Mindful Divine

Episode 15Finding Your Voice With Jordyn Taylor// About The Episode:Join today's Mindful Divine guest, Jordyn Taylor, a real estate mogul, former international pop star, singer/songwriter, model, and the OG Myspace princess (remember Myspace?), If you can't tell, this girl is a serious force to be reckoned with, and all-around stellar human. I've been lucky enough to count Jordyn as a dear friend since 2006, and am thrilled to be talking to my fellow scorpio-sister today about her journey and ventures, how she's found her voice, how 2020 changed her for the better, and what mindfulness means to her.These days, she is a coast-to-coast luxury real estate consultant and one-half of the Taylor Martin Team, and pivoted from the world of music and entertainment in 2015, bringing her knowledge of relationships, atmosphere, and creativity to her venture in residential and commercial sales. Jordyn says she finds her successes in bringing a fabulous, funny and female tone to, what can be, a very buttoned up world. Although specializing in the most opulent of listings, she believes that luxury can be experienced by everyone regardless of budget and always finds a way to make each client feel exactly that.Jordyn is heavily involved in multiple philanthropic ventures, including 12 Months of Giving and Pencils of Promise, which is the indirect reason she landed herself living and working back in her home state of California after living in New York for the last 5 years.+ Philanthropic Affiliations: https://12mog.org/+ Philanthropic Affiliations: https://pencilsofpromise.org/+ Social: https://www.instagram.com/jordyntaylornow/?hl=en+ CBD Drops: https://healistnaturals.com/products/cbd-oil-for-stressAs always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Book A Session? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

Episode 14Healing Through Acupuncture, Intuition, and Living For Your Purpose With Angela Sinnett// About The Episode:Join today's Mindful Divine guest, Angela Sinnett, Master of Traditional Oriental Medicine, Acupuncturist, Herbalist, Health Bioenergetics practitioner and founder of Magnolia Wellness based in Orange County, California. Angela spent over a decade as an energetic healer, acupuncturist and herbalist, and in 2018 she founded Magnolia Wellness, a space where dynamic healers could provide progressive services and conscious, uplifting events. Having always been passionate about the healing arts and making the journey fun, Angela says she cultivates her treatments with love and understanding, illuminating the beautiful place where the depths of the soul meet the physical body.Website: https://shopmagnoliawellnessoc.com/Social: https://www.instagram.com/magnoliawellnessoc/Shop: https://shopmagnoliawellnessoc.com/collectionsTreatment Booking: https://www.magnoliawellnessoc.com/servicesAs always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

Episode 136 Steps To Welcome 2021 Through Ritual + Season 2 Teaser// About The Episode:In this mini episode, I will share how I will be spending by 2020/2021 Cusp Eve. Here to inspire a few rituals for you + Check back in after my Season 1 hiatus. Get ready for Season 2, launching January 2021 — You'll hear from exciting guests and gurus, healers, and more! Can't wait to share the amazing conversations I've been having.Sending Light & Blessings! X X X// New Years Eve 2021 Rituals:1. SAY BYE BYE TO RESOLUTIONS & REPLACE WITH “I” AFFIRMATIONS:Examples:I ... am enough I ... welcome in change with grace and flexibility I ... have enough time to do everything I desireI ... am a healthy body, and take care of it with easeEtc.2. MAKE A VISION BOARD FOR THE YEAR AHEAD.3. FIND TIME TO DO A MINDFUL ACTIVITY: MEDITATION, JEWELRY MAKING, ART, READING, GARDENING.4. ENJOY A SOUND BATH (PLAY YOURSELF OR YOUTUBE ONE)5. JOURNAL (FREE-WRITING IS BEST… JOT DOWN YOUR DREAM LIFE, 7 YEARS FROM NOW AS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE IT)6. COMPLETE AN EASY COURSE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT YOURSELF.(I recommend the Mindful Divine “Crystal Energy Healing” Course, or the most-downloaded “Unlock Your Purpose” Interactive Workbook)* How To Heal With Crystals:Downloadable Course: https://www.mindfuldivine.com/online-courses/energetic-crystal-healing* How To Unlock Your Purpose:Downloadable Course: https://www.mindfuldivine.com/online-courses/unlock-your-purpose-workbookIf you have any questions I'd LOVE to hear from you. Email shana@mindfuldivine.com, DM me on instagram @shana_bianchi.- - - - - - - - - - - As always, thank you for following along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing. Don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

