Behold: The Circle. Life was never meant to be linear, anyway.

The path of self-development is a circular journey. Just as you've begun to grasp a deeper understanding of yourself and progress on your spiritual path, you may discover a challenge that tests your development. The obstacle may throw you off your balance, and you may begin to feel like your journey is regressing. However, challenges allow for personal growth. They are the Universe's way of reminding you that, no matter how evolved you may feel, you are still a human being with an ego. The challenge is simply the contrast that leads you to further expansion.

The world is made of cycles in the evolutionary process. The sun and moon have their own cycles that govern the earth. There is time for planting and time for harvest, time for movement and time for sleep, time for visibility and time for hibernation. Respecting the cycles of nature will allow us to respect the cycles of our own growth in consciousness. As far as I have observed, the human spiritual development cycle appears as follows:

A time for awakening: This can be compared to the spring season, or the onset of the new moon. This is when one becomes disconnected from their ego and discovers a newer way of being. You know you are in the awakening phase if you are being presented with a new outlook on life. For example, you may attend a lecture, read a book, or reach new heights in their meditation and be propelled into a new level of consciousness. The emphasis for this phase is conscious discovery.

A time for active change: This can be compared to the summer season, or the waxing of the moon. This is when one ripens their awakening process with active movement. Decisions are made, a new approach is acted upon, or you may become engaged in heavy discussion around the subject. You know you are in a time for active change if you are compelled to act differently. For example, if you have become awakened to a new diet in the last phase, you may begin to buy different groceries or try new recipes. The emphasis of this phase is in conscious shifting.

A time for awareness: This can be compared to the fall season, or the full moon. This period is meant for harvesting your actions and celebrating your personal growth. You know you are in a time for awareness when you are teaching what you have learned or are acting as an example. For example, if your awareness is that you are often inattentive to your loved ones, and your active change is to increase your quality time with your family and friends, your time for awareness might be spent accepting the role of an attentive person. The emphasis for this phase is conscious being.

A time for humility: This can be compared to the winter season, or the waning of the moon. This is a period of vulnerability and knowledge that perhaps you have more to discover. This is when our challenges and tests surface for us. It is a time for reflection and allowing. You know you are in a time for humility when reflections of your attachments or insecurities begin to surface. For example, if your awakening was around financial irresponsibility, and you've shifted to become more financially literate and resourceful, your time for humility might include an unexpected expense that empties your bank account. This is the cosmic joke, a time for your lessons to be practiced. The emphasis for this phase is on consciously surrendering.

Each of these phases in spiritual development begin organically and in a circular fashion. This means that they arise out of one's own personal path, create expansive movements in the direction of one's life, and then creates another series of developments. One can consciously progress their personal path by practicing meditation, yoga, or other methods of self-study.

We may not be able to see the blueprint of what is happening in our life, or even fully understand the phase we are in, but we can begin to become neutral to the events in our lives and surrender to the process. Cultivating non-attachment to life's events plays a fundamental role in mastering the human consciousness. This does not mean stop being human. We all have emotions and egos that influence us. It does, however, mean to build an awareness that surpasses our lower minds and a peace that leads to enlightenment.



Helina Metaferia is a visual artist, holistic practitioner, and founder of The Meta Experience, a visual and healing arts company that exposes and educates people on creative wellness. She hopes to inspire people to embrace the process of life's cycles. Visit her on the web: http://www.themetaexperience.com.

Emotional Revolution: Taking back our power to be at peace with ourselves

Our emotions are a collection of mental and physical signals that we identify with. The more desirable end of the polar spectrum includes love, joy, peace, and excitement. Our more negative feelings include sadness, grief, anger, and emotional pain. Babies share their emotions freely, while adults are taught to suppress them, especially in public. Women are much more internal creatures and can experience these fluctuations more often than men. However, everyone experiences some of these feelings within their lifetime.

