevator move as it begins to descend.

You feel the vibration in the floor as you move downward.

After awhile, the elevator stops and a bell chimes as the doors slide open.

You gaze out at the lower world and take note of what you see. If this level does not feel right to you, then stay on the elevator and push the button to descend to another level.

Continue on your journey until you find the level you are looking for.

When you come to the level that feels right, step out. Take note of the path you are on. Is it sandy? Is it paved? Take note of as many details as you can as you move forward.

When you are ready to return to your previous state of consciousness reverse the process by going back to the elevator and taking it back up to the room with the couch. Sit back down on the couch. Take a deep breath and wiggle your fingers and toes then slowly open your eyes.

The first time I tried this meditation I descended several floors until the doors opened on a forest path. I walked the path and as I went deeper into the woods the trees became older and older until the trees I passed under were huge and ancient, flanked by ferns that stood to my shoulder and twining vines that covered the ground. I walked on until I came to a clearing where I found a stone that made an inviting bench and I sat down. I waited until a creature came to greet me. A small snake slithered up to where I sat….