FOR A LIMITED TIME, SIGN UP TO GET A FREE E-BOOK TO UNLOCK YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE. Click HERE >>// Anatomy of a Past Life + QHHT Regression Session:What to Expect from a QHHT Past Life Regression Session? Basically… We are connecting the subconscious to the conscious.A regression is the through line that is connecting you unlock your subconscious. We are letting the subconscious drive, since normally the conscious is driving. As soon as you ask for a session, my spirit guides and your spirit guides (as the client) are conspiring to make the session unique for you. Lessons of the past can inform us of our purpose in the present and future.** What is QHHT?Also known as “Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique” is the technique I use, which was developed by Dolores Cannon (the godmother of regression therapy), and involves inducing an individual into the Somnambulistic or meditative state of trance through visualization. Ordinarily this state of being is experienced twice daily: the moment just before you become consciously awake and the moment just before you fall asleep.Quantum Healing can help you achieve health, find peace, and create balance.Any individual can gain access to experiences of Past Lives they have lived, and you will discover an infinite knowledge and powerful aspect of your higher self that can be contacted and communicated with. This part of yourself is always present with you and exists just below the surface of your conscious mind. Thus, we appropriately label this state of mind “The Subconscious” , “The Superconscious”, “Source”, or “The Higher Self”.** Ordinary Past Life Regression VS QHHTThe difference between ordinary past life regression and QHHT regression is that we work not only with past lives, but also with the subconscious for instantaneous healings (both emotional and physical) when appropriate. This method has proven to be effective on thousands of people all over the world regardless of their Age, Gender, Personality, Physical Symptoms, Religious Beliefs or Cultural Backgrounds for over 50 years. It has been conclusively supported that we have all lived multiple Past Lives and we all have a Subconscious which contains the answers to any question we may have about ourselves or the life we are living. The resulting healing and wisdom that is received, is truly remarkable and often changes a life profoundly as one becomes more aligned with their Divine Purpose.** What is a Past Life Regression?A Past Life Regression is the first component of the QHHT technique. You will be regressed and guided through an appropriate past life. You will be guided by me, much like a guided visualization meditation, and will settle upon a first scene. You will see significant moments within past lives from one or many lives, and eventually move through to the end of the life and beyond to look back and reflect on themes within that life, and significant traits that may have carried into your current life. Your Subconscious will select what past life to show you, and you will be guided through the experience by myself. The past life scene the Subconscious chooses to show you is always relevant to your current life. You will never be shown something that you are not ready to see.** What is Hypnosis?In short, I'm not going to make you bark like a dog or quack like a duck. Those are silly stage tricks that gave hypnosis a bad name and couldn't be farther off from what we are doing. Instead, this form of hypnosis is more of a guided, visualization in a meditative state, allowing you to connect to your subconscious while I, your therapist, talk you through and help you to heal or uncover questions you may have.Hypnosis is actually very easy, and everyone can be hypnotized.In general, there are (4) Brain Wave states of the mind:1. Beta – wide awake - goal setting- comparing self - conscious mind - logical analyzation2. Alpha – light level of trance - altered state - beliefs and ideas - dream state3. Theta – deepest level of trance - somnambulistic - subconscious connection - memories4. Delta – asleepWe will work within Alpha and Theta. Surprisingly, everyone is actually hypnotized 80% of every day and they don't even know it. After approximately 60 seconds watching tv, you're in alpha, because you're concentrating on something. There was a study performed where a tv would stay on as long as a subject was in Beta, and the tv didn't stay more than 60 seconds for each person to move into Alpha! Have you ever been watching tv so intently, you didn't even notice someone walking into the room? Or been scrolling on Instagram and didn't notice how long you've been sitting there? That's alpha. That's hypnosis. You are actually hypnotized a lot of the time every single day. Funny, huh?** What is my Role is as a Regression Therapist?:I'm simply a guide and facilitator. I help facilitate to show you an experience that has happened to you before in this life or a past life. By working with your subconscious to show you these moments, it will help you to be the best version of yourself in this life.**You will Feel/See:You will feel at first like you're making it all up, or you're unclear why you're seeing something... just go with it. Say the first thing that comes to your mind. The first thing you imagine. Quiet the “conscious mind” simply saying what you see or feel. As the client, you just report on what you see or feel. You don't need to analyze it, just say the first thing you see or feel. I'll ask you a lot of questions the whole time to continue to prime your mind and open up what you see.Your angels / spirit guides will take you to whatever and wherever you're supposed to go and whatever you're supposed to see. It could be a past life, between lives, light source, under water, other planets, etc. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.You, as the client, will come to the session with a series of questions (more info given below), and I will ask the subconscious these questions for you. This is where a lot of the healing happens. Your higher self will give you the answers.You will be laying down, and it's important not to move your body while you're in the regression, and you should not open your eyes.** What is the Anatomy of a Session?There are 3 portions of the session; the agenda consists of:1. InterviewWe will talk for a little while about why you wanted this session, your current life, your childhood, your job, your family, etc. Just get to know one another.2. Hypnotic “Alpha State” - Past Life RegressionI will calmly regress you while you are comfortably laying down. You will be taken through a guided visualization by myself, and will be shown one or many past lives.3. Subconscious “Theta State” - Higher Self HealingIf your higher self feels you are ready, you may be guided by myself to connect with your subconscious / higher self / spirit guides / source. I will ask the subconscious any questions you came into the session with on your behalf. We will perform a body scan and work to promote emotional and/or physical healing.Sessions can take anywhere from 2-5 hours. I am never in a rush, and do not charge by the hour. I am here for you, and want this to be a relaxing, enjoyable experience!** End of a Session:At the end I will safely close out the session, and we will have a discussion about what you experienced. After a session you will need to eat within the next 1-2 hours to ground yourself, and do not recommend you go right to sleep. A session should be done a few hours before you sleep.** What you'll get from the “Past Life Alpha State” portion:Emotional Healing & Scene Watching.Connections, understanding your purpose, and past experiences. This is a way to give yourself more compassion for traits that may be imprinted on our soul and who you are in this life.** What you'll get from the “Subconscious Theta State” portion:Physical Healing & Reflection.This is the realization stage. You will gain an understanding of why you saw what you saw in the past life portion. You will see and understand parallels in your current life, and how they tie to your past lives and experiences. You will open up memories that either serve you or hold you back. We unpack the lessons you've learned and are here to learn in this life. You see the themes of past and current lives to understand and release issues in a safe space, helping to access your own power on a cellular level. It also helps to release any emotional baggage you may be carrying with you. This baggage could be festering in your body, manifesting as current pains, illness, chronic disease, etc. These sessions will help you release pain and illness (both mental and physical). We do a body healing scan to get your body to function and operate at its highest potential. This is also where we ask the Superconscious the questions you came prepared with.** How Long Does Healing Take?Most of the main healing is immediate. See Additional Healing notes and reminders below:+ You will continue to closely experience healing for 1-3 days after the session, and up to 2 weeks.+ You may experience a form of your body detoxing for 1-3 days after the session+ It is important to drink a lot of water within the 3 days after the session+ Do not go straight to sleep after the session+ Eat within 1-2 hours of the session to ground+ I will send you a recording of this session, continue listening to it regularly for months and years to come, as you will continue to receive healing+ Do not listen to the beginning induction at all, especially while driving - as it will put you back in trance. Just fast forward until you are off the cloud and within your first scene** How Many Sessions do you Need?:Depends on the client, the issues, levels of healing, and what you want out of it. We will start with one session and go from there.** Common Fears:- What if it doesn't work?- What if I see something I don't want to see?- What if I'm not good at visualizing?This is an exciting healing process that we are not used to experiencing. Naturally, the unknown may feel strange, but this is a safe form of therapy that consists of all light and love. The only thing you need to do is to relax, and follow the guided visualization. You don't need to be psychic or intuitive for this to work, everyone is capable of getting into the Theta state. This form of hypnosis therapy works on everyone. No one has ever come out of a session more traumatized than they were before they sat down. We all have soul imprints of being victims and perpetrators. We all have struggles and strife. That's ok, that part of learning and healing. It's my job to watch your queues to guide you to keep you safe and protected.You also do not have to experience things in your past life, you are able to watch situations as an observer as well, which will help in case you are triggered emotionally.This is a very safe process, and I have been extensively trained to implement safeguards and procedures that will help to guide and facilitate your subconscious.You will never see anything you are not ready to see. This is part of your personal and unique path of growth and evolution.I also do not want to diminish the heaviness of life, trauma and death... I understand everyone has their own experience they come to the session with, both good and bad, and we are here in this life to learn about ourselves, our relationships, and our Divine Purpose.Earth is like a school, and each life has a theme. Think of the themes as a Major in college. There are themes and sub themes in life, much like majors and minors. We're all learning at our own pace and in our own way. These sessions will help you to uncover your themes.By doing this work, and breathing love into it, we can receive guidance and insight where we can connect with our higher self and the world around us.** How to Prepare for a Session:1. Come prepared with at least 5 questions written down to ask your subconscious/higher self. Examples of questions are:+ Can I heal my high blood pressure?+ Why do I have such a strained relationship with my sister?+ I once saw a large blue light/orb while driving, what was that?+ What is my purpose?+ What do I need to do to live a healthy life?+ Why can't I kick my addiction to food?+ My right leg has numbness, can we heal?2. Do not plan anything after the session, it's important to relax and reflect.3. Do not come to the session with substances in your system of any kind (including relaxing medications like xanax, alcohol, adderall, cannabis, etc)// 11 Tips To Indicate Some Clues To Your Past Lives:The truth is that all of us have likely reincarnated, however, some of us have gone through this cycle more than others and therefore experience many of the following characteristics, and some of you may only resonate with one or two of these tips:1. Recurring DreamsDreams are reflections of the unconscious mind, and while repetitive dreams may sometimes signify trauma, fear or issues that your brain is trying to process (“unfinished business”), repetitive dreams can also potentially be reflections of past life experiences. Many people claim to have experienced certain events, seen particular people or gone to specific places frequently in their dreams that feel very familiar, and somehow recognizable. Remember the soul contract thing I said before? You'll recognize places or people or the essence of both.*I don't so much have recurring dreams, but I do have certain specific dreams that I remember IN DETAIL that span my whole life, and Just know intuitively they mean something for me to remember so many of them in great detail -- like even some from childhood.2. Out-of-place MemoriesThere are many recorded instances of young children who have out-of-place memories that later prove to be oddly accurate in detail. While out-of-place memories could be due to simple fantasies, misunderstandings or an incongruence in the ability to remember, BUT there is mounting evidence that suggests out-of-place memories could reveal connections to past lives. Think about when you travel somewhere and it feels like “home” but you don't know why…*This happens to me a lot actually. I can be driving on a street and get an entire flash of a memory, but know I never experienced it in this life. I then sit with them to determine if this is a memory of mine from a past life, or a download I'm getting about someone else's life that is near me.3. You Have a Strong IntuitionIntuition is the ability to balance the conscious and unconscious mind and to tap into our higher selves of primal wisdom and innate knowledge. It is said that the more we soulfully mature, the more we are closer to returning to the ‘source' (known also as nirvana, eternity, oneness) from which our Souls come from, and from which the collective unconscious – a body of universal knowledge – exists.*Mine is heightened to say the least.4. Déjà vuWe've all experienced déjà vu before at some point in our lives. It's that bizarre feeling that somehow we have already experienced or lived a moment in time before. Often déjà vu comes spontaneously, and is triggered by smells, sounds, sights, tastes and various other sensations. Some claim that déjà vu reflects the possibility of other dimensions (i.e. parallel universes), OR a revealing of a past life experience.*I love when this happens! It makes me feel like I'm plugged into something bigger, and that everything is “on track”5. You're an EmpathEmpaths absorb the emotions, and in some instances the physical pains, of those around them literally empathizing, or directly feeling and experiencing what others experience. While identifying as an Empath and absorbing the emotions of others has other genuine cases, and it can be seen as a sign of a soul that has undergone many previous reincarnations and has refined to the point of transcending the individual self and it's problems, and extending to others as well.*I'm an empath and actually working on it, because I tend to take on others emotions and pain (on accident) because I can imagine what they are going through so well. This isn't healthy, and if you're an empath DM me on instagram or text me so we can talk more about some exercises I've been getting into in order to separate myself when I get “too empathic” lol6. PrecognitionAlso known as ‘future sight' or ‘second sight', precognition is the ability to obtain information about future events that isn't usually available. Precognition can be experienced through visions, physical sensations and feelings, or the ability to have dreams about something before it happens. To many, precognition is a very real experience and could indicate the maturation of soulful energy in a sort of ‘psychic' form.*I've totally had dreams about things and then they happen, this set in during highschool for me.7. RetrocognitionYou probably guessed it! Retrocognition is the opposite of precognition, and refers to the ability to obtain information not usually available about past events. These past events could be in your own lifetime, or sometime in the distant past, or even in an event unrelated to your life. Of course, retrocognition unlike precognition is not easy to prove or verify, for those who have genuinely experienced it (and have been able to honestly verify it), this ability could also be a sign of soulful reincarnation. I read an amazing story about a woman who could identify government details (not known to the public) about the assasination of JFK, and she wasn't even there at that time!8. You Feel Older Than Your Age ReflectsSome people are perpetually “young at heart” even into their later lives, and in the same manner, some people just seem to have been born with “Old Souls”. The experience of feeling older than your age reflects is commonly associated with having reincarnated many times over and this is echoed in the “Soul Age” theory where there is a certain progression of soulful development: from Infant Souls, to Awakened Souls. For example: if you have reincarnated few times on earth, this would be reflected in the age of your energy, and in this life you will display many primitive and child-like characteristics. If, however, your soulful energy has reincarnated many times over, you will display many matured and wizened characteristics. If you feel older than your age reflects you might be a Mature or Old Soul.*I've been told I was an old soul literally since Elementary school. My friend Mehr says I'm old like Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas, and I'm obsessed with this.9. You Have a Great Affinity for Certain Cultures/Time Periods/EnvironmentsIt is said that having a great, unexplainable attraction for certain cultures or time periods is a kind of past life “residue” reminiscent of a certain place, culture or environment that your soul may have experienced in past lives. For instance, you may have an inexplicable affinity to Asian culture, Celtic artifacts, or the 19th century.*Ok people can make fun of others for loving a good “period piece” movie or tv show, but you gotta listen to those inklings connecting you to different time periods. I am wildly connected to different places, styles and time periods, and no surprise have since had regressions and realized I was so into certain places and time periods because I actually lived through them. Looking @ you Tundra, Mesopotamia, Ireland, and SouthEast Asia.10. Unexplainable Fears or PhobiasAs touched on in the last point, many believe that certain memories or experiences can pass on or leave “residues” in our childhoods and adulthood's from past lives. Whether this is true, or is simply a form of problem bypassing, many believe that we can experience the echoes of past traumas in our own lifetimes in the form of unexplainable fears and phobias. Examples can include: the fear of drowning, the fear of certain types of animals, the fear of certain places, certain people, the fear of particular numbers, colors, objects, and so forth.*I've been afraid of police since I was a very very little girl - used to cry when I would see them driving, tell my mom when I was barely old enough to talk “act casual” and so forth. I now know I was beaten and killed by police in the 1960's, but through QHHT therapy, I was able to understand, forgive and heal the trauma so I didn't have to have fears and phobias in this life. Also, read that book I mentioned “Many Lives Many Masters” and you'll learn about an AMAZING case study of a therapist who helped clear severe life-debilitating phobias from a woman.11. You Feel as Though this Earth Is Not Your HomeThe yearning to find your ‘home' can be seen as a reflection of the desire to return back to the source (oneness, consciousness, divinity). Many people feel this yearning to be reminiscent of an athlete running a long race and longing to reach the ‘finish line'. In the same manner, Souls that have reincarnated many times over express this basic need for finally completing the cycle and returning home. Feeling that this earth is not your home is often accompanied by chronic feelings of tiredness and wariness for life on earth, with a lack of connection to this planet.*I don't personally feel this way, but have many friends who do. I've had other lives on other planets outside of our galaxy, but I'm not quite as eager to leave yet, because I think I'm here to help be of service. Earth is the only planet to experience emotions in a heightened way as we do. Through this, souls can grow exponentially by feeling sickness and health, happiness and sadness, life and death, sorrow and bliss, light and dark, fear and strength, vulnerability and courage. They are all forms of energy exchanges - it's all physics, karma, and consciousness. Earth is an amazing planet! But many come from other galaxies or dimensions, and are eager to return back to their “home” once they have learned these different themes here in order to elevate their consciousness or “light”. Which is where you have heard the term “light-workers” - they are often from other dimensions here to help raise the vibration here on earth. I know this might sound pretty wild, but I think it's true. Again, I respect all beliefs, just based on my reading, research, and inner-knowing, this is what I believe to be true.// Ancient Ancestors:The belief of Past lives, or reincarnation, known also as “metempsychosis” and “transmigration”, has existed for thousands of years, spanning back to the ancient Celtic, Greek, Asian and Indian traditions.One of the most intrinsic beliefs of reincarnation is that most of us have lived many lives before, and sometimes we can remember these past lives through dreams, QHHT therapy, regressions, meditations, or even through day-to-day downloads.- Plato, in the 5th–4th century BCE, believed in an immortal soul that participates in frequent incarnations.- The Egyptians are also the first who reported the doctrine that the soul of man is immortal, and that when the body dies, the soul enters into another creature and when it has gone the round of all the creatures of land and sea and of the air, it enters again into a human body as it comes to the birth; and that it makes this round in a period of three thousand years.- The Tlingit people are native Americans who settled in the northwest area of North America (Alaska and Canada). There are estimated to be 16,000 of them today, and their belief system on the afterlife is that - Spirits go to an afterlife in accordance with their morality throughout their life, similarly to heaven and hell in other religions. Those who withheld a high standard of morals were sent to Kiwa-wa, and others were sent to Ketl-kiwa. However, this afterlife only lasted for a short duration; individuals would eventually return as a reincarnation of a deceased maternal relative.(I don't personally believe in heaven in the clouds or hell underground in fire, but those are more like metaphors - when we die, we all go to a place of reflection, where we look back on our life to uncover the themes of the life. Sometimes, when we are “bad” per say - we are there reflecting for longer, but God or Source or the Universe will never punish us - we are all full of love and will get full love, and karmically we will know and reflect on things that we have done wrong to hurt others in life - and have to stay in the in-between for a longer period. We all will experience a form of “heaven” which is warm, and full of light and love, with the most beautiful sensations we have ever experienced.)The modern Igbo of Nigeria, even when adhering to the Christian religion, have preserved many features of Igbo traditional religion. The belief in reincarnation seems to be particularly strong. The Igbo believe that reincarnation usually occurs within the same immediate or extended family. They try to identify the reincarnated ancestor by means of birthmarks, statements a child makes when it becomes able to speak, and behavioral resemblances between the child and the deceased person of whom it is the presumed reincarnation. Oracles are frequently consulted to make or confirm an identification. The Igbo believe that deceased persons inhabit a discarnate realm, but they conceive this as an undesirable limbo from which discarnate souls are eager to return to a new terrestrial life. The Igbo concept of reincarnation includes belief in a group of souls called ogbanje who are born, die in early life, and are reborn in the same family, often repeatedly.”The Cathars lived in the southwest of France and developed their belief system in the 12th and 13th century. They did not believe in a Last Judgement, believing instead that this material world would end only when the last of the angelic souls had been released from it. They believed in reincarnation, and that souls could take many lifetimes to reach perfection before their final release.// Mindful & Metaphysical:When you hear the term Akashic Records, what comes to mind? Have you ever heard of them? Some people think of the Akashic Records as a library, or a book. Some think of it as a database. But according to the Records themselves, they are another dimension called the Akasha. The Akasha is a higher dimension than the 3rd dimension we live in today. I know, it's weird. But stay with me.In the Akasha, every thought, idea, and action from the past, present, and future is stored ad infinitum. If you're familiar with String Theory, the Akashic Records is basically like a database of what's happening in all the universes that are coexisting together.The Akashic Records are basically a record of what will happen, is happening, or has happened. Because they are a higher dimension, the rules of time don't really apply. Time is a flat circle to the Akashic Records, so information from 2,000 years ago is as accessible as what happened to you yesterday. And what happened to you yesterday is as available as what could happen to you — if you stay on the same destiny trajectory — in 10 years.Edgar Cayce, the famed medium who popularized the Records, describes them as: “The Akashic Records, or “The Book of Life,” can be equated to the Universe's super-computer system. It is this system that acts as the central storehouse of all information for every individual who has ever lived upon the earth. More than just a reservoir of events, the Akashic Records contain every deed, word, feeling, thought, and intent that has ever occurred at any time in the history of the world. Much more than simply a memory storehouse, however, these Akashic Records are interactive in that they have a tremendous influence upon our everyday lives, our relationships, our feelings and belief systems, and the potential realities we draw toward us … The Akashic Records contain the entire history of every soul since the dawn of Creation. These records connect each one of us to one another.”Linda Howe, the author of the incredibly informative book, “How to Read The Akashic Records,” describes them this way: “The Akashic Records offer empowerment and transformation by lending us exactly the wisdom, guidance, and energetic support that we need in this lifetime. For centuries, the Records — the energetic archive of Souls' past, present, and future possibilities — were the exclusive domain of mystics, saints, and scholars. No longer! The collective consciousness of the human race has been growing, evolving, and maturing. This spiritual independence is marked by individuals who know that they have direct access to their spiritual Source, and who cultivate that sacred relationship.”So why are some people skeptical about them? People doubt the validity of the Akashic Records for a few reasons. One reason could be because they ask the Records for an answer about the future, only to find that it doesn't come to fruition in the way the Records described. But the thing is, we are always in control of our own destiny. The Records just tell us what the most likely outcome is going to be based on the trajectory that we're already on. But at any moment, we can decide to forge a new path and redirect our possible outcomes.It's also easy to doubt the Records because it's WEIRD to hear messages in your head! You might write off the information that's coming to you as your own subconscious thoughts. And you know what, that might be the truth. Honestly, who knows right? You can choose to believe whatever you want.But either way, by taking the time to tap into the Records, you're opening yourself up to a source of knowledge that's more potent than your conscious mind. Whether you believe that the information is coming from your highest self, or from the Akashic Records, is entirely up to you.A great Goop article talks to Caitlin Marino, an amazing intuitive energy practitioner, about the connection to past lives and Akashic records, and also LOVE how she describes it…Instead of “past lives” she prefers the term “alternate lifetimes” to refer to past lives. She goes on to say that time and space cease to exist when you begin exploring dimensions. Instead, we perceive multiple dimensions of reality where all versions of ourselves are happening simultaneously. From this perspective, our existence is not linear—we do not disperse our identity on a timeline that starts at birth and ends at death. Our souls have cyclical lives, like an infinity sign that folds over itself. But there is a place in everybody's energy field called the Akashic records, holding their entire soul's history—past, present, future, parallel. And through these records, we are able to access any moment in a soul's journey. Caitlin says that she uses the Akashic records in her healing work to remove past lives that may carry lower vibrations, imprints, and stuck energy that are inhibiting a soul's evolution. A past-life wound may show up as a karmic illness, which is caused by energy left over from another lifetime that is present now to balance or complete karma for an individual. When used as an opportunity for metamorphosis, karmic illness has the potential to change a person's path in life for their greatest benefit. I use past lives to help create context and resolution through self-awareness. The simple act of acknowledging a past life through a reading has the potential to alleviate karma. Any time our consciousness expands in this way, we increase our potential for evolution!This is why I just love QHHT or quantum healing hypnosis technique. Through this, we are able to tap into your higher self and the akashic records to help heal you in miraculous ways.The most fascinating, and resonating things for past life regression, for me and reincarnation are the stories that can be proven. Many by adults, but also so so many by young children. They say until a child is about 8 years old they can remember their past lives quite clearly. I love when these memories from sessions can be proved with factual dates, names, records and historical landmarks.There are a few stories I've heard that I always think of (I'll try to re-find and link in the episode notes too) — one, of this young boy, who distinctly remembered his life in WWII, where his plane was shot down, the name of his sister and other family members— the parents, who were Christian and didn't believe these things, wanted to help heal their son who was visibly upset and traumatized by these memories, took him to where he said his plane was shot down in the ocean. He cried and cried, left flowers, and was able to find peace. They then found the woman who the child said was his sister in the past life- she was a very old woman by this time— and the boy hugged her - knew her, her name, and stories and memories they had when they were children together, and even knew things about their family!Another good story is about a young 2 or 3 year old boy. His father was changing his diaper and said, “when you were my age, I used to change your diapers!” The dad obviously laughed it off (we think kids say crazy things, but listen to what clues and intel your kids are telling you!) anyways, the family was looking at old photos, and he said “that's my car!” The parent said, “No that was your grandfather's car, he's no longer with us.” But the boy insisted. To try to “test” him, they showed him other pictures of the grandfather when he was young, and could always point him out. Then to make things harder they showed him a photo of a group of very young boys, who all looked similar and were about the same age. He said - that's me! And was absolutely accurate.The last one I'll share today (I could go on and on with these) is about to be made into a movie, called “The Boy Who Knew Too Much” — it's an amazing book, do if you're interested definitely buy it, but it's a true story written by the mother of a boy named Christian haupt, who was discovered on YouTube by Adam Sandler and cast him to be in the movie “That's My Boy” --The young boy, named Christian, said, “Mommy, I used to be a tall baseball player.”“Yes, you will be a tall baseball player someday.” She said --And then he stomped his feet and said, “No! I was a tall baseball player—tall like Daddy!”At the tender age of two, baseball prodigy Christian Haupt began sharing vivid memories of being a baseball player in the 1920s and '30s. From riding cross-country on trains, to his fierce rivalry with Babe Ruth, Christian described historical facts about the life of American hero and baseball legend Lou Gehrig that he could not have possibly known at the time.“The Boy Who Knew Too Much” is written by Christians mother (who was/is a christian woman, carefully unfolding and grappling with these astonishing occurrences), will undoubtedly shake your beliefs to the core and forever change your views on life and death. Such a good read!// Soulful Sendoff:Today I will leave you with an inspirational poem by Robert Longley, called “Past Lives”, which is a about two people who knew each other in a past life and what it means for this life:When last you stood togetherAmidst the halls of stoneYou knew you'd travel separatelyYet never be aloneIt was a time of grandeurLike few the world has seenYou made a handsome coupleIn the roles of king and queenThe spring waters provided bountyFor the people of your landsYet it always stayed in balanceWith the ever encroaching sandsSo now you know a secretOf days and times beforePlease treat it as a special keyTo open other doors- - - - - - - - - - -Below you'll find a few links to movies and books I have loved on this topic!BOOKS:Many Lives Many Masters, by Brian Weiss.Five Lives Remembered, by Dolores cannonThe Boy Who Knew Too Much by Cathy ByrdHow To Read The Akashic Records, by Linda HoweOld Souls, by Tom SchroderMOVIES AND TV:Cloud Atlas - with Tom Hanks and Halle BerryI OriginsThe OAA Dog's PurposeBirth - with Nicole KidmanYesterday's Children - with Jane SeymourThe Fountain - with Hugh Jackman & Rachel WeitzOn A Clear Day You Can See Forever - with Barbara StreisandChances Are - with Robert Downey Jr.Little Buddha - with Keanu ReevesYOUTUBE LINKS:The Boy Who Knew Too Much Video Here - His Channel is HereThe Case of James LeiningerGaia Remembering Past LivesKids Memories of Past LivesA 2 Year Old Remembers DrowningThe Story of Cameron MacauleyCivil War Boy on OprahThe Young Boy Who Died In A House FireEvidence of Reincarnation in Childhood by Dr. Jim TuckerAnd if you have anything on these topics you'd like to share with me I'd LOVE to hear from you. Email shana@mindfuldivine.com, DM me on instagram @shana_bianchi or just shoot me a text if you know me personally!- - - - - - - - - - -As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com- - - - - - - - - - -