I suggest an emotional revolution. Here are my suggestions on how to release ourselves from emotional bondage and live in more optimal states of being:

1) Notice what is happening. Slow down your movement and your thoughts to discover what's happening in different parts of your body and mind. How can you shift your awareness to a desired energy field if you are not in tune with yourself. Focus on mind and body awareness. Is there tightness in your chest? Does your body feel hot? What are the nature of your thoughts in this moment? Become the observer of your own system.

2) Soften your grip. Many people live their lives with a tight grip on their emotional steering wheel. We tend to claim our emotions and identify with it. Instead of saying "I am sad" or "I feel lonely," look at the emotion as a separate entity that is looking for a host in your body. Realize that you are not the sadness, the loneliness, the happiness, or whatever feeling has come up. These are aspects of the collective conscious, experiences that we all encounter. These things are impermanent.

3) Emotion is simply energy in motion: let it flow and let it go. Give space around what you are feeling and give it room to take the back door out. Do this by taking deep breaths. On the inhale, draw in healing energy. On the exhale, release the emotion that you are carrying. Remember, it is not you, just an experience. Let it creep back into the collective consciousness so you can experience a new state in your reality.

4) Become an alchemist: transform your emotions into love. Out of all the emotions on this earth, love has the power to forgive, heal, and transcend. Pure love (not to be mistaken by infatuation or strong like) is unconditional and freeing. It can shift the ego and bring wisdom consciousness. To access true love, open your heart up with more deep breathing. Allow the energy of love to transform whatever was left of your old emotions. Discover the healing power of love.

5) Integrate these practices into your daily life. Although these steps can work wonders in any given situation, it takes practice to make this process habitual. Keep going. Keep growing.


Taking a stance in the emotional revolution means that you are doing some serious battle. You are opening yourself up to non-attachment and your highest potential. Some of the hardest work anyone can do is work on themselves. The rewards are abundant.

Love, light, peace, prosperity.



Helina Metaferia is an emotional warrior. She is a professional visual artist and certified holistic practitioner of Reiki, Thai Massage, Yoga Therapy, Meditation, and Intuitive Consultations. She is the founder of The Meta Experience, an art and wellness service. Her website is http://www.themetaexperience.com

A Healer's Secret - Ways to put some R & R in your days

Like most "busy" east coasters in America, I often find myself on autopilot all day. I get swarmed with appointments, meetings, art gigs, and administrative work for my business. After work there is family, friends, events, housework, errands, obligations, etc. The list goes on, and though I try to balance my work with play, it could be weeks before I see a day off during a hectic season.

There is nothing worse than getting a massage from a burnt out body worker. And how can the integrity of my artwork and commissions be maintained if I am overwhelmed and fatigued? I've decided long ago to not become a hypocritical healer and to practice what I preach -- that living whole and balanced through self-care can contribute immensely to your quality of life.

This being said, I have decided to put my personal maintenance tips on blast. I hope you can benefit from reading my secrets for daily rejuvenation. Feel free to comment and share some of your own techniques!

1) Take a pause for the cause. Make sure you incorporate some stillness in your day. If meditation is not your thing, then take a five minute break (or two, or four, or six) where you are simply doing nothing. A few moments of silence can allow the subsequent hours to be addressed with a deeper concentration and with minimum stress.

2) Bring presence into your activities. Whether you are working on the computer or cooking a meal, try to be as engaged as possible. By bringing awareness into the moment you are reducing your mental chatter and are practicing an active meditation.

3) Create a ritual in your day. If tea is your thing, give yourself a morning or evening tea ritual. Maybe you can look forward to a twenty minute bath. This tells the body that it is time to relax. Think of it as a signal for your body to decompress and to revitalize itself.

4) Diet, exercise and sleep. This feels like basic health information, though many people tend to slack on these areas during the busier times in their lives. Eating quality, healthy foods and providing your body with adequate exercise keeps the body, mind and spirit in optimum shape. Sleeping several hours each night at a proper time replenishes the body with much needed rest. If you find yourself exhausted, stressed or out of order, reflect on how you have been handling the essentials.

5) Laugh a good belly laugh as much as possible. Keeping your perspective light and incorporate some comedy in your day brings healing to your spirit. Laughter largely comes from outlook. Don't take things too seriously. Even the serious stuff can be dealt with in a light way.

