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Ideas to Help You Raise Your Vibration

Looking for ideas to help you raise your vibration? Or maybe you are just looking to feel calmer in today’s world. One of the best ways I’ve found to be happier, is to avoid that which stresses you. Specifically, I stopped watching the news, reading the newspaper, and posting or reading negative thoughts on social media. Maybe these ideas are too radical for you right now.

How About Meditation?

Meditation doesn’t come easy. Rather, it is a learned skill. My first exposure to it was at age 14 when Mom and I took a Hatha Yoga class together. The meditation was at the end in the Shavasana or corpse pose . I clearly remember how easy it was to relax as the leader led us through tightening each muscle group and then letting go.

Why Do We Stop?

For most of us, all it takes is an outside change. With the yoga class, it simply dropped off the recreation center schedule. I tried to continue on my own with a paperback copy of the poses. The unfamiliarity was more than I could overcome at the time. Other more familiar forms of exercise filled the void.

The meditation portion of yoga wasn’t something I considered pursuing. It seemed too ‘out there’ for me at the time.

What Motivates Us to Restart?

My next interest in meditation came nine years later. I was pregnant with my first child and decided to try the Lamaze method of natural childbirth. Meditation was still difficult. Consequently, when the idea of imagining a candle flame was offered, I jumped on it. That flame, coupled with breathing techniques, was my lifeline through the final stages of my nearly 24 hours of labor.

Why not just take the pain medications offered? Above all, the health of my unborn baby was too important to me to even consider it. Therefore, my motivation was functioning to the best of my ability, on a team in the delivery of a healthy baby. Thankfully, the same nurse who taught the Lamaze call at Orange Memorial  was on duty. She stayed with me the entire time. Her encouragement kept me focused when it seemed too difficult.

Are You Struggling Now with Meditation?

There are so many reasons it may be difficult to meditate now.

  • Continuing pandemic stress
  • Political turmoil
  • Stress in your personal relationships
  • Feeling pressured by the New Year expectations
  • Work or business anxiety

Perhaps your meditation habit is taking a holiday. Or you’ve never meditated in your life. The reality is meditation is more important now than ever.

We are all connected through our energy. Reading the scary newspaper headlines or watching the news lowers your energy field, resulting in a feeling of constriction and fear. Meditation calms your fears, centers you, and enables you to see what is truly important to you, the individual.

How to Start or Restart Meditation

There are many free meditations on YouTube; relaxing, brainwave changing, and help falling asleep. I’ve tried many of them, but found they didn’t help me stick to a schedule of daily meditation. Then I found Ten Percent, an app founded by Joseph Goldstein and Dan Harris, the author of the book 10% Happier and the 10% Happier Podcast.

After I downloaded the free app on the last day of the 2021 21-day meditation challenge, I checked the price, $99. My first thought was, “No way!” But since it was free for 6 days (you have to cancel 24-hours before the 7th day), I decided to give it a try. By the third day, I realized it is worth every penny.

Here are some reasons this app is different:

  1. It is customized to your meditation experience
  2. The meditations are without music
  3. Sleep meditations that actually work
  4. All the teachers are leaders in the field of meditation
  5. Dan understands meditation skepticism

Closing Thoughts

May these ideas to help you raise your vibration take hold this week. Furthermore, from a meditation led by Anushka Fernandopulle on Ten Percent, “May you be peaceful and happy, may you be strong and healthy, may you be safe from harm, may you be at ease today.”

With Compassion,
Dawn

Dogs Have Been Special to Me

My entire life, dogs have been special to me. Do you find their pure energy  attractive too? Or are you frightened by them?

I’ve Had Scary Encounters Too

When I was young, there were a pair of German Shepherds on the corner of our street. It was possible to avoid them walking home from school, but not always easy. Their snarling, barking and rushing to the fence made my heart race. Consequently, I was always extra affectionate to our family dog, a one-eyed Pekingese named Mitzi, when I got home.

Once, I was even bitten by a police dog, though not a German Shepherd. Rather, he was a docile looking bloodhound named Beau. At that time, the comedic variety show, Hee Haw was popular. I thought the bloodhound on the credits looked sleepy and harmless.

My neighbor’s husband was an Orange County Deputy Sheriff who kept Beau in a kennel on their property. I volunteered to water the plants on their back patio while they went away a few days. Someone else was taking care of Beau, but I didn’t know who. My son was not yet two and I had him secured in my backpack. As we strolled into the enclosed patio, guess who was laying in the middle of the bromeliads? Yep, there was Beau, lounging amongst the plants, copious amounts of saliva dripping off his large head.