// Introduction:Today it's all about YOU. Your higher self, your intuition and how you can learn to tap in and turn on anytime anywhere. We are always being guided to live in our life's alignment, many of us just don't know when or how to listen to the signs from our intuition, angels, or spirit guides. Everyone's had that gut reaction, and through this podcast, you can learn how to listen to it, instead of ignoring those butterflies or inkling to avoid that person or business deal. It's your birthright to live a fulfilling and abundant life. You're listening to these words, in this moment, right here and right now for a reason. Learn how to trust and celebrate the little moments of your guided life by tuning in and tapping into Source. You'll discover your cosmic self, and never feel alone again. If you turn inwards, you'll discover, if you haven't already, that you possess a powerful guidance system that has been within you all along. We are all blessed with an intuitive guidance system and the more we learn to listen to it and use it, the more confident and tactful we will become at reassuring ourselves throughout the journey of this life.We are always being guided, but the more friends, clients and family members I talk to, the more I realize that people don't always know how to listen to that intuition. According to Deepak Chopra, “Intuition is an intelligence beyond your rational mind.”And your rational mind, or conscious mind, is often led by the ego. So It's important to separate yourself from your ego in order to listen to the signs. So in short, Intuition is the way the subconscious mind communicates with the conscious mind. The information that informs ‘that feeling' is real. It's like any other decision but the workings of it – the collection, the storage, the putting together – happen outside of our conscious mind.I personally receive signs from many places, and you likely do too, you just aren't looking for them. I resonate with signs from the universe (sometimes I call this source, or even god, and you can call it Jesus, or Buddha or whatever resonates with you as your higher power, the denomination does not matter). I also get info and downloads from my spirit guides, guardian angels, and archangels (which you all also have, too), and last but not least, I also lean on my personal intuition for info and intel on what to do and how to do it, which is what we will be talking about today. It's like having an invisible force of spiritual guiding gurus always on your side, helping and facilitating you in every aspect of your life. We'll talk more about spirit guides and angels in a future episode, but they do lend a bit of a hand in your invisible intuition, so we'll touch on it a bit today too. Certainly, you've had that intuitive gut reaction, or heard the little voice in your head telling you to do or not to do something. But ask yourself this: How often do you lean in and listen to that intuitive feeling?// Method to Manifesting 101:Thankfully, we all come equipped with an intuition. Many of us may already have a strong connection with it, while many of us are unaware that we have within us an inner wisdom that is always on our side.Jiddu Krishnamurti says, “Intuition is the whisper of the soul.” which I love. Often times, the messages you receive will be a whisper. It will be quiet but omnipresent. It will be meaningful, and full of intel. Sometimes, though, it may not be a whisper… it may be a yell, or a cry, or a repetitive sign you keep seeing. It's important to recognize the different ways your messages come in. Everyone receives and understands signs differently, so unlocking your intuitive “code” can be a super fun process!Taking the steps and efforts to cultivate a more intimate relationship with our inner guidance and wisdom is a journey of self-exploration and empowerment.Honing into and honoring the signs from your emotional body. Investigating potential underlying stories and triggers of physical ailments. Marveling at the magical coincidences of your life. Making time to clear mental chatter to deeply listen to your inner desires. Bringing healing love to unprocessed wounds. Honoring the process of deepening our relationship with our intuition is a journey towards living a more rich, meaningful and connected life.Alyse Parker, founder of Alignment Accelerator, has some wonderful step by step guidance I'd love to share with you today in this method to manifesting segment. In it, I'll outline 6 ways to listen to your intuition, plus a few action items I recommend you start to incorporate into your daily routines... and once you do, your magic and potential will expand beyond your wildest dreams.1. Trust Your GutWe all know the sensation of when something doesn't feel right. When our circumstances are just wrong, it's common to feel a strong urge or twisting of our gut. This is often the most obvious if not first telltale sign that our intuition is tugging at the sleeve of our attention. If something doesn't feel good, right or just simply off, perhaps your gut is telling you it's time for a change. It's so important to always pay attention to your gut. When the neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in your gut fire up, you may be feeling either “butterflies” or queasy sensations. Pay attention to those. It's no accident we use the term intuition and gut feeling interchangeably because science has now shown us that our gut has a brain of its own, a second brain so to speak. In fact, our gut has an entire network of neurotransmitters called the enteric nervous system. Be honest with yourself and acknowledge those unsettled feelings; they are there to guide and support you. Listen to them. Follow the hunches until your situation feels right again. Trust your emotional compass. How you feel is your greatest indicator of whether your choices are in alignment with your intuitive wisdom or not.MINDFUL ACTION: Try this with little things at first, see if making a left or a right turn has a different feeling in your stomach. If you immediately are pulled to “turn right instead of left” on the drive home, listen. The more you prime your mind to listening to your initial “gut” reactions, the easier it will be to listen on bigger decisions.2. Follow Energy ShiftsOne way to measure whether you've acted in accordance to your intrinsic knowledge or not is to tune into your energy levels. Chances are you've experienced the feeling of having a weight lifted from your shoulders immediately after making a long-awaited decision. Maybe you sensed a return of joy or energy, charisma and physical stamina that you had felt severed from for some time. How do you feel around a co-worker or potential customer? Drained or energized? Using your intuition to read people can make you a more effective leader or negotiator in your business dealings. If these shifts are present, rejoice in the knowing that you have acted from a place of alignment with your higher, true self.MINDFUL ACTION: Next time you're faced with a decision, see if the weight of it feels heavy or light on your shoulders. That's a quick indicator of an energy read in a room or a situation.3. Tune To Your BodyIs a recurring situation in your life triggering a tight feeling in your chest? Or maybe there's a circumstance that sparks that sinking, chronic stomach aches? If your reality isn't paralleled to your innermost longings, your intuition will use your physical body as a medium to bring your attention to what desperately wants to be seen. As many of us have a tendency to ignore our internal guidance system, the repressed messages will develop into more severe symptoms… anything from anxiety and depression, fatigue, migraines, nausea and other physical ailments and dis-ease. What are you experiencing in your body? And what is it trying to communicate to you? What, if any, repressed messages, urges and needs are underlying the physical discomfort you may be experiencing in your life? Open yourself to positive, curious inquiry with the knowing that you intuitively hold the knowledge to be your own healer and transform your life.MINDFUL ACTION: What consistent ailments are coming up in your body? Think about why they may be affecting you, and try reading the book “Heal Your Body” by Louise Hay. In it, you'll find ailments, the connection to personal or professional lockages, and provides mantras for you to say daily to eradicate any physical symptoms you're having.4. Pay Attention to the SynchronicitiesThe Universe will frequently gift us with signs of assurance. Things like seeing 11:11 daily, or always getting lucky pennies are all signs to tap in. Even as we dream, manifest and shoot off rockets of desires through our thoughts and beliefs, the Universe supports us in turn by sending us the circumstances, people, opportunities and situations that will bring our advancement in life. Be present in your day-to-day activities so that you can see the meaningful patterns and coincidences when they occur. These signs can be messages from your higher self that you are on the right path. I also think these signs can also be messages from your guardian angels, archangels, or spirit guides nudging you on the right path, forcing you to listen to something being said, or showing you the way.MINDFUL ACTION: Next time you see a recurring sign, say out loud, “what would you like to show me” and focus on the next immediate statement that comes into your mind as an answer. Without thinking, without analyzing. Just the first thing that comes to mind.5. Get QuietIn our world of constant chatter and content bombardment there are multiple forces grabbing for our attention, and it can become challenging to tap into the voice or sensation of our intuition. When we are up against making a decision, it's important to create room for clarity. When you allow your mind to rest, the mud of many thoughts settles, and your mind becomes an open and clear channel for your thoughts and emotions to flow through.Step away from your current situation and bring yourself to a state of mind and location where you can decompress and find some quiet, even just for a few minutes. Dissolve any sense of pressure by focusing on deep, elongated breaths. In this spaciousness, we can dissolve the clutter of our fears, insecurities, doubts and uncertainty to hear the deep, confident, clear knowing of our inner wisdom.In this expansiveness, you have the lucidity necessary to listen, with all your might, to what your higher self is telling you. Even if you are not pressed to make a difficult choice in your life, making it a regular practice to quiet the mind is a great approach to deepening your connection with your intuition. Make space to get quiet. I'll meditate for a few minutes, and just see what the first things that come to mind are - they are often short messages from my intuition and guides telling me what to do. Also if that seems too hard at first, try to just free-write. Journal in a quiet room with relaxing music playing and write quick without much thought to the words, just the first things that come to mind. You'll often receive much clarity from this practice as well.MINDFUL ACTION: Try free-write, meditation journaling for 5 min per day before bed.6. Do Your Shadow Work“You will never follow your own inner voice until you clear up the doubts in your mind.”–Roy T. Bennett. In order for us to experience a clear, uninterrupted dialogue with our intuition, we must clear, touch and heal the parts of ourselves we would rather pretend did not exist. The shadow is a term coined by psychologist Carl Jung, and it refers to our deepest wounds. The wounds from our past or present that have us believing we are flawed, unlovable, undeserving people. (ps. Here's a secret, you don't need to live by those narratives, you can remove the blockages by clearing the shadows. Think of it like mental spring cleaning. Shadow work can support you in embracing all aspects of yourself. This experience of self-acceptance is essential for you to love and trust yourself more, which puts you more in touch with your intuition. By communing with the aspects of ourselves that we attempt to reject and hide, we heighten our awareness of their habitual patterns and thoughts. In regards to tapping into our intuitive powers, this awareness will allow us to skillfully decipher between limiting beliefs, judgments and criticisms from the internal guide that is edging us towards appropriate discernment and caution. As we venture down the path of healing our shadow self and past wounds, we can realize that our history may be projecting onto our present moment. By looking into your shadow work, you will heighten your ability to decipher between pained, habitual thinking and our inner wisdom illuminating our path.MINDFUL ACTION: Try allocating an hour a week to cleansing shadow work.Remember: You possess all the reassurance, encouragement and answers to all your questions. All you need to do is look inside.// Ancient Ancestors:The Medicine Wheel, or Sacred Hoop, is a Native American approach to energy and intuitive healing that can be used to resolve post-traumatic stress, anxiety, grief, and health issues. It can also be used to call upon your higher power to make decisions for healing and conflict within and outside the body mind. The Medicine Wheel way of healing reconnects you to your intuition, nature, your ancestors, and the infinite circle of life. It guides you to walk your sacred path in balance and with love in your heart.So what exactly is the Medicine Wheel?The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Native American culture thinks that everything has a spirit — a voice, a meaning, and a power. They call this Orenda and it's the basis of energy. When we use this energy properly and live a life in balance, we can cultivate a “good mind.”The Shift Network says that The Medicine Wheel is an ancient symbol of the sacred hoop of life — or the circle of life — in Native American culture. It has been used for thousands of years. Different Nations have different ways of interpreting the Medicine Wheel — the colors, specific uses, and meanings…The Lakota, Ojibwa, and Cree Nations, (just to name a few), have researched and used the Medicine Wheel in therapy for PTSD, trauma release, stress management, problem solving, conflict resolution, business consulting, and more. There are some basics of the Medicine Wheel that are the same across cultures and others that are different. How you use the Medicine Wheel can be highly personal, too.Like Chinese medicine, Native American medicine and culture look to our Mother the Earth for guidance. Observing patterns, shapes, rhythms, cycles, and all of life's natural patterns is part of how we are guided.Circles are important in Native American culture. They are how we connect to nature and all of life. When we see everything as a circle, we can appreciate that the cycle of life has no beginning and no end. Within nature and the human body, we can see many circles represented, like cells, bones, the system of circulation (blood and lymph). Even our DNA consists of circular, spiral patterns (the double helix).Medicine Wheel Image Linked HereImage Credit: Sage GoddessOk, so let's dig into The Seven Directions, and how to read, navigate, and use a medicine wheel.Seven is also a sacred number in Native American culture. Within the Medicine Wheel are the following seven directions. Although there are 7 in total, obviously the 4 main ones are north, south, east and west. Each come with various totems, focuses, elements and herbs. Different tribes have slightly different wheels, but I'm going to focus on the most commonly used wheel today.To use the medicine wheel, I would recommend you say in your head or out loud whatever you need help with or guidance on, it can be an informal or formal question, you can write it down and say a little prayer, or just riff. There's no right or wrong. I'd say something like:“I call forth and open the gates of the east, of air, of the rising sun, the spring time. I call forth your protection and guidance and intuitive support and ask for your guardianship of my journey and current questions. All hail and give thanks to the direction of the east.”Another way can be - to have a little alter or offering plate for that direction in your room. Or You can make your own circle with rocks in the backyard to meditate in, or sit in and face that direction when asking for support...Or simply sit and face the direction wherever you are while you write or sit calmly to meditate to ask for assistance. Now onto the directions themselves...EastThe East is often where we enter a circle and begin our journey. It represents the mental body, childhood, and the spring season. Think about spring as becoming aware of new creation, when ideas show up within your consciousness. It's when something seems to come from nothing or light comes from darkness. It's where we create our vision. If you feel empty, you can look to the East to bring awareness. If you are stressed, you look to the East to heal from trauma (or PTSD). This is where we seek purification, healing, and renewal.SouthThe South represents the emotional body, adolescence, and the summer season. It's where we work out our emotions and relationships with others. We experiment with people, ideas, and experiences. It is the time for taking our vision and testing it out (or going on a vision quest). We test out our values and identity to understand what works for us vs. what others teach us. As we look to the South, we can move from confusion to wisdom. It's also a place where we learn patience and commitment, moving from feeling like we have to have a result right now, to being willing to put in the time and work for those results. If you need guidance on a relationship issue with family, friends or coworkers, look to the South for support.WestThe West represents the physical body, adulthood, and the fall season. It is where our ideas are coming into physical form and we can see them in action. It's a time when we recognize that we have to show up and do the work to create the results we want in our lives. We begin to understand and honor that we are physical beings on an important journey. It is a time to right the ship, get unstuck, shake things off, and move forward in our lives. This often includes letting go of limiting beliefs and holding true to our values. We learn that it's important to honor and take care of ourselves because we now know the difference between self-care and being selfish. If we are willing to respect ourselves and others, we also bring humility to the wisdom of maturity, which is the goal. If you need guidance on finding the right course of action in life or a circumstance, you know kind of cleansing that shadow work we talked about earlier… let the West help you remove the past to outline your future (either immediate or long term).NorthThe North represents the spiritual body, the elder, and the winter season. The North is the true source of all things, Creator, Orenda, or Great Spirit energy. In this direction, we understand the process of change and recognize that we find our place in the world by seeing things through to their completion. We work on caring vs. apathy and we realize that we can't receive care and love from others until we care for and love ourselves. In this direction, we often find clarity and deep wisdom. We no longer fear not having the answers because we trust being led. If you need help with self-care or caring for others, look to the North for guidance.DownThe downward direction represents Mother Earth and our connection to her, along with our connection to the soil. We learn that our Mother, the Earth, is always there supporting us. In this direction, we realize we have the opportunity for growth and as we feel our connection to Mother Earth, we are always safe. If you are not feeling supported, heard, or helped in your journey, look down to the earth for grounding guidance.UpThis upward direction represents Father Sky and your higher self. Looking in this direction, you recognize that you are part of the circle of life, the intersection of eternity. This is where you learn to become who you are and give of yourself from this place. If you want to connect to your intuition and higher self, look up and ask for daily support to awaken and tap in.CenterThe center of the circle is you. It's where you realize that you are in the locus of control. You can shed everything others have told you. You stop looking to other people to tell you what to do and listen to your own body and inner wisdom. You focus on being who you are with authenticity. Feeling yourself in the center of the circle can be tremendously transformational because you can look to all other directions and honor all emotions without fearing the negative ones. This is where you can find meaning on your journey, even if you are in a phase of your life that is particularly difficult. Find your inner strength and trust that your wellbeing is in your hands. Similar to up, looking within, to your center will also help you connect with your intuition. Put both hands on your heart as you close your eyes and focus on your center, which will remind you of your strength if you are feeling weak.The Medicine Wheel is represented in a circle to remind us of this continuous cycle. We are taught that this is the circle our ancestors walked. In this circle, we carry our ancestors and their strength within us. We carry their lessons and their dreams. This reminds us that we are never alone. It reminds us that we can call on our ancestors for guidance because they've walked the circle for thousands of years before us. This deep history is very grounding and can provide support and guidance through trauma, stress, or grief.I'll be sure to link a photo of the wheel in the episode notes, and I'll be sharing info on instagram for guidance and coursework on this too!// Mindful & Metaphysical:Interestingly enough, science shows there is retinol tissue in the location of your “third eye” that has neurotransmitters, the same connective receptors that speak to your brain (yes, the same way your eyes do to show visual cues). So we literally have a third eye, it's not just a woo-woo expression save for yogis and meditation gurus. By accessing your pineal gland, and working with your third eye, you can unlock your inner consciousness and intuition. You'll be shown ways to let life in, and feel supported in every aspect of your life, while having your deepest desires manifested.Researchers at Leeds University analyzed a hefty pile of research papers on intuition. They concluded that intuition is a very real psychological process where the brain uses past experiences and cues from the self and the environment to make a decision. The decision happens so quickly that it doesn't register on a conscious level. Intuition exists in all of us, whether we acknowledge it or not, and the more we can learn about it, the more we can use it to shape our lives for the better.Basically, the human brain has two ‘operating systems'. The first is quick, instinctual and effortless. This is where our intuition lies. Intuition works by drawing on patterns collected by our experience and when we have to make a quick decision about whether something is real, fake, feels good, feels bad, right or wrong, we draw on these patterns. It all happens ‘offline', outside our conscious awareness. The second operating system is slower to respond. It's more analytical and deliberate and it's conscious.Science has found real evidence to support the existence of intuition. There was aw wonderful study performed called, “Deciding advantageously before knowing the advantageous strategy” which showed how the intuitive part of our brain knows the right answer long before the more analytical part.In this study, participants played a card game which, unknown to the participants, was rigged from the beginning. Participants had to choose from one of two decks of cards. One was rigged to provide big wins, then big losses. The other – small gains but hardly any losses.The participants reported that after 50 cards, they had a hunch about which deck was safer. After 80 they were able to explain the difference between the two decks.But here's where it gets interesting – after only 10 cards, the sweat glands on the palms of their hands opened whenever they took from the dangerous deck. It was then that participants started to prefer the safer deck but there was no conscious awareness that this was happening. So, before the analytical part of their brain knew what was going on, the subjects' intuition guided them towards a better decision. Pretty cool, right?I also want to share insight from a great Forbes article, where Dr. Judith Orloff MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and author of Guide To Intuitive Health and The Empath's Survival Guide has a private practice where she works with women executives who come to her to develop their intuition. They see it as a ‘superpower' to use in all decisions at work as well as a guide for how to be good leaders and organizers.According to Dr. Orloff, scientists believe intuition operates through the entire right side of our brain, the brain's hippocampus and through our gut (the digestive system has neurons as well). And this is where it gets interesting for us ladies. Women's corpus callosum, the connective white matter that connects our left and right brain hemispheres together, is thicker than men's. This more substantial brain super highway gives us women better and faster abilities to access each hemisphere, further integrating our emotion and gut feelings with the more logical left hemisphere into our decision making process. Basically women's brains have superpowers and are actually optimized for rapid intuitive decision making. No offense to the boys, certainly they have intuitions, and strong ones at that, they may just have to work on thickening their corpus callosum to connect their hemispheres and bring on more intuitive guidance!- - - - - - - - - - -As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com- - - - - - - - - - -