Try some of these techniques and notice how you can restore wellness into any situation or circumstance.




Helina Metaferia is a holistic practitioner of Yoga Therapy, Meditation, Reiki, Thai Massage, and Intuitive Consultations. She also works as a professional fine art painter. She teaches techniques in art and healing so that people may transform their own lives. Visit www.themetaexperience.com for more information.

7 Things Every Artist Should Know

Creating pretty pictures, carrying out a tune or dancing on beat doesn't make one an artist. Being an artist is a desire to add something of value to this world. Art can alter your perspective, causing you to see color in any black and white environment. An artist has the ability to find pockets of inspiration and share their findings with others. With this ability comes a continuous desire to create and sustain themselves through their creations. Art becomes a lifestyle, and the artist is the vehicle for creative thinking.

I have been creating art all my life and have been seriously exhibiting my paintings since I was fifteen years old. Now, twelve years later, I'm leading artist workshops and classes for people of all ages, teaching them technical art skills, creative approaches, and the fundamentals of being an artist. Through watching my students develop and my professional artist peers grow, I've decided to list the common areas that people struggle as artists and ways in which one can succeed.

Here are some things you should consider as an artist:

1) Honor your style:
Every artist has a unique contribution to the arts. Our approach to our creative forms are as different as our fingerprints. Art tends to happen in movements, with cultural, social, political and periodic influences reflecting the direction of the majority of artists. However, within the schools of thought there is a personal voice that needs to be heard. Don't be scared to dance to your own rhythm or paint your own type of stroke. Discover your own individuality within the creative collective context.
Suggestion: Create a body of work for your eyes only! Don't worry about what other people might think for a moment. Create art that you may never share, just as if you were keeping a diary, if only for a period of time. This will help you discover your own expressions without any pressure and can fuel the work that you do publicly.

2) Practice, and practice often!
Many artists rarely devote the time and attention necessary to build their craft and become the master of their own skills. Artists often limit their abilities by concentrating their efforts on other obligations, such as school, work, families, and that other thing -- survival. Although all of our obligations are valid and important, an artist must make their craft a priority if they want to maximize their own growth potential.
Suggestion: Give yourself an artistic challenge. Set a goal for yourself, such as "paint one painting a week for 20 weeks" or "write one short poem a day." Whatever the goal may be, make sure it is realistic, practical, and purposeful. Be as detailed as possible in your goal. If you do not fulfill it, do not beat yourself up about it. Revise the goal and try again. But if you do accomplish your goal, you will learn something from the process, and have a bunch of great art to show for it!

3) Stay inspired:
Art requires constant fueling. Discover what makes you feel the most connected to your creativity. Is it being around certain people? Visiting certain places? Looking at other art? Pin point your inspiration techniques and actively participate in them. 
Suggestions: Find time in your routine to incorporate artistic inspiration in your daily life. Also, identify the blockages you may feel as an artist and do one thing daily to release that blockage. For example, if you feel that you don't have the space to create art regularly, then concentrate some effort to locating a reasonable option for you to have the space that you need. 

4) Don't be shy, let your art be known!
People want to see your work! Part of being an artist is being visible, so be sure to tell everyone you know that you are a working artist. Update them with your work and shows regularly through email, social media, direct mail, etc. Realize that you are your own marketer, a one person show, and that no one is better for such a job. Your visibility helps you succeed as an artist but also exposes people to the wonderful gifts that you have to offer.
Suggestions: Tell five people every day that you are an artist. As random as it may feel, be sure to let the people you may meet in casual or professional settings know what it is that you do. Networking is the best way to be successful in anything. Maintain your visibility with followup marketing, and watch word of mouth do the rest!

5) Teach:
Some people think that teachers are failed artists. What a horrible misconception! Teaching someone your skills helps keep you in the field, refines your own knowledge, and spreads encouragement in the arts. It a wonderful act of service that benefits the artist as well.
Suggestions: Find a compatible way to teach your art form. Most professional art teachers have had some formal schooling in the arts. If you are an artist with limited experience, share whatever you do know with someone casually. This helps build your confidence and your knowledge base, as you may have to do more research in order to share anything. If you already have steady employment and are not interested in teaching for pay, volunteer your artistic knowledge to a charity group or non-profit organization for a day. This will help you identify yourself more as an "expert" and will expose others to the work that you do.