I didn’t want to accidentally spray Beau with the hose, so I bent down, grabbed his collar and put him back in his kennel. After I finished watering some hanging plants, I returned to the patio. There he was again.. in the same place. Once again, I went to retrieve him in the exact same manner. Only this time, he wrapped his mouth around my upper arm and clamped down enough to get my attention. Then he let go. Still not getting the message, I started, once again, to grab his collar when he emitted a low growl that stopped me cold. I kept my gaze on the ground and slowly backed away, willing my fear to drop beneath his radar.

The Aftermath

As I walked the two blocks home, I lifted my sleeve to get a look at the damage. There were small bruises forming in each place a tooth had pressed into my flesh. Thankfully there was no blood.

Once inside the house, I called 911. Who else would know how to get a police dog back in his cage? The dispatcher asked all the questions about my safety and my condition, advising me to get a tetanus shot and that an officer would be over to take my statement.

Behind the scenes, they contacted a Deputy Sheriff dog handler named Jeff, who was familiar with Beau. He knew that once Beau got riled, he was uncontrollable. Jeff arrived and suited up in full attack dog training fashion. Beau almost completely ripped up Jeff’s arm protection, before he successfully returned him to his kennel. Then Jeff secured the gate so Beau couldn’t get out again.

Lessons Learned

First and foremost, I learned you can’t forget the power that resides inside any animal that feels cornered or intimidated.

Second, I realized I could handle a potentially dangerous situation with calmness, protecting myself and my son.

Third, my instinct took over and everything I’ve ever read about dog behavior kept us free from serious harm.

Some Parting Sweetness

Dogs have been special to me regardless of my difficult encounter. Here are a few of my favorite photos of my three-year-old Brittany, Sugar. Click on a picture to view full-size in a gallery.

I invite you to comment below, email me, or sign-up for my newsletter

Sugar’s Human Mom,
Dawn

Oh How I Love Coffee in the Morning

Oh, how I love coffee! To insure I have fresh coffee as soon as possible in the morning, I prepare it the night before. Sometimes I buy beans and grind them just right. Always I draw clear, cool water into a large Pyrex measuring cup; twelve ounces of water per serving, 2 tablespoons of coffee for every twelve ounces of water. Yes, I actually read the directions on the package.

How This Affection Began

My first memory drinking coffee was next door at my grandmother’s dining table. I was probably five years old or so. My Swedish grandparents had coffee and a sweet every afternoon. If I happened to stop playing outdoors and knock on their door from the garage, my grandma would bow down and give me a kiss and hug, inviting me in. Then she’d pour evaporated milk into one of her teacups about halfway, add sugar and then enough hot coffee to stain the mixture a light beige.

I felt so grown up having coffee with them, listening to their conversations in Swedlish.. a combination of Swedish and English that I never learned. Perhaps they preferred the privacy of speaking a language my sister and I didn’t understand. The only words they taught us were “tack så mycket” and “varsågod”. These mean “thank you so much” and “you’re welcome”. My sister and I also learned to count to ten, but I’ve long forgotten that.

My grandmother was born in America, but lived her early life on the farm as if they were still in Sweden. They spoke Swedish, attended church in Swedish, and continued the tradition of fika, the coffee break. The men would eat a hearty breakfast, return to the farmhouse for lunch and then return once again for the afternoon coffee break with a sweet roll. As the oldest child, my grandmother must have learned how to make a Swedish coffee roll at an early age. When I was a little girl, she often made cookies, froze them and pulled one out for me during her afternoon coffee break with my grandfather. It seems they always had a slice of her homemade cinnamon coffee ring.

Coffee Brands We Love

When I realized Swedes drank more coffee than any other ethnic group, except for Finland and the Netherlands, I understood why it was so important in my family.

At one time, I subscribed to the Swedish Gevalia coffee club, drank coffee from around the world, earned an airtight ceramic storage canister and loved every minute of the strong coffee, lightened with half and half and sweetened with sugar.

Soon, the chain, Dunkin’ Donuts arrived near me. After my first cup, I was converted from Gevalia to the Dunkin’ house blend. There were times I’d feel the pull of Starbucks when I was living in Denver, but since I had to pay extra to drink a palatable cup, I opted for McDonald’s coffee when I was away from home. You see, I bought Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in bulk before the chain arrived in Denver. I could always brew my favorite cup at home.

Why Somethings Still Matter

Oh, how I love coffee. It’s clear to me why coffee brings me peace, is a type of love in a mug, and will never be replaced by tea. There are too many beautiful memories, aromas, and love mixed up with it.

Do you have a similar experience with coffee, tea, or one particular food? Do you find comfort in it?

I’d love to hear about it in a comment, email or we can continue discussions when you sign-up for my newsletter.

Tack Så Mycket,
Dawn