Mindful Divine Podcast, Hosted by Shana BianchiWhat Money Can Teach Us about Self-Acceptance & Financial Abundance + How to heal your relationship with money, build your financial EQ and become a money magnet.// Introduction:I recently took a workshop through MindValley on money mindset, and I was so interested in the content I wanted to share it with you this week. The workshop was led by Ken Honda, author of over 50 books, including “Happy Money”, is a Japanese financial expert who trains professionals for no less than $30k for just a few months of support. Ken was mentored by the famed Wahei Takeda, who is known as the Warren Buffet of Japan... and btw did you know Japan has more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world? Pretty impressive. So, the workshop talked a lot about targeting the ‘money wounds' embedded in your brain: which are similar to limiting beliefs that your mind holds onto. By releasing these beliefs, you'll shift your money mindset and uncover secrets from some of the world's wealthiest people.Get ready to get abundance on demand, by restructuring your money mindset, and finding peace with money. As you look at your relationship with money, your life will shift, and as you heal your money wounds your whole outlook on life will change. You'll have better sleep, relationships, and finances. Once your belief system changes, your life will change. You will be able to trust life more and do what you want and need - you can take risks, which really is just following your heart and intuition. It all starts with transforming your mind. Get ready to start your new money life today.Forgiveness for the past can be a fortune for the future. It's important to look at past pain and resentment that's silently dragging down your financial success in the present. A lot of our beliefs of money that take place are rooted in the house we grew up in. Our parents wounds and our younger wounds become our current woundsHow did your parents view money when you were a child? How did they talk about it? Did they say or imply rich people were mean, bad, and selfish? Did people who have little money try to take from those who “worked harder” for their money, thus making them less deserving? Did you come from a family that said you need to be careful of money, or beware of where you put it? Did you hear your parents always saying, “we don't have enough money for this or that?”I've found we need to recognize the knowledge in doses like this, I like to call it life's micro-learning. Through the exercises today you will learn why you may no thave the bank account you want, or are in debt because you don't have the right mentors to teach you about money.For most, our mentors are our parents or guardians, but remember they have their own wounds too (from their own childhood and life experiences)! We are not taught the skills to acknowledge and heal these wounds growing up, but it's important to learn them now, because it's never too late for your SHIFT.For my money wounds, for example, I'm reminded of my childhood when my dad would have to output money. My dad would always be very cranky and angry when it was that time of the month to pay bills. He would be visibly upset, and as a young girl my thought pattern was this:Well, money, and paying out money makes you mad and upset. So to be happy, I must get, make and keep my money. My fear of having too little became an obsession as I got older to strive to always make more and do more, thus leading to professional burnout and emotional fatigue.I now understand that I can remove the imprints and wounds of money from my family, and instead make my own new imprints.Maybe try to interview your parents, grandparents or whoever raised you -- and ask them their views on money (both when they were a kid and now). Then draw comparisons and see if you now fall into the same patterns and beliefs.See, money is energy. It's an exchange of energy. You can decide if you want it to be a good exchange or a bad exchange. If you want to get angry when it goes out, that's your choice emotionally. If you want to be grateful when it goes out, that's also your choice.IQ, as we know, has to do with intelligence, and you may have heard of EQ - connecting to emotional intelligence. It's important to know that EQ also pertains to money, since, as we just learned, money is energy. The methodology for Money EQ Will transform your relationship with money, and in turn skyrocket your success in money and in life. It's a proven process that countless people across the world have already benefited from, too.A high money IQ (meaning the hard skills of money like saving and investing) can help you grow your money in the short-term… But without a high money EQ (your relationship with money) you will never achieve lasting wealth or peace of mind with your money.// Method to Manifesting 101:As much as we want it, we are either afraid of money or obsessed with money. Why is it that when we need to make a decision to buy something, like a car or a house - we feel like you cant make any mistakes and are almost paralyzed in fear. It's because we don't have a good relationship with money, and we aren't accepting the input and output of energy itself.There are 3 Systemic Models, or money types that people fall into, often taken from when you were a kid, and stuck onto you like glue as the adult you are today. When you can identify your money EQ type - it will help you see where your money block may be, and when you recognize the block, you can start to clear it.The 3 money types are:1. Control2. Indifferent3. FearSo let's get into that a bit...- The “control” money type: Someone who wants to control everything and save money, make money and increase it. Do-ers. Anxiety-ridden sometimes, and often didn't come from a home that had money, so they want to control the amount they bring in, in order to control their happiness or emotions. May have thought if they had more money they could be happier or avoid pain or escape suffering.Statements that may resonate with the control money type are:*** I spend a lot of time thinking about what I will do with my money. Save it, earn it, spend it.*** I would like more money in my life and have many plans for what I would do with it*** I am happier when I am actively doing something to change my finances- The “indifferent” money type: Often school teachers, homemaker, volunteer workers. They don't really care about it, or don't know how to manage it, so they often do good, meaningful work in the world but can be broke or make less money than they're worth. Often brought up in a nice or okay middle class home. Given what they need, good presents, so they are indifferent and they don't have to worry about it much.Statements that may resonate with the indifferent money type are:*** I am generally not motivated by money*** Money seems to flow to me without much effort*** I don't spend much time thinking about money- The “fear” money type: They are afraid, judge or try to run away from money. They often think people who have lots of money are dirty or evil and people who have it are bad people, or had to step on others to make it to the top. They are often afraid, freeze or try to run away from systems - hippie types or anti-rule followers, and don't want to have anything to do with it, though they likely still complain about not having enough money.Statements that may resonate with the fear money type are:*** I spend a lot of time worrying about money*** I often find myself frozen when it comes to making financial decisions*** I will often ignore my finances or keep money at a distance.Ps. It's also important to remember that you can have more than one money type. I'm sort of a mix of control and fear, but control is more dominant for me. Now that I recognize that, I can understand when I receive or spend money, how I feel about it, and I can create my own financial freedom.Think about what money type you are, and say out loud, “I am not my past money wounds, as of today, I am lovingly healing my relationship with money, and welcoming it with positive energy, flow, appreciation and gratitude.”// Ancient Ancestors:Arigato is a Japanese word, meaning thank you. It directly translates to something being impossible or difficult, and to explain why this is, arigato is used to address a thank you to the person who has done something impossible for you.You'll find traces of the word arigato as far back as the 794-1192, in the Heian period, and you can even find it in the Pillow Book, also known as “Makura no Soshi”. The Pillow Book is comprised of a bunch of entries written by court lady Sei Shonagon. It was finished in 1002, and Shonagon included excerpts of musings and bits of her life; poems, quotes, passages, message bits, essays, etcetera. She also happened to write down “Arigatakimono”, which expressed some sentiments that she found it hard to exist in this world.The word would later evolve with the widespread religion of Buddhism in Japan. People connected arigato with the idea of gratefulness of the blessings given by Buddha. To this day, this is still the way people perceive the gratitude behind arigato.It's no secret that words have power, feel free to head back to episode 2 to listen to the reality of words for more info here… but the spiritual power of words is also a biggie in the Japanese Language and culture.Japan has a traditional philosophy called kotodama. People in ancient times referred to Japan as “The country where kotodama brings happiness”, and the idea still holds true today. Gratitude and thanks bring about happiness.Today, I want to tell you a secret technique, used by billionaires worldwide.It's called The Arigato Technique.Years ago, Takeda (remember the Warren Buffet of Japan) was asked - “What is the secret to wealth?” To which he replied, “There is only one secret: Arigato your money and smile.So we know now that Arigato means “thank you” in Japanese, and Takeda said the #1 secret to wealth is by saying thank you. You might be thinking, wait… that's it? That can't be it. Takeda is a billionaire, how is this the most important secret. But when was the last time you thanked your money? If ever? Can this method be that simple? Thes short answer is yes.When the money comes in, you must appreciate it. When the money goes out, you must also appreciate it. By thanking the money output, and input, you are recognizing the appreciation and gratitude of it, and also the circular flow of the money itself, thus making it “happy money”.“Arigato In. Arigato Out.”So here's the trick to the Japanese Art of Mastering Your Money - say out loud, “thank you” to the check, or money or whatever you get - and when I spend on money with your credit card online or at the store, or write a check for your rent or mortgage or bills, say out loud “thank you” and direct it to the money. You can say it in any language, it doesn't matter - the universe picks up on the ENERGY of gratitude… though I do say “Arigato” because that resonates with me personally. Try to say it out loud when you say it, but if you really are in a place where you can't, be sure to say it in your head.By using the Arigato Technique, you are blessing the money, and the next person and the next person - imagine the journey of it - think about - when you pay for food at the store, it goes to the farmer who made it, the cashier's hourly wage, the rent or electricity to have a store down the street from you. The money energy is something that connects all of it, and we never even think about it. If the energy is not appreciated, it will not flow.This way, it becomes a circular money - it will flow all around your, and you will realize you can access it at any time. It becomes easily accessible because there is a constant flow of money as if you are BREATHING it.It's such a healthy mental model! It will attract new opportunities and levels of money and financial abundance for you. The technique is simple, but the results are profound. Others will do it back and reflect it to you, too, if we're all appreciative of the money. The Mental models from our past hold us back, but with the Arigato Technique, you will begin to welcome miracles into your life, you'll see.// Mindful & Metaphysical:We now know that we must clear the money myths and shift our mindset, and we've learned that thanking your money with the Arigato technique is the secret to welcoming more of it, as we recognize the circular pattern of the energy of money.Now, I want you to think about your money mindset.I want you to think “money is air” …now say it out loud - “money is air”That's an easier concept for our younger generation to think about right? Money is air -- we use apple cards, venmo, and text people money. We rarely have cash or coins, and have leaned on plastic for years now. So it's not like we have to feel tied or connected to a dollar in our bank account. If we can imagine a room with plentiful air, could we imagine an account with plentiful funds. Yes, you can!According to Wahei Takeda and Ken Honda, there are 3 levels of money. I think of these like levels that you graduate through.Money is like ice, you will not move through it or get more of it if you fight itMoney is like a river, you can feel comfortable on it, but it could carry you awayIf you go to the highest level, money is like air, you don't even know you're breathing because it's everywhere, all around you, ever abundant.Think of it this way, we don't wake up in the morning thinking, “Is there going to be enough air for me to breath today?” Because it's ever-flowing all around us. Try to think of money that way.You may never feel rich UNTIL you shift your mindset around money to the mental model - If you level up, and think of the energy of money like air, then the money will come like air. Say right now with me, “The money I need flows to me whenever I need it.”I will say, money energy can't be selfish either. You can't be like… I want a million dollars to help myself and sit in a vat of gold while eating truffles and drinking champagne. Think about money, why you feel like you need it, or who/what it can help. Remember the importance of having a servant's heart, and how you can be living a life of altruism.There was a fascinating discovery revealed after Ken interviewed over 12,000 self-made millionaires in his home country of Japan. While many of these millionaires had more than enough cash in their bank accounts, some of them still did not feel financially secure. Keep in mind, some of them were multi-millionaires. Some even had private jets. And yet, these people were still fraught with financial worries. So if it's not the number in our bank accounts that can help us dissolve the stresses we so often experience with handling money, what can? That's when Ken pieced the puzzle together.You'll also be chasing but never feel fulfilled. Ya know, don't aim for a jet, because there will always be something else you want, like chasing a horizon. The closer you get, the farther it goes.All you need is the capability to thank the money and welcome it.It's not just the money - once you trust the universe is nice and friendly to you, it will come. I always say the universe is always conspiring with you, not against you. You can co-create your future in every aspect of your life! This is one of the most powerful things you can learn in this human life -- - - - - - - - - - -As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com- - - - - - - - - - -Additional Sources I enjoyed reading and researching while writing this episode / post:https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/money-energy-is-spiritual-energyhttps://blog.mindvalley.com/how-to-attract-money/https://shellybullard.com/blog-manifest-abundance/why-money-is-spiritualhttps://spiritualarts.org/blog/evolving-your-soul/the-spiritual-purpose-of-money/https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/things-i-learned-from-you-are-a-badass-at-making-moneyhttps://tobemagnetic.com/free-native-1/2017/9/11/the-energetics-of-money-manifestationhttps://www.thecut.com/2018/05/lacy-phillips-podcast-interview-youtube-review-manifestation-class.htmlI took the mini-workshop, but the full online course can be found here: https://www.mindvalley.com/money/masterclass