6) Surround yourself with people that are more successful than you.
As with anything, being in good company helps! Forget the stereotype of a starving artist. There are plenty of successful artist professionals that have already achieved their goals and then some. Interacting with positive influences in your field can help inspire you and point you in the right direction.
Suggestions: Find a mentor. Ask someone in your community or artistic field to lend their support to you. If they are the busy type, they may be kind enough to give you periodic guidance over the phone. Be sure to also go to networking events, art shows, and stay up to date on the latest happenings in your creative field. Research public role models and stay current with their successes.

7) Appreciate Your Process:
Enjoy everything -- yes everything -- about being an artist. The creative path is organic and very individual. There are no direct rule books on how you express yourself and maintain yourself professionally. The more that you are in the flow and appreciative of your own plateaus and valleys, the more that your are opening up to your own way of being.
Suggestions: Write down a whole page (or two or three) of things that you love about being an artist. Look at that page when you forget why you are doing what you are doing. Keep this in your wallet, by your bedside, at your artist studio, or wherever you find it helpful. Trust in your own ability and have fun!



Helina Metaferia is a full time guerrilla artist and mother of several mixed media paintings and murals shown all over the nation. When she is not splattering paint, she is practicing yoga, reiki, Thai massage, and other holistic practices. Visit her at www.themetaexperience.com.

Divine Surrender - A Daily Meditation

Faith, trust and surrender are more than acts of wishful thinking. They are practices that nourish our spirits and strengthen our souls. They provide an opening into enlightened consciousness; an awareness that can transform the dominant lower mind, known as the ego, into supreme oneness. When we operate in full faith, we have let go of the illusions of the world and are grounded in true knowledge of self. We are no longer wrestling the daily world for control. Our mind, body and spirits are united in a divine flow, and we rest in knowing that we don't have to conduct the current.

Surrendering to the universe is a life lesson that, if anything, promises peace of mind. Some people may find it easier to surrender in one area of their lives but not in another. For example, one may feel that it is easy to give up their need for control when it comes to financial prosperity, but not when it comes to relationships. The things that ignite our fears become our personal lessons. It is in these areas that we need to discover courage and loosen our need to dictate our reality. 

How do you know what areas in your life that you need to surrender in? Pay close attention to your body. Look for signs of resistance. Our bodies give excellent signals on our stress levels. Notice if during a certain activity, such as balancing your checkbook or talking to a particular person, you exhibit the following body signals:

* Clenched teeth

* Tightened muscles 

* Shallow or restricted breathing

* Knots or butterflies in the stomach

* Heat building in the body 

* Sleepless nights

* Over thinking and an increased mental dialogue pertaining to the past or future

* A sudden injury or illness

If you have one or more habitual sensation when you are thinking about a situation, activity or person, you could be operating from anxiety rather than from faith. Sometimes we identify ourselves with our body's behavior and are not even aware that we are reacting in such discomfort. In general, letting go, surrender and faith can help ourselves discover relaxation, peace and contentment. 

Although many people may feel that it will take them years to achieve divine surrender over a particular issue, it can happen in a moment's notice. Often times, people discover their inner strength and freedom after a crises. It is only when things become the worst that we discover that we'll never have the control that our egos were fighting to compose. Luckily, we do not have to wait for a disaster before we develop trust and surrender. Practice this simple meditation to stimulate surrender in your daily life.

Meditation on Divine Surrender:

1) Close your eyes and sit in a comfortable seated position with your back straight and the top of your head pointed to the ceiling. Take deep breaths in and out of your nostrils while your lips are closed. 

2) Begin to relax the body. Focus on sending the breath into each body part -- your feet, legs, torso, arms, etc. -- until your muscles are loose and relaxed. Place a gentle smile on your lips as you complete this part of the exercise. Send the intention of love and light throughout your body. 

