Listening With Eyes Open

Sounds kind of odd don't you think? Sometimes, things just sound weird but there's a perspective about it. When it comes to meditation, for some people it can be difficult because the idea is to learn how to shut your brain off, have a point to focus on and breathe deeply. Some people are more keen to visualization, others are more auditory meaning sounds are more their thing. I'm in the auditory category, I'm better understanding sounds than visualizing something. If I can't really picture it and try to form it in my mind, it can be very hard.

For me, meditation is very specific and just sitting quietly isn't always easy. Certain things just work like when I write, I need complete privacy, little to no sounds around me and focus on the task at hand. It can be meditative. Meditation specifically, I want to see, hear and feel what I'm meditating. At times, meditation to me is moving like doing Animal Movements or a good workout. Now, what I have found helps with listening, seeing and feeling, is watching videos on youtube called Rain Rider Ambience. These videos show various settings and the sounds to go with those settings such as: A beach with hammock, picnic area, fire pit and the sounds of the waves coming up to the sand. Another would be a woodsy type area where there's a tent with trees blowing in the wind to the sounds of the wind and windchimes. One of my favorites is like a forest area with a treehouse and a pond next to it with sounds of the frogs and other woodland creatures. 

This is my favorite form of meditation in the sense of being able to relax, just listen and take in a view of the video. Having headphones on is a cool thing to use cause you get to experience the sounds from another perspective. I do it often but definitely could use some improvements. These videos are extremely long, as long as 10 hours but you don't need to watch the whole thing, a good 20-30 minutes is best. I would sometimes just watch and listen for 15 minutes and I'm falling asleep pretty easily. It's an idea. 

Meditating has enormous benefits and has been around for god knows how long, the dawn of thinking LOL? There are many ways to get into a meditative state, some are basic but others can be really out there. Hell, there are people who listen to metal and can be in a relaxed state, others go to places and just soak up the environment like at a lake, a coastal beach, camping, next to their fireplace or wherever. Find what puts you in a relaxed state of mind and be able to feel that level of peacefulness and tranquility. Sounds New Agey doesn't it? Well, it's not, whatever you find meditative, use it to be at peace with yourself. Here a few of the videos of RRA I was talking about.

Tropical Rainforest   

Starry Night In The Mountains

Secret Beach Hideout

Enchanted Forest Night

Visualization And Why It Helps Increase Your Strength

           What you see is far different from how you feel. We usually begin things by a thought. How we see that thought is different for everyone but a common entity is that if you see, feel it and give into its power, it can generate your strength in ways you have never imagined. In the field of strength and fitness, most people just go around cutting corners, dragging their sorry asses along and don’t give any real thought to how they can find within themselves the power to generate what they want to happen. There’s a whole other world in visualizing what you want.

            To really understand the power of visualization, you can’t just think of something and just act on it in my opinion; it’s really digging deep into the very core of your soul. To see is to feel, to see is to dream it, to see it, it consumes you and you control what you want to see. It’s not easy because not everyone can see inside themselves. When you see something, what are you doing, where are you and how do you want to achieve it? The basics of Visualization is to go into a near trance-like state and you can do this with your eyes open or closed whatever you prefer but also when you’re in this trance, learn to block out the outside world and focus on what matters most.

            One of my favorite Visualizations is what’s called Theater Of The Mind; it teleports you into a movie theater that can be as big as you want. It gives you freedom to see whatever you want to achieve no matter how big or how small, it’s your time, your movie and your own endeavor. Some people see just themselves in the theater, watching themselves at their best and they’re by themselves without anyone around. For me, it’s a little out there. When I walk into the Theater Of My Mind, I actually sit next to someone and it’s not just a random person. I picture sitting next to someone that may have passed on that I admire or more frequently it’s one of the gods or goddesses of Mount Olympus or Greek/Norse/Irish Mythology such as Zeus, Hercules, Thor, Pan, Aphrodite and whoever shows up. They help me on my journey and channel my intuition. In Greek or Latin stories of the gods, it is said that the gods visit mortals in their dreams.

            Very few can see but the rest don’t know how to use their imagination and look into the very heart of what they want. When you look into your mind what you want whether it’s to be stronger, more athletic, win a game, score a touchdown, hit a homerun, break a world record or whatever it is you desire, feel it as if you were there at the front lines, people cheering you and you are the king/queen of your own arena. Sense the atmosphere, feel the surge of energy that makes you victorious, see the smiles of your loved ones as they congratulate your successes and your peers admiring your courage and strength. These are all the examples of what you can create in your visualizations, you have the power to create whatever you desire and no one can take that away from you.

            Go beyond what you see, feel more powerful in that moment in time, destroy all your obstacles and turn yourself into a person you want to be the most, see yourself at your best and see how far you can push it in the future. There are no limits, there is no darkness in the tunnel, you are shining bright and it burns those that stand in your way. Throw yourself into the stratosphere, beyond the stars, shoot through planets, become a universe of strength and vitality that makes everything you desire become simpler, easier and more powerful. You have it in you and it’s waiting to be unleashed.