Mindful Divine Podcast, Hosted by Shana BianchiHow To Be Mindful & Achieve Inner Bliss: 4 Ways To Find Inner Peace And Quiet To Manifest Abundance And Compassion In Today's Loud World.// Introduction:Mindfulness exercises have been around for thousands of years. The benefits of staying in the present moment – have been recognized for millennia and have recently been acknowledged by modern science. Of course, it is important to define exactly what mindfulness is before we get into explaining why it's a critical part of a healthy life and how you can achieve it. Have you ever taken a walk on a beach or even in your neighborhood and felt peace and calm as you noticed the birds singing or the smell of fragrant flowers or the salty sea? In that moment, you were mindful. Mindfulness is simply the state of being aware, but not judgmental or analytical. You may be alert to your surroundings, but if you are afraid of them or even excited by them, you are not in a state of mindfulness. Rather, mindfulness is the act of simple awareness of the present moment without judgment.// Method to Manifesting 101:According to Mindvalley.com, a website and curriculum designed to unleash the fullest potential of your mind, body, and spirit was founded by Vishen Lakhiani who has a rad story if you ever want to delve in (I'll link in the episode notes)… He was this computer engineer and senior leader at a rapidly growing Silicon Valley startup. But he faced extreme stress and was burnt out so he took up meditation as a solution and it completely changed his life. He quit the valley to study meditation, teach around the world and go into deep mastery of human development. And Mindvalley was born as a result. Today Vishen is on a quest to remake how the world works in terms of business, politics, education and spirituality. He says, If you aren't practicing mindfulness throughout your day, you're missing out on an opportunity to improve every aspect of your life. Speaking of Mindvalley, they have 3 simple exercises that I love to do, that you can use to practice and achieve mindfulness daily, too:1. Be Mindful of What You SenseWhen To Use It: This is a great exercise to do when you are feeling full of anxiety and stress. In those moments, you are judging what is happening to you and you are creating expectations about the future. Instead, focus on what is by using your 5 senses.The Benefit: You'll be taken out of your head and into the present moment. You'll be free from worry, judgment and fear.How to do it:• Choose an object near you that you can easily hold.• Focus your attention on the object and say (out loud if you can), what you see. Describe the colors, textures and shapes. Don't judge it. In other words, don't say “I see a gross color green.” or “It looks weird.” Only state the facts.• Next, focus your attention on how the object feels in your hands. If you can, rub the object on your face or down your arm. Drum on the object or squeeze it. Describe what it feels like without judgment words.• Now, smell the object and describe it. If you don't like the smell, don't say, “It smells awful.” Instead, use a comparison like, “It smells earthy and old, like compost.”• If you can taste the object, do so. If not, close your eyes and focus on what you taste in your mouth. Maybe you can taste coffee or your lunch, or perhaps you simply taste the air. Describe it in detail without judgment.• Finally, hold the object up to your ear and listen to it. Tap on it or shake it and see what sound it makes. Focus deeply and listen for even the faintest sound. Describe it in detail without judgment.2. Be Mindful of What You EatWhen To Use It: Anytime you sit down for a snack or a meal. This exercise is especially beneficial if you find yourself mindlessly eating while watching TV.The Benefit: Mindful eating actually helps the body digest food better. If you suffer from digestive problems, practicing this exercise can decrease your symptoms by helping your body tune in to the digestion process. This exercise can also help you stay on track with your diet or nutrition plan.How To Do It:• Before you begin eating, look at your food and describe what it looks like. Describe the colors, textures and shapes without using judgmental words.• Next, smell your food and attempt to describe the smell without judgment. This can be tricky because you'll want to say something like, “It smells great.” Try instead to say things like, “It smells spicy, earthy and sweet.”• Next, listen to your food. Is it sizzling? Can you hear air moving through it. Use your utensil to move it around. What does that sound like?• Now, take a small bite of your food. Experience the food in your mouth first, without chewing. Make a mental note of what it tastes like. Now, slowly chew your food and take note of all the sensations. Notice how it tastes on different parts of your tongue. Notice how it feels against your cheek and on your teeth.• Finally, swallow your food and take a moment to feel the food moving down your throat in into your esophagus. Don't take another bite until you've fully focused your attention on the movement and sensations of your first bite of food. After you do, take another bite and repeat the last 2 steps.3. Be Mindful of Your BreathWhen To Use It: Anytime!The Benefit: Mindful breathing is one of the most beneficial exercises you can do to bring yourself to the present moment. It can instantly bring a sense of calm and peace in even the most stressful situations. The more you practice it, the better you will be.How To Use It:• Take in a deep breath and then attempt to breathe out for the same length of time.• Now, simply focus on your breath. Feel it enter your nose, fill your lungs and exit through your mouth.• Notice any sensations in your body as you breathe in and out. Just notice them; don't judge them or attempt to change them.• If a thought comes into your mind, let it pass by without analyzing it. Acknowledge it and allow it to pass while bringing your attention back to your breath.• Do not judge yourself if you get distracted. Just let it happen and bring your attention back to your breath. Allow everything to simply happen around you, acknowledge it and then go back to focusing on your breath.Here Are Also A Few Additional Tips to Make Mindfulness a Habit:By practicing these exercises every day, you will very quickly notice the positive effects in your life. The more you take the time to practice, the more benefits you will see.To make it a habit, set an alarm on your phone for 3 moments each day. Pick a time when you know you'll be busy and distracted. When the alarm goes off, excuse yourself from what you're doing and take just 10 minutes to practice one of the exercises above.Change your alarms every day if you find yourself making excuses like “oh it's not a good time, I'll do it later.” Surprise yourself with a random time like 2:43 pm or 10:19 am. If you do, you'll likely catch yourself in a busy moment where the exercise of mindfulness will come as a relief.// Ancient Ancestors:You may or may not be familiar with Thich Nhat Hanh -- He is one of the world's most renowned Buddhist leaders, second only to the Dalai Lama in fame and influence. With his 100+ books, he's been an advocate for mindfulness at some of the most fractious moments of the past 50 years. He cut his teeth doing human rights and reconciliation work during the Vietnam War, and then was nominated for a Nobel Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. No big deal. These days, he's considered the father of “Engaged Buddhism.” In the wake of 9/11, he spoke about compassion, and has lead retreats for Palestinians and Israelis, and American police officers. He wrote a Zen response to terrorism, and the former chief climate negotiator for the UN credits him with helping her broker the Paris climate agreement.Vox got in touch with Thich Nhat Hanh's senior disciple, and talked about the Buddha's psychological teachings on fear. He said in Buddhism, they see the mind like a house, so if your house is on fire, you need to take care of the fire, not to go look for the person that made the fire. Take care of those emotions first; it's the priority. Because anything that comes from a place of fear and anxiety and anger will only make the fire worse. Come back and find a place of calm and peace to cool the flame of emotion down.As a collective energy, fear and anger can be very destructive. We make the wrong decisions if we base it on fear, anger, and wrong perception. Those emotions cloud our mind. So the first thing in the practice that we learn from the Buddhist tradition is to come back and take care of our emotion. He said they use mindfulness to recognize it.There's a lot in the world to be upset and angry about right now, but Brother Phap was asked if anger is a healthy reaction. He said, “People are so convinced that anger and all this energy will produce change. But in fact it's very destructive, because you're opposing. Opposition wastes energy. It's not healing.Emotions can be good. Passion can be good, and compassion is very passionate. But compassion doesn't waste energy. It includes and it understands; it's more clear. Engage in protest, but not from a place of anger. You need to express your opinion, and you need to go out there and say this is wrong. But don't do it by saying hateful things. In a way, we Buddhists look more at energy than personality. That helps people to be wiser.Let's say you're super passionate about one of the many issues we're facing right now (like hard to pick just one right now, right) but if you meet the anger and oppression and hate WITH anger and oppression and hate (even if it's for the “right” side and reasons), the universe just picks up on the anger energy. You should, instead, practice compassion. Opposition without compassion wastes energy. Compassion is not sitting in your room either; it's actually very active and engaging. We produced many if not all of these issues as a species, so we are all co-responsible. Our culture, our society, we made them. We love to pick an issue or a person and make them the object. But it's deeper than that. We have to see these issues inside of all of us.We're shocked because it's like we found out there's a member of our family that we've been ignoring. It's time to listen and really look at our family. We are afraid to engage, but you can dialogue and debate. It requires a lot of practice to sit there and listen, and not judge so you can understand.What's in my heart, and was in Brother Phap's heart, is the hope that people find the patience and clarity to listen before they start to blame and criticize.But right now, said Brother Phap Dung, people in our family are still there, and they might need us. Our friend may be somebody who is being discriminated against. You can only be there to offer them that kindness if you are stable. You cannot help them if you are filled with hate and fear. What people need is your non-fear, your stability, solidity, clarity. This is what we can offer.Our minds and hearts need food. And meditation is a kind of food. So we feed ourselves like that. You need to eat, and your peace, kindness, clarity need to eat as well. Meditation and mindfulness is not just praying; but instead, you're cultivating this so you can offer it to others. When you sit with someone who's calm, you can become calm right? If you sit with someone who's agitated and hateful, you can become agitated and hateful. Meditation is not an esoteric practice; it's not something you do only in a meditation hall or Buddhist retreat center. It can happen right in whatever activity you're doing — while walking, in the doing the dishes, while watering the plants. It means you are there, present with calm and peace. He goes on to say, “With a breath, you can bring calm, clarity and reset your thinking.”The future is built with the present moment and how we take care of it. If you are fearful, the future will be fearful. If you are uncooperative, the future will be divisive. This is very important.The future is not something that will come to us; the future is built by us, by how we speak and what we do in the present moment. Find your breath, find your mindfulness, and you will find the future you want to co-create with your higher self. Buddhist Monks are taught to embody mindfulness, not surprisingly, but embodying the breath. Mindfulness of breathing helps to rebuild your brain and calm your mind… When you don't tend to your breath you suffer unnecessarily. You experience unnecessary stress and overwhelm and might even find yourself saying: “I'm so busy I can't even catch my breath.” If you want to feel better, think better, work better, love better… you'll need to breathe better. Right under your nose, you'll find one of the most effective tools there is for shifting your state of mind and increasing well-being. By learning to use your breath as a form of meditation practice you'll be able to encounter difficult situations from a more grounded and confident place. Daily life becomes a training ground for mindfulness meditation with each deep breath. We are all meditators waiting to be discovered…// Mindful & Meta-Physical:Harvard University put out an article that discussed mindfulness, meditation, and the scientific benefits it had on the brain… Meditation has ancient, religious roots, but it has also become a secular practice, implemented to promote wellbeing and to treat depression and anxiety. Skeptics might be wary of this jump from spiritual origins to medical treatment, but mounting evidence suggests that meditation can have tangible effects on the brain.In a practice called mindfulness meditation, people concentrate on the present moment: on breathing, physical sensations, sounds, thoughts, and emotions. To brains accustomed to planning, predicting, story-telling, wondering, remembering, regretting, and worrying, fixating on the present is unusual and challenging. However, spending time thinking in this new way produces measurable changes in both the white and gray matter that make up the brain.Gray matter is the portion of the brain that is made up of nerve cell bodies, which release chemical or electrical signals in response to the electrical impulses of the nervous system, while white matter forms connections between the cells, allowing communication between different brain regions. This communication between the gray and white matter in the brain is what constitutes thinking. An interesting Washington post article by Sara Lazar, a Harvard Neuroscientist, stated:The first anecdotal claims about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness and test them in brain scans. What she found surprised her — that meditating can literally change your brain. She explains: She was training for the Boston marathon, so she started practicing yoga as a form of physical therapy and realized it was very powerful with real benefits. The yoga teacher made all sorts of claims, that yoga would increase your compassion and open your heart. And she said she'd think, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm here to stretch.' But I started noticing that she really was calmer. She was better able to handle more difficult situations and more compassionate and open hearted, and able to see things from others' points of view.At first, like many, she thought maybe it was just the placebo response. But then she did a literature search of the science, and saw evidence that meditation had been associated with decreased stress, decreased depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia, and an increased quality of life. At that point, she was doing her PhD in molecular biology. So she just switched and started doing this research as a post-doc.The first study looked at long term meditators vs a control group. They found long-term meditators have an increased amount of gray matter in the insula and sensory regions, the auditory and sensory cortex. Which makes sense. When you're mindful, you're paying attention to your breathing, to sounds, to the present moment experience, and shutting cognition down. It stands to reason your senses would be enhanced.They also found the group had more gray matter in the frontal cortex, which is associated with working memory and executive decision making. So the first question was, well, maybe the people with more gray matter in the study had more gray matter before they started meditating. Makes sense to all of us skeptics out there, right?.So they did a second study... Taking people who'd never meditated before, and put one group through an eight-week mindfulness- based stress reduction program.From there, Lazar found differences in brain volume after eight weeks in five different regions in the brains of the two groups. In the group that learned meditation, we found thickening in four regions:1. The primary difference, they found in the posterior cingulate, which is involved in mind wandering, and self relevance.2. The left hippocampus, which assists in learning, cognition, memory and emotional regulation.3. The temporo-parietal junction, or TPJ, which is associated with perspective taking, empathy and compassion.4. An area of the brainstem called the Pons, where a lot of regulatory neurotransmitters are produced....The amygdala, the fight or flight part of the brain which is important for anxiety, fear and stress in general. That area got smaller in the group that went through the mindfulness-based stress reduction program. The change in the amygdala was also correlated to a reduction in stress levels.The data showed changes in the brain after just eight weeks. In this mindfulness-based stress reduction program, the subjects took a weekly class and were given a recording, told to practice 40 minutes a day at home. And that's it. In Lazars study, the average was 27 minutes a day. Or about a half hour a day. That's it. We can all do that to help heal our mind body connection, can't we?I'm going to try to meditate mindfully for 30 minutes Every. Single. Day. want to join me?// Soulful Sendoff:Please Call Me By My True Name, A Poem By Thich Nhat HanhDo not say that I will depart tomorrowbecause even today I still arriveLook deeply: I arrive in every secondto be a bud on a spring branchto be a tiny bird, with wings still so fragilelearning to sing in my new nestto be a caterpillar in the heart of flowerto be a jewel hiding itself in stoneI still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry,in order to fear and to hope,the rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that are alive.I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river,and I am the bird which, when spring comes, arrives in time to eat the mayfly.I am the frog swimming happily in the clear water of the pond,and I am also the grass-snake who,approaching in silence, feeds itself on the frog.I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones,my legs as thin as bamboo sticks,and I am the arms merchant selling deadly weapons to Uganda.I am the 12 year old girl, refugee on a small boat,who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate,and I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and lovingI am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my hands,and I am the man who has to pay his "debt of blood" to my people,dying slowly in a forced labour camp.My joy is like spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom in all walks of life.My pain is like a river of tears, so full it fills up the four oceans.Please call me by my true names,so I can hear all my cries and my laughs at once,so I can see that my joy and pain are one.Please call me by my true names,so I can wake up,and so the door of my heart can be left open,the door of compassion.- - - - - - - - - - -As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.xo.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • Instagram • Therapy & Coaching • Online Courses