3) Visualize that which you are worried about in great detail. Imagine every aspect of the situation -- the people involved, the procedures, the environment. See it clearly in your mind's eye and feel all the emotions that come with the circumstance. Keep that gentle smile on your mouth all the while. 

4) Repeat the sacred mantra: "I let go, I free you, I free me, I surrender to the divine." Don't just say the words, feel them. Believe in them. You are releasing the need to "do" anything and are giving in to the power of being free. You are taking responsibility and moving into trust. 

5) Imagine your situation forming words and speaking back to you the same mantra: "I let go, I free you, I free me, I surrender to the divine." If you are thinking of a person, imagine him or her saying that to you. If you are thinking of a circumstance, imagine the energy behind the circumstance communicating to you through vibration. You cannot control what another person says or does, but you can shift your thoughts so that you imagine that your situation is receptive to your trust and that it wants to give into the surrender as well. 

Practice this surrender meditation as often as you would like, but at least daily until you feel the effects of it. You may notice a difference in your attitudes in just one session, or over the course of several sessions. Be patient. Trust. Have faith. Let go.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist and holistic practitioner of Reiki, Thai Massage, Intuitive Consultations, Yoga Therapy, and Meditation Instruction. Her website is www.themetaexperience.com. 

The Namaste Principle: Relationships as a Path to the Divine

As a practitioner of yoga, I have commonly used the sanskrit greeting namaste, meaning "the God in me sees the God in you." Although I have always figured it to be a profound reminder of enlightened consciousness, I rarely thought to look at the person that I was greeting as a reflection of higher power. Similarly, it was hard for me to imagine myself as the divine. The flowery language felt appropriate in a yoga context, but had little application to my daily life.

After recent meditations on oneness -- the elimination of duality in our perception of reality -- I have discovered relevant meaning to the namaste principle. I have spent the last several years living an ideal yogini lifestyle; I spend several hours of each day in sadhana (spiritual work) while living at a yoga ashram and teaching the visual and holistic arts. During this sanctuary of solitude, I have discovered spiritual union within myself and an abundance of joy. 

Though I continued to thrive in my relationship with myself, my relationships with others were stagnant. I failed to look at my relationships as an opportunity to practice my spiritual development. I saw people as separate from my life lessons. I saw their flaws before I saw their beauty. 

I couldn't understand the essence of namaste, that every being possesses enlightened consciousness, because I wouldn't allow myself to feel such vulnerability. If I believed that everyone is ultimately God, then I would be forced to love and respect everyone unconditionally. I would then forgive them for their egos and their earthly ways. My fear is a sign that my own ego feels threatened, as it sees its transcendence so that I may emerge into higher consciousness. I now realize that honoring relationships is a spiritual practice. The very thing that I had been dismissing would be a gateway into divine awareness.

I now revere all relationships with others as a tool for my own growth and development. I search for the spark of light in every person I encounter daily, from a store clerk to a family member to my best friend. When I see another, it is my goal to see them as whole and complete, a reflection of how I imagine God. In this way, I am honoring their ability to ascend into greatness and am not focusing on their egos, personalities, or faults. When I look at myself in the mirror, it is my responsibility to see that same wholeness and completion. I, too, possess infinite potential and shine with radiant light.

The bridge between the heavens and the earthly world lies in the heart chakra (an energy center located in the middle of the chest). The heart chakra governs unbounded love and transcends all fears. In order to master our own lives and gain full consciousness, we must recognize the divinity that exists through pure unconditional love. In this way, we are discovering namaste on a tangible level. We are willing to be open, vulnerable, and trusting. We are recognizing oneness in our relationships and are ultimately discovering true union with God.

Namaste.



Helina Metaferia is a holistic practitioner, visual artist, and long time learner of Enlightenment. She teaches classes in Light Consciousness, Meditation, and Intuitive Painting. Visit the website: www.themetaexperience.com.

