Dear Friends,

What I treasure about the "holi-days", is the opportunity for spaciousness, quietness, retreating into ones self, sharing with friends (especially good food!), fluid transitions from one moment into the next, and allowing creative ideas to unfold and be born, rather than just staying as ideas.

As we transition into the new year, I wanted to share some thoughts and ponderings with you about how we can effectively and practically embody change on a personal level.

I am musing over Joe Dispenza's Breaking the habit of being yourself, and was wondering how I can best translate his researched-based knowledge and meditation practices to those around me. While I was asking myself this question, I came to this context:

The meditative process of change

"To break the habit of being yourself, you would be wise to select one trait, propensity, or characteristic and focus your attention on that single aspect of your "old" self that you want to change. For example, you might begin by asking yourself:

• When I feel eg. angry (you can choose another emotion), what are my thought patterns?
• What do I say to others and myself?
• How do I act?
• What other emotions spring forth from my being angry
• What does anger feel like in my body?
• How can I become conscious of what triggers my anger, and how can I change my reaction?

The process of change requires unlearning first, then learning. The latter is a function of firing and wiring in the brain (neuroplasticity); the former means that circuits are trimmed. When you stop thinking the same way, when you inhibit your habituations and interrupt those emotional addictions, the old self begins to be neurologically pruned away.

And if every connection between nerve cells constitutes a memory, then as those circuits are dismantled, memories of your old self will go with them. When you think about your former life and who you used to be, it will be like another lifetime. Where are those memories stored? They will be given to the soul as wisdom.

When those thoughts and feelings that used to signal the body are stopped by your conscious efforts, the liberated energy from those limited emotions is released into the field. You now have energy with which to design and create a new destiny."

I LOVE this comment SO much - They will be given to the soul as wisdom.. So, it is safe to release the past, deeply recognising the essential value of your past to support inner growth and unfold as the best version of yourself. To allow this process of change to unfold, we need time to be still.

Meditation. Taking time. Knowing that it is essential for our wellbeing, as well as those around us.

As we transition into the new year, I would like to share a guided meditation with you, which has been inspired by the work of Tara Brach, another wonderful meditation teacher. I hope it serves you well.

Love. Light. Inspiration.

Fiona

[Relaxing with Life] (https://habihochi.com/images/Relaxing_with_Life.mp3)