//About The Meditation:“Unlock Your Purpose & Learn To Work With Your Intuition To Set Your Intentions” is a short, guided mediation that serves as a part 2 that works hand-in-hand with Podcast Episode #7, Unlocking Your Purpose. If you haven't listened to that episode, no worries, you can listen back to it later.I will also provide you with a free digital e-book to help you dig deep into your purpose, with tools, exercises and resources to help you align with your truest potential. Visit mindfuldivine.com or follow @shana_bianchi for more information.//Now Relax & EnjoyThis meditation will help you unlock and understand your purpose and your higher self. It will enable you to lean into your intuition, and will remind you that you have endless opportunities to shine, give, gift and help the world, uncovering your souls purpose, what makes you your happiest self, and your divine intentions.Allow this practice to provide a different lens for you to examine the body. Give yourself space to drop in and deeply investigate the elements in your body. Bring an open mind, and see what you can learn about yourself.Remember that mindfulness is about seeing clearly, and looking at things from a new perspective can often bring clarity. Settle into a relaxed position. Close your eyes, and bring your awareness to the places in the body where you are currently experiencing contact -- your feet on the floor, your hands in your lap, or your body's sit-bone on the chair or floor…As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

Mindful Divine Podcast, Hosted by Shana BianchiEp. 7 How To Unlock Your Purpose// Introduction:At some point most of us have wondered, “What is my life's purpose? Why was I born and what did I come here to do?” These timeless questions come from the depths of our true Self, which takes us beyond the world of appearances to discover our inner divinity.A sense of life purpose and authentic empowerment promotes physical, mental, and spiritual health. Purpose is a fundamental part of what makes us who we are, and it's been proven that people who seek meaning beyond themselves are healthier, happier, and live longer. So, it's vital to our well-being that we maintain a strong sense of purpose.I believe each of us manifests in physical body form to fulfill a unique purpose – our dharma – and it's up to us to find out what that purpose is. Only then can we experience complete fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment.Everyone has a purpose in life . . . A unique talent. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the bliss of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal right? Who doesn't want to live in flow with their life's alignment? Personally, I'm on my journey to align with my purpose, and I want to help you do the same, in order to instill balance and meaning in your own life every single day.“Finding” your purpose is a misleading concept because it's not something we have to go out and “get,” but rather something we need to turn within and “unlock” and this episode will show you how to do just that.Our purpose will always be something that:• We feel that we are naturally good at and enjoy doing• We feel passionate and care deeply about• We feel fits our values and ways we prefer to operate in the world.Our life purpose will always express our gifts, passions, and values. No exceptions. Hopefully that will inspire a little sigh of relief for you when thinking about this topic.I've heard of another formula that can help. Maybe the word “purpose” doesn't fit right with you. If this sounds like you, Instead try to use the word “calling”. A good formula for my science/data-formula listeners out there is this:G+P+V=CGifts + Passion + Values = Calling.Try jotting that formula down, and see if you arrive at your calling (aka purpose).// Method to Manifesting 101:You can journal using the following questions:1. What drives me?2. What service am I contributing to the world?3. Am I following my inner guidance, or moving through society, unaware of the signs from source, my spirit guides or my intuition?4. Am I cultivating gratitude and altruism each day?Once you outline the answers to these questions, you can Create your Life Dharma or Purpose Statement.The Law of Dharma lays out the three steps needed to align with spirit and fulfill your life's purpose with effortless ease.1. The first step is the decision to seek your higher Self. You come into this world to discover for yourself that your essential nature is spiritual. Inside each of us is a god or goddess in embryo, waiting to be born and express our divinity.2. The second step of the Law of Dharma is finding your unique talent or gift. The law says that there's at least one thing you can do that is a unique talent or gift. When you're completely absorbed in expressing your talent, time seems to stand still. You love what you're doing and you enter the blissful state of timeless awareness.3. To take the third step of the Law of Dharma, ask yourself the questions, “How can I use my unique talent to serve humanity? How can I help others?” Answer that question and then put it into practice. When your creative expression helps your fellow human beings, you're making full use of the Law of Dharma and experience perfect alignment with the infinite field of intelligence.When you put the Law of Dharma into action, you no longer struggle or worry and instead begin to experience your life as an ecstatic expression of divinity.There's no right or wrong to unlocking your purpose, and the statement will help you align with your inner self. If writing this feels intimidating or unapproachable to you, I linked a list from higherawareness.com below, which outlines a ton of different purpose statements for you to plug and play with to determine your own personal statement that resonates with you.PURPOSE STATEMENT EXAMPLES ARE HERE.Once you land on your statement, I recommend reading it 1-3x per day.// Ancient Ancestors:Another outlook on purpose is an ancient Japanese concept of finding your purpose. Something called “Ikigai” which was first introduced to me a few years back by Jay Shetty, a former monk, a wildly talented motivational speaker and content creator, and host of one of my favorite podcasts “On Purpose” linked here.So, the origin of the word ikigai goes back to the Heian period, approximately 794 to 1185, and Ikigai is a Japanese word that translates to “A reason for being.”It's the combination of IKI, meaning “life”, and GAI or KAI, meaning “the realization of hope and expectations.”Ikigai combines the joy from doing something WITH a sense of purpose, meaning and well-being. It's feeling that your life is valuable, that you have an impact. It's NOT linked to your status in society, or the money you earn. That my friend, is your ego talking, and we'll get into that topic in another episode.Gai is the key to finding your purpose, or value in life. The best way to really encapsulate the overarching ideology of ikigai is by looking at the ikigai Venn diagram which displays the overlapping four main qualities: what you are good at, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and of course, what you love.Here is a link to the Venn Diagram, try to draw your own!FIRST, THINK ABOUT THESE 4 MAIN CATEGORIES, WHICH IS EACH OF THE MAIN 4 CIRCLES:1. What do you love to do that brings you joy?A. What did you love doing or thinking about when you were a child?B. What activities do you do in your spare time that make you happy?2. What are you good at?A. What are your skills and strengths? Sometimes that's hard to identify and I get that.B. Think about what people ask you to help with?3. What is something you think the world needs?A. What / who inspires you?B. What makes you angry or frustrated in the world or your community?4. What can you be paid for?A. What product or service could you sell?B. What job could you do?OK THEN THERE'S THE OVERLAP:* What you love and what you're good at becomes your passion ** What you love and what the world needs becomes your mission ** What the world needs and what you can be paid for becomes your vocation… cause, goal or belief ** What you can be paid for and what your good at becomes your professional career *IN THE MIDDLE, BECOMES YOUR IKIGAI. OR YOUR MEANING FOR LIFE.Ikigai also takes other 3 other factors into account, like Mind, Body and Relationships, which I'll just quickly touch on.Mind:1. Live according to (eechie go eeche ay) icho-go icho-e (meaning that every moment only happens once)2. Cherish wabi-sabi (life's imperfect moments)3. Do something you love every day when you wake upBody:1. Adhere to hara hachi bu (eat only until you're about 80% full)2. Diversify your diet with at least 7 different types of fruits and vegetables per day3. Find creative ways to exercise and get active every dayRelationships:1. Tell those you love why you're grateful for them regularly2. Stay optimistic and assume other's best intentions3. Practice kodawari, taking pride in the small details of life// Mindful & Metaphysical:Many people find that understanding personality type helps them navigate life with greater ease and can help lead to uncovering their truest purpose. As a sophisticated and powerful ancient system for self-understanding and personal development, the Enneagram is used worldwide as an effective tool in spirituality, psychology, and business.Here is a link the the 9 personas.The Enneagram reveals that all people belong to one of nine major personality types. Fun Fact: “Ennea” means “Nine” in Greek, which makes sense because in this methodology of thought, there are 9 personality types. The purpose of the Enneagram is not to put you into a box, but to help you identify both the strengths and the limitations of yourself to give you guidance to develop more capacity beyond it. And of course it is a tool for understanding others too. Think of it like a personality love language.The Enneagram is a useful guide on your journey towards self-development, relationship building, conflict resolution, and the improvement of group dynamics. According to The Enneagram Institute, here are the nine Enneagram types and their descriptions:1. THE REFORMER: The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic2. THE HELPER: The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive3. THE ACHIEVER: The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious4. THE INDIVIDUALIST: The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental5. THE INVESTIGATOR: The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated6. THE LOYALIST: The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious7. THE ENTHUSIAST: The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered8. THE CHALLENGER: The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational9. THE PEACEMAKER: The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and ComplacentI know you might be like, do we really need another personally test? The answer is YUP!When determining your purpose, it's important to mindfully align with your personality and traits to better unlock and uncover your calling.Millennial grind has a great FREE Test, linked here.I'm Type 1 - also known as The Reformer.The descriptor says, “Type Ones are conscientious and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are teachers, crusaders, and advocates for change: always striving to improve things, but afraid of making a mistake. Well-organized, orderly, and fastidious, they try to maintain high standards but can slip into being critical and perfectionistic. They typically have problems with resentment and impatience.” Interesting. Message me on Instagram @Shana_Bianchi to let me know what your results were!- - - - - - - - - - -As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