The Present Moment: A Gateway Into Enlightenment

"When you have one foot in the past and one foot in the future you are peeing on today."
-- author unknown

Many people have minds filled with distraction and chaos. Our heads are so filled with mental consumption that even our thoughts have thoughts. We are generally overtaken by memories from the past or anticipation of the future, which thus leads to stress and unease. However, it is only through the present moment that we can experience any true peace and tranquility.

The present moment brings power. Through present awareness, we are fully engaged in living and are in a state of timeless calm. In the present moment there lies a threshold, a gateway into total liberation from the burdens of time and space. This is the place where originality derives from, such as innovative ideas or the creative arts.

Within the sacred now, there is a divine current that offers the spiritual completion that many of us long for. The fluctuations of a distracted mind is the ego's attempt at resolving a distorted perception of division from the universe. Many of us busy our minds with desires, the quest for relationships, or material things to fulfill a natural desire for wholeness. True recognition of our natural state of oneness can only be experienced by engaging fully in the present moment. In presence, one can realize our true essence and separate the false illusions of the ego-driven mind.

Although the power of the present moment is profound, it is rare when people can experience it for any substantial period of time. The average mind lacks the clarity and attention span to stay centered in present awareness. Mental relaxation exercises, such as meditation, tai chi, qi gong, and yoga can train the body for such an experience. But training alone may not help the mind cross the threshold into presence. People who engage in activities that release their perception of time, such as sewing, gardening, the arts, or jogging may come in contact with presence. However, concentrated activities alone may not create sustained present awareness.

The way into complete presence, and ultimately enlightenment, comes from a surrender into the now. Once the mind, body, and spirit surrenders the ego and releases the need to jump into the past or future, the timeless attention into the present moment sustains. The present moment can only be discovered by a total submersion in the present moment. You must simply decide if you are ready to dive in. Enjoy the dive.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist, holistic practitioner, and founding director of The Meta Experience, a visual and healing arts business. She enjoys writing about the practices that help her develop in mind, body, and spirit. Visit the website: http://www.themetaexperience.com

A New Reality - Complete Awareness

I feel a shift occurring in my being. My paradigm is changing and I am in between two worlds. One world is that of the first 27 years of my existence in this lifetime. It is complicated with illusion - the illusion of material, emotional, and mental things. The other world has been revealing itself to me with rapid speed. This world is rich with pure oneness and clarity.

As I leave the illusion of a three dimensional world and ascend into awareness, I leave behind the following: an ego that has grown accustomed to identification; a tangled obsession with love and companionship; a previous interest in healing and being a healer. I also leave behind a reality that has been consumed with worry, desire, and a quest for improvement. All of this is meaningless in my new world.

My new existence is liberating in mind, body, and consciousness. There is no division from one person to the next, from light or darkness, from night or day.

This profound transformation has been evolving rapidly over the last few months. I feel like I am graduating into a new reality, but my old ways of being won't leave without a tantrum. Shedding skin like a python, I've had a good share of upsets in the process. However, the only thing I know for certain is that the vortex is wide open and I'd be playing myself not to step in.

Here's what I am discovering about the new reality:

* There is only one thing. That thing has been named so many names but still remains nameless. It just is.

* There are many people that are opening up to this new world. The ascension is growing faster and faster. More people have a purpose that is speaking to them than ever before.

* It is insane to live in the old reality any longer, because the new way of being offers so much more clarity.

* Judge and have opinions of no one. Everyone is growing at their own pace.

* If you have a gift or a talent, use it. The new reality appreciates those that are true to themselves.

* Nothing is outside of yourself. The power, light, love and God is within you. The more we ask that the illusion fulfills us, the more we will grow disappointed.

As I continue to grow and transcend in my journey, I send love and light to all those that are experiencing similar things. It is a difficult process, but a necessary one. May all those that are feeling the ins and outs of ascension be blessed. May those that have no clue as to what I am referring to be blessed. May we all give each other a chance to simply be.