//About The Meditation:“The 4 Elements” is a short, guided mediation, which will help connect you connect to the NOW.Today I chose to share and guide you through a quick meditation I enjoy to help live mindfully and in the moment. Last weeks podcast episode taught us about time, or lack thereof, and the concept that we are all energy moving in and around the construct of time. Einstein was said to have thought of time as a river, flowing in and around energy, matter, and stars. For this reason, I like to think of myself less as physical matter, and more as energetic matter that is connected to the earth and all its elements… much like the elements that were originally tracked, traced and studied as “time” by the Egyptians and other ancient civilizations we heard about earlier.WELCOME TO THE FOUR ELEMENTS MEDIATION TO BRING YOU INTO THE “NOW”Allow this practice to provide a different lens for you to examine the body. Give yourself space to drop in and deeply investigate the elements in your body. Bring an open mind, and see what you can learn about yourself.Remember that mindfulness is about seeing clearly, and looking at things from a new perspective can often bring clarity. Settle into a relaxed position. Close your eyes, and bring your awareness to the places in the body where you are currently experiencing contact -- your feet on the floor, your hands in your lap, or your body's sit-bone on the chair or floor…As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

Mindful Divine Podcast, Hosted by Shana BianchiEp.5 Thought Medicine: The Reality Of Words// Introduction:We live in a world where time is wildly important and can be extremely crippling. Nanoseconds mark the difference between success or failure to make an electronic transaction. Every day, we are continuously reminded of “the time”: of being early or late, of having missed an appointment or arriving “before set time”. In today's world, time governs our lives.In his bestseller, A brief history of time, physicist Stephen Hawking reminded us that: “The increase of disorder is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.”There is no (factual) evidence that we can move backwards in time or that “time tourists” from the future are with us… even though I do sort of want to believe in sci-fi theories and time travel...But the arrow of “time” does carry us forward, and humans have measured this time through the ages in different ways.But just consider this for a second with me: TIME may not be not real, or real as we know it at least. In my humble opinion, I think that time is a human construct to help us differentiate between now and our perception of the past, an equally astonishing and baffling theory.// Method to Manifesting 101:Time anxiety is the fear of wasting your time. It's an obsession about spending your time in the most meaningful way possible. And when society tells us—or when we interpret signs from society as saying—that it's too late to achieve a particular goal, we don't perceive it as meaningful enough. We need—we demand—that what we do with our lives actually matters.Time anxiety can take a few forms:- Current Time Anxiety: the daily feeling of being rushed that makes us feel overwhelmed and panicky. Some people also experience anxiety attacks because of the day-to-day stress caused by this type of time anxiety.- Future Time Anxiety: thoughts about what may or may not happen in the future, which are the cause of worry and “what if” types of internal questions.- Existential Time Anxiety: the sense of lost time slipping away and never to return, which many people experience in a more acute way when thinking about death.While finding our purpose in life is an important factor in the psychology of happiness, spending too much mental energy on finding it rather than doing things that make us happy can be anxiety-inducing. Here are three steps from Anne Cunff that I love, that you can take to reduce time anxiety while still finding meaning in your day-to-day life:1. Define what “time well spent” means to you: Sit down, and think about what really makes you happy and gets you in the flow, without overthinking about how feasible the final outcome would be. Just think of your output and how it makes you feel to work on producing it. For example, don't think about how happy it would make you to publish a blog. Ask yourself if you really enjoy writing. Don't think about how proud you would be to run a marathon. Question whether you like running. Create a short list of activities you really enjoy and that brings value to yourself or to the world. And think about what “value” means to you, while you're at it...2. Make space for these moments: This does not mean making time for them. Instead, think of where you will incorporate these moments into your life. Maybe on your way to work. Maybe at home, after the kids are asleep. Or maybe spending time with your kids is the activity you want to make space for. If you happen to have less time than expected, that's totally fine. It's more about designing a space dedicated to your “time well spent” activities. As the prolific writer Maria Edgeworth said, “If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.” So there ya go, it's not about how much “time” you can allocate toward something, it's just giving yourself some time, AKA space, to do that something.3. Cut out time-consuming distractions: The moments we spend mindlessly scrolling on social media or watching random videos or fear-mongering news contributes to time anxiety. Do a quick audit of your content consumption patterns and try to cut out the amount of time you spend in an input mode rather than output mode.// Ancient Ancestors:So where did all of this time tracking stuff start, and why are we still using it, and ruling our lives with it today? What is time and why does time flow? Is it just an illusion? Why do we think of a week in 7 days instead of like, 15. If there were names that spanned 15 days, could we think of time in a different way…? We're pretty tied to our weeks, and what each day of the week means and feels like to us.Turns out, our 24-hour day comes from the ancient Egyptians who divided day-time into 10 hours. They measured with devices like shadow clocks, and added a twilight hour at the beginning and end of the day.Night-time was divided in 12 hours, based on the observations of stars. The Egyptians had a system of 36 star groups called 'decans' — chosen so that on any night one decan rose 40 minutes after the previous one.The subdivision of hours and minutes into 60 comes from the ancient Babylonians who had an affinity for using numbers to the base of 60. We have retained not only hours and minutes divided into 60 from the Babylonians, but also their division of a circle into 360 parts or degrees.The ancient Chinese used a dual time system where they divided the day into 12 so-called, 'double hours', originally with the middle of the first double hour being at midnight.The Mayans, known for being one of the most technologically advanced civilizations of their time, inhabited the regions of Central America and southern Mexico. Their most notable achievement was their intricate system of time, which consisted of three calendars. These calendars were known as the Long Year, Tzolk'in and the Solar Year.-The Long Year calendar was used to measure long periods of time and is responsible for the 2012 predictions.- The Tzolk'in which means “the distribution of the days,” is also called the Divine Calendar and the Sacred Round. It was used to determine the time of religious and ceremonial events.-The Solar Year is the calendar that most closely resembles our Gregorian calendar that we use today:Which is based off of an actual tropical solar year, aka time it takes Earth to orbit the Sun, which is about 365.24219 days on average. Like what?! We count our lives by years. We measure our age and wrinkles and accomplishments by this, and it's really just the timespan of the beautiful natural phenomenon of earth's orbit. Why are we taking all of it so seriously?!To keep track of time, the Maya observed and recorded the yearly cycles of the Sun; including the times of equinoxes, solstices, and the zenith & nadir passages. Sunlight and shadows, as well as the position of the Sun during sunrise and sunset, are recorded in the architecture of the magnificent pyramids, palaces, and other structures of ancient Maya cities to this day. These special times of the year were celebrated with massive ceremony in ancient times.***// Four Elements Bonus MeditationAllow this practice to provide a different lens for you to examine the body.Give yourself space to drop in and deeply investigate the elements in your body.Bring an open mind, and see what you can learn about yourself.Remember that mindfulness is about seeing clearly, and looking at things from a newperspective can often bring clarity.Settle into a relaxed position.Close your eyes, and bring your awareness to the places in the body where you are currently experiencing contact -- your feet on the floor, your hands in your lap, or your body's sit-bone on the chair or floor.Begin with the element of earth. This is the solid form.Without thinking too hard about what this means, openly examine where and how you canfeel solidity.This might be the structure of your skeleton, the chair you're sitting on, any places of tension inthe body, or the weight of your muscles as they relax.Don't rush through these sensations or try to force them.When you feel the earth element in the body, stay with it for a few deep breaths.Inhaling and exhaling deeply for you to connect to your solid state.Continue this seeking, recognizing, and feeling for a few breaths.Good. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale.Now, we will switch to the element of air.Focus on the air entering your body in the form of the breathing.Where can you feel the air of the breath?Do you feel this in your mouth? Your throat, your lung cavity, or your stomach?Look for the air in places where it enters the body.Look for the wind within where you can feel empty space—the nostrils, the mouth, and the ears, the mind.Allow the air inside of your body to create space.Imagine the air you feel encompassing your body, making you light as a feather.The air lifts you and your mind higher than it's ever felt before.You feel free, light, and happy.Inhale here. And exhale.Continue with a few breaths on your own, enjoying the lightness of the air enveloping your body.Now let's shift your awareness to the water element.Tune in to any sense of liquidity you can feel.There may be moisture in the eyes, saliva in the mouth, or sweat on the body—Maybe you can feel the flexibility of your muscles, the flow of your breath in and out, the sounds of the stomach, or even the pulsing of your blood.Allow the fluid to flow in and around you.Allow your thoughts to flow like water moving through you.If a busying thought comes in, imagine it flowing away from you, down a river it goes.Continue to sit by the flowing river of your mind.Peacefully watching as thoughts, feelings, emotions or past situations flow by, allowing you to sit presently in the power of the now moment.Inhale, swallowing the saliva in your mouth, recognizing that you are an earthly energetic element with water moving and flowing through you at all times.Exhale out, picturing the blood flowing through your veins and keeping your beautiful heart beating.Inhale, and exhale.Next, let's bring your attention to heat or fire in your body.Perhaps it's the temperature of the air touching your skin, or certain spots on the body that arewarmer or cooler than others.Remember that temperature can be internal or external.Heat can feel safe and warm, releasing any negative connection to a fiery feeling.Now Imagine a ball of positive, abundant, light-heat inside of your stomach.Allow this light to radiate out of your body.Imagine the perfectly-temperatured heated ball of light shining out from you.This light shines out onto others and the world from your inner being all at times.Feel the heat of the light shining onto you, and the loving warmth it carries with it as others feel your positive light.Inhale light. Exhale light.Inhale, and exhale.Go ahead and spend a few moments in awareness of the body as a whole. Collectively work together and aligning to the earth, the universe and the present moment.As you breathe, feel the four elements working together to support and fuel your body.Remember you have the power to release constructs that exist only in our minds.Release the notion of time. Release the hold you may have previously had with the concept of time.Allow yourself to feel and feel free in the present moment of your life. Ldt your resting thoughts fall back to your breath. Allow yourself to ambrance the mantra, “I am here, now.”I am here… now. I am here, now.Beautiful work. Slowly start to wiggle your fingers and your toes.Allow your breath to go a little deeper now as you move your body around and regain a sense of your surroundings.Blink your eyes open, and thank yourself for opening your mind to think differently today about the present moment and time as we know it.***As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

//About The Meditation:“Just Like Me” is a short, guided mediation, which will help connect you to your center, help you form more empathy, and enable you to release any judgements of yourself and others. Now, more than ever, we must come together and unite. We cannot be forced into anger or fear or exclusion or hatred, that will only divide us more. So often we focus on the differences between ourselves and others. Today, I ask you to focus on the similarities. We all deserve to treat and be treated with love and respect. It's our duty as humans to lift one another up. We must celebrate diversity and unite with equality. We are all the same.. .all one race, the human race, and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we can thrive together on this beautiful planet. If you were walking through an art gallery, would you gravitate towards the dull, plain, unpainted canvas OR would you marvel over the canvas that was beautifully painted with an array of colors? I'll bet you'd admire the colorful piece of art, because as humans we naturally lean into variety and color and beauty in diversity. Humans are like the beautiful paint on a canvas, only now, the canvas is this world. Today I ask you to celebrate all of the colors and variances that paint our global canvas, and remember that everyone, like you, simply wants to be loved.// Meditation:Let's begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle into a comfortable positionYou can lay down, or sit upright, whatever feels most comfortable for you.You may close your eyes or keep them slightly open.Go ahead and take a deep breath to settle in.Inhale…. And exhale.Really allow your spine to lift and you sink in, and let the shoulders soften and melt away from your head.Today we will practice acknowledging the similarities between ourselves and others.Often we focus on differences ,but realizing that even a person who seems very different from us is- in a fundamental way- just like us.Difference can become the basis of real connection .This can include people we don't know very well,people with whom we're in conflict, or even people that we may see as an enemy.It's possible to develop a sense of compassion and understanding,by coming to feel our shared sense of experience as human beings .This practice called “just like me”.It can help overcome that sense of difference and distrust,by opening channels of compassion and empathy, and releasing any judgements of yourself or others.Allow yourself to take a deep breath in and a long breath out.Another another: Inhale… and exhale…and as you breath out, allow a sense of releasing any tension that you are holding in the body.Briefly scan through your body noticing any sensations or emotions flowing in.Invite a sense of spaciousness and acceptance for whatever you are experiencing right nowNow bring someone to mind that you don't know very well,or who might seem different or distant from you,or maybe even someone that you are in a minor conflict with....and as you bring this person to mind,notice if you experience any shifts or sensations in your body.Holding this person in your mind, as if they were in front of you, say to yourself,“This person has a body and a mind just like me”“This person has feelings, emotions, and thoughts just like me”“This person has at some point in his or her life has been sad, disappointed, angry, hurt, or confused, just like me”“This person has, in his or her life has experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering, just like me”“This person has experienced moments of peace, joy, and happiness, just like me”“This person wishes to have fulfilling relationships, just like me”“This person wishes to be healthy and loved, just like me”Now take a moment to sense how you're feeling.As you hold this person in your awareness, what do you experience?And now as you hold this person in mind, send them the following good wishes:May you be well.May you be happy.May you feel loved.May you matter.May you be respected.May you find peace.Go ahead and inhale love and empathy and compassion, let it envelope your body, holding you close as the light encapsulates your entire inner body.Now exhale that positive light, and envision it shining out onto your family, home, town, city, country, and world. Imagine this light that is constantly radiating out from your being, a constant stream of and loving connections, shining out into your circles and all of those who you touch in this life.Smile knowing that the light you put out, can make a difference, can touch others who may be dimming.As we move to a close, return your awareness to your breath, breathing in, and breathing out.Present, alive, and connected right here, right now.Questions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.comAs always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

Mindful Divine Podcast, Hosted by Shana BianchiEp.3 Energetic Space Cleansing// About The Episode:This episode highlights how living, loving, creating, and working in a positive, clear space energetically brings with it a high vibrational energy that is free of negativity and full of mindful, abundant shifts. Creating a sacred space attracts opportunities to maintain a sanctuary for yourself and your family and supports the flow “Chi” or life force energy to move through the space. We'll learn how ancient ceremonies inform modern rituals to perform miraculous healing benefits, and I'll outline 7 easy to apply techniques to spiritually smudge your space to set the right vibes, especially important during times of uncertainty and change.// Introduction:The space we are in collects space within.I recently heard that the poet Maya Angelou used to say something similar about her house. If she heard a prejudiced or negative word from a guest, she would escort them to the door. She would say, “Words are things. They are absorbed by the walls and the furniture and the food, and they can toxify the environment. My house is a Healing house”, she had said, “folks come here to experience positive energy and joy.” Maya has been many things for me, and her inspiration and words and thought-provoking statements will linger in my life even now that she has since passed. She couldn't be more on the nose though with the energy in a house. Now, more than ever, we are finding the significance of the space we're in. We're dwelling in our dwellings more than ever before in our lifetimes. Energetic space cleaning and clearing routines are an important part of how we live and interact with our space, and by doing so, you will be able to keep positivity flowing, and hope growing, even in uncertain times.// Method to Manifesting 101:10 super simple cleansing modes that I use in and on my home, and also on second-hand clothing, jewelry, crystals and more. You can utilize any cleansing technique that resonates with you, just remember they work best with intention and with prayer. Positivity breeds positivity.MOONLIGHT: Preferably during the FULL MOON, place your object under the moon and ask that the moonlight cleanse the energy.SUNLIGHT: Same as moonlight, let your object soak up the sun, and ask for the light energy to cleanse your piece.SEA SALT: Place sea salt around your object and ask that all of the negative energy absorb into the salt.EARTH: Bury your object into the dirt (or flower pot) – just make sure to put a marker where you put them. This one can help a lot with jewelry too.SACRED BREATH: Call on your higher self, guides and guardians and blow away the negativity off the object (like blowing out your birthday candle).COOL WATER: Wash the object with cool water and sea salt, but make certain the points of the object are facing down the drain to run the negative energy right down the sink. Not everything can be washed, so make sure this is okay to be cleansed this way. I have friends who have used this technique with clothing with regular water or rose water.VISUALIZE: Hold or touch your object and visualize it being cleansed by your god, your guides and angels, or whoever you look to as a higher power.CRYSTALS: You can place crystals on or around the objects to help cleanse. Selenite, Blue Kyanite, Citrine, Snowflake Obsidian, and Black Tourmaline are some of my favorites and can absorb negative energy. Just make sure to smudge or rinse off the crystals with sea salt water afterwards.ESSENTIAL OILS: I absolutely love essential oils, and feel like I learn something new about them every day. You can easily make sprays with essential oils, and water. I've been told you can also add a pinch of sea salt, and even crush up some crystals with it. Simply use your own intuition and positive intention when creating… and if you're like, “I don't have time for all this DIY stuff, my friend Jess has an amazing company, Little Shop of Oils and you can buy direct and support a local who handmakes everything to perfection-- This shop also has amazing sage bundles to buy here. You can spray yourself, your room, or the object you're clearing. A few of my favorites are:Rose – because It helps to raise the vibration of the energy.Peppermint – it Uplifts and calms energy.Basil – which is a protective oil.Cypress – Grounds and protects.Lavender – Is a great neutralizer and helps relax.Frankincense – Cleanses the aura of a person and objects.Sage – Clears the negative energy and neutralizes.Palo Santo – also known as holy wood – helps to protect, cleanse, and remove negative energy.Cinnamon – Relaxes tense energy.And Cedarwood – Connects us to angels and allows them to help us cleanse.And last but certainly not least, SMUDGING: which, if you don't know, is the ritual of burning plant resins and herbs in a shell or a clay bowl while intentions and prayers are called forth. For centuries, Native American and Indigenous cultures have practiced smudging rituals to clear away negative energy, to invite in peace and harmony for individuals or environments. The smoke from the herbs and the plant resins are fanned using a feather or a hand, and directed like a spiritual cleansing bath surrounding the person or the space.I've had a lot of friends over the years ask me how to do a proper smudge ceremony, so I also wanted to go a bit more in depth on this one with7 Simple Smudging Steps:1. Gather Materials: Dried white sage, abalone shell, a candle and lighter. Other optional items you can have would be essential oil spray, a smoky quartz, black tourmaline crystal, and a feather. Choose a central location in your home to place your items. You can think of this space as a temporary protective altar that will support you with the process.A quick meaning behind these elements: Well, Smudging sage is an earth-based practice that connects us to the elements both around us and within us. The sage connects us to earth. Sage is also called salvia from the Latin word salvare which means to save, rescue, retrieve, safeguard, protect and defend. Abalone shell connects us to water, lighter to the fire element, the smoke of the burning sage to air, and the union of it all to spirit or space.2. Open The Flow:Open as many doors and windows in your home, as you can. Turn on all the lights, and put on some music. Once we begin the ritual of smudging, we want the old, stagnant, negative energy to have a place to go to, outside of the temple of our home and body. I also move things a little if they are blocking a corner or electrical socket because you want to be sure to get those areas. And it's recommended to start the whole process with a clean, tidy home.3. Will It Out:Light your candle, welcome in good energy, and say a prayer. The prayer can be something like, “Into this smoke I release all energies that no longer serve me. I release all negativity that surrounds me and all fears that limit me. Any energy that has entered this space that is not from love and light and not for our highest good, is now sent to the air to be raised to its highest vibration and transmuted into love.” OR you can make up whatever you want to say. No hard and fast rules there. While the basic idea is to release lower frequency energies and replace them with higher frequency energies, having a more personalized intention can be helpful. You might want to think about what you want to feel in your space, how you want it to support you, and any energies associated with specific situations that you may want to have healed and released. This is also a good time to welcome in your higher power, or any deities or angels, guides, gods, or loved ones who have passed to come along with you on the cleaning. The candle will be what you will put your sage over to “light” the sage itself.4. Ignite The Sage:Light the sage, with the flame of the candle. You may need to let it hover a few moments to make sure it gets lit, and then blow it out so the smoke can begin fueling out. Head to your front door. We start at the front door because it is symbolic to our awareness and what we desire to live within us and around us.5. Cleanse Yourself:Really. You should always cleanse thyself first. Pass the smoking sage over your body, around your entire aura. Make sure to lift up each foot and pass the sage underneath. Your aura will thank you. If we want to be of true service, we must always take care of ourselves before extending out to others. So, by cleansing yourself first, you act as a beam of light as you move around our home.6. Sage your space.Take the lit, smoking sage, wafting it and going clockwise from your front door to bring in energy, counterclockwise from your front door to send-out energy.Walk throughout your space with the burning sage gently directing the smoke all around the perimeter, center, ceiling, and floor of each room. Run the smoke around the windows, and on the walls. You can do this by using a feather or just wafting the smoke from the sage out with your hand if you don't have a feather. You'll want to pay close attention to corners where energy can get trapped, electrical sockets, and the plumbing system. Be sure to have your shell or smudge bowl close by to tap off any little pieces of ash that falls off. Take your time in moving from room to room and notice the change in how each area feels as you clear it.*Fun feather fact: I do recommend using a feather to gently direct the smoke around. In native cultures birds are highly revered because of their closeness to Grandfather Creator in the heavens. It is believed the feather possesses the spirit qualities of the bird– to be the breath of life as well as connecting us to the heavens above and mother earth below. Because of the way they are constructed, it is believed that feathers have the ability to comb someone's energy or aura of blockages therefore aiding in the cleansing smoke bath.7. Seal Your Practice.After you finish clearing your space, you will want to welcome in energies of a higher frequency. You can do this by using a flower essence water or essential oil spray, or just verbal is ok too. Do another walkabout around your space. This time, allow your heart to open with appreciation and gratitude for your space and the process. Set anything you had moved earlier back in place and close windows if the air feels clear of smoke or wait a little while if that feels best.Finally, go back to the center of your space where you placed the candle. Take a few moments to give thanks for the assistance you received from Spirit, your guides and the items you used; give thanks for the beauty of your space and the support and shelter it provides you. Trusting that your intention is manifesting, blow out the candle, and seal your practice.As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

Mindful Divine Podcast, Hosted by Shana BianchiEp.2 Thought Medicine: The Reality Of Words// About The Episode:This episode highlights the power of our minds and our word choice, thought-patterns, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, ancient rituals, and a 6 step program for you to apply today to manifest positive shifts. We will delve into the act of noticing when our minds' narrative tangents, and we'll take steps together to understand the actuality of our reality, and how to play out scenarios to our benefit, not our detriment.// Introduction:Gandi says “you have to be the change, but it begins with your own transformation”And that made me realize, Sometimes we have a resistance to our own existence.Sometimes we use words and thoughts that jeopardize our happiness, success, and transformation of our day to day reality. And as I say that I wonder. I wonder if we could strip back and un-program the societal programming. To undo the constructs. To let go of the thoughts that do not serve us, could we all shine brighter as a species? As a world? As a collective? could our generation help to be the change for good?// Method to Manifesting 101:Here are 6 easy steps that I use all the time that I'd like to share with you, which will help you to implement neuro linguistic programming, giving you tools and practices to use every single day:1. Set positive goals. When you start planning out what you want in life, focus on what you want, rather than on what you don't want. Don't make negative goals about things you want to lose or avoid. Instead, think of what you'd like to achieve, attain, and develop.Phrase your goals so that they best express your complete desire. For instance, if you want to have a partner, instead of making your goal "Meet someone special," make it "Live my life with someone I truly love."A goal that sounds satisfying to you will motivate you more than a goal that only expresses a step in the plan.2. Ask yourself positive questions. Self-questioning is a fundamental practice of NLP. Ask questions about the things you would like to change in your life. Your mind tries to answer any questions you pose, so make sure to phrase your questions in a way that will lead to useful, positive answers. For instance, instead of asking "What's wrong with me?" you might ask:What can I do to feel better?In what ways would I like to change my life?How will my life improve if I make these changes?How can I help to serve others better?3. Edit your mental images. Practitioners of NLP believe that thinking of an image of people, events, or other things can help you understand how you feel about them. To do this, picture someone or something that irritates you. Next, make changes to the image in your mind as if you were editing it on a computer.Picture people or things that make you feel bad turning darker and moving further away.Picture people or things that make you feel good turning brighter and coming closer to you.Notice how all these changes make you feel.4. Mess with negative voices in your head. The way you speak to yourself in your head has a lot to do with your happiness and mental health. Most psychologists will tell you to notice how you are talking to yourself and change your tone to a loving and encouraging one. NLP has a different approach: it suggests that you mess with the sound of the negative voice so that it has less power.If you hear yourself thinking something like, "You'll never get this done," repeat the message but with a distorted sound.Make it sound like a goofy cartoon character, like Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse or Fred Flintstone.Notice how different versions of the voice make you feel, and how the negative message can get distorted. Don't let yourself take yourself so seriously all the time.Step Number 5. Play out scenarios backward. When you have a bad experience that is haunting you, treat it like a movie. Play it backwards, starting from after it occurred to right before it occurred. Do this several times until you have memorized the backwards sequence.Now add a different ending, one that you like better.Notice how you feel about the experience.6. Visualize colors and connect them with feelings you would like to experience. For example, if you want to feel confident, imagine a color that looks confident to you, such as a bright orange. Imagine a bright square of that color before you. In your mind, step into the square and focus on feeling that emotion. Imagine exactly how it would look and feel to be in the square.When you next want to experience this feeling, visualize the square in front of you. Step into it, and notice how you feel.// RAINBOW ASKING MANIFESTATION TECHNIQUEI'm obsessed with colors and rainbows and light exercises, and also want to recommend something Lacy Phillips calls “Rainbow Asking” -- Lacy has a podcast called “Expanded”, and has amazing courses and workshops through her “to be magnetic” site. She is highly gifted and a real expander for me. She has this technique that I absolutely love, and want to share with you:Sit on a chair. Close your eyes. Place your palms on your thighs. Focus on your breath. Now visualize drawing up red energy from the earth through your left leg, your root chakra and down your right leg. With your next breath, visualize red energy coming through your right leg now, through your root chakra and down your left leg. Do it a couple of times until that chakra feels cleansed, bright, and strong. Now repeat that same step with orange through your second chakra, yellow through your third, green through your fourth, blue through your throat, purple through your forehead, and white over the top of your head.Once you've finished with the colors and chakras, place your left hand on your heart and take a moment to witness anything coming up for you – good or bad. With each thought, I want you to silently say, I love you. (This is equal parts an NLP neuroplasticity exercise as it is hippy dippy). You're replacing your subconscious fear loop (ego) with acceptance, which creates new neural pathways. It's also putting you in a heart centered place. Once you feel the warm energy of your heart activated, I want you to ask The Universe for clarity. “Show me ______”. This can be what you're calling in that still feels fuzzy. Or an answer to anything really. This is a great practice to briefly get out of the illusion of your ego and into communicating with your heart and soul about your true trajectory. Pictures could come to you, downloads, ideas, answers, or nothing at all. Exactly what you're supposed to receive will present itself.As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don't forget to stay Mindful & Divine.x.shanaMindful Divine WebsitePodcast • YouTube • Book • InstagramQuestions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com

Explore episode notes, videos, workshop insight, info on personalized therapy sessions, events, and so much more by visiting mindfuldivine.com.

Explore episode notes, videos, workshop insight, info on personalized therapy sessions, events, and so much more by visiting mindfuldivine.com.