Love,

Helina Metaferia

http://www.metaartist.com

Seven Sadhanas for the Soul

Sadhana is a sanskrit term for systematized practices that bring spiritual development and liberation of the soul. Through the sadhana one can gain understanding of Self and find enlightenment. Proper sadhana is performed with pure intention and precise action. If you are considering this path, you will learn that each moment of each day requires proper sadhana. Though the practice may seem rigorous, the rewards of the sadhana is many.

There are many disciplines that are considered sadhana. Yoga offers plenty of practices that, with great focus, can lead to spiritual enlightenment. As a yogini and learner of Spirit, I have discovered some sadhanas that bring peace and wellness into lives. These practices offer evolution to the soul, create focus in your dharma (life purpose), and releases karmic ties. Each sadhana serves as a gateway to spiritual evolution. Practice them individually or collectively. Be sure to be in joy while performing your sadhanas and live consciously in the moment. 

Seven Sadhanas for the Soul:

1) Let your food be your medicine. The yogi knows that diet is the foundation for a healthy physical, mental and emotional body. This is the prerequisite for spiritual evolution. We incarnated into our bodies, our temples, so that it can transport us in the world. We must be good to our bodies by treating it with love. Balanced and healthy foods, pure water, and respectful prayer while cooking and eating helps transform the simple and mundane task of food consumption into a spiritual experience. Finding God through practices that heal our physical body is the path of Hatha Yoga. 

2) Live life in love. Love is a powerful conduit. It is a channel for Spirit that emits from the heart. It is a discipline that requires non-attachment, devotion, compassion and forgiveness. Through loving a neighbor as close as your family or a stranger as close as a friend, you are submitting to the highest force of the universe and surrendering your ego. Pure love is unconditional. It is not dependant on a person, a situation, or a thing. The reward for loving is its own reward. It opens you up to the bliss inside yourself. Devoting your practice to love is the way of Bhakti Yoga. 

3) Conscious communication. While we may have the ability to use words, we don't always use them effectively. Affirmations and positive self-talk are forms of conscious communication. Honesty, integrity, and clarity are other ways to speak from your highest Self. Choose to watch your speech, and pay attention to how your world shifts. You will eventually be able to discern and monitor the thoughts in your head. This will allow you to consciously create your reality, as everything in your world is a manifestation of what you think and speak. It will also bring you closer to God. This is the practice of Mantra Yoga. 

4) Release the chitta (mental chatter). Our minds are overstimulated, overcrowded, and way too intense. While we only use a small part of our brains, we manage to busy it up with a whole lot of nonsense! Stress, disease, and unhappiness is the result of an overactive mind. By practicing meditation and discernment of thoughts, we can release the blockages caused by mental haphazard. A silent mind is the most enlightened because it is able to hear the pulse of the universe. This is the path of Kriya Yoga. 

5) Laugh, and laugh often!!! Laughter is an exercise for optimism (and, if I may add, a nice exercise for the gut).  When we are laughing we are bringing freedom to our spirits and creating oneness in our soul. True laughter can only remedy our lives and bring us to wholeness. It brings us into a state of surrender. You don't need to hear a joke to laugh. Practice making laughter an all-day activity and watch your perspective shift. This is the way of the Buddha. 

6) Self study as a spiritual practice. How much do we know of ourselves? It doesn't matter if you are a loner or always around company, if you are young or old, if you are independent or not, self-reflection is an important gateway into ourselves. By learning ourselves on a profound level, we are able to make the best decisions and live on purpose. We would be doing what is for our highest good. We would be lead to selfless service. We would be full of vitality and love. This requires us confronting our shadow side and knowing our light. This is the practice of Jnana Yoga. 

7) Pay attention to subtle energy. All things are made of energy, and by opening yourself up to the energy in yourself and the universe, you are opening yourself up to God. By learning how to move and manipulate the breath, heal through energy, and expand your prana, you are learning how to engage fully in the universe. A sensitivity to energy can develop into a deep understanding of God and an appreciation for life. This is the way of Tantra Yoga and Kundalini Yoga. 

Choose the sadhana practices that resonate with you and allow them to lead you into wellness. While continuous efforts is key to the full results, you may notice a great difference at the start of your sadhanas. Enjoy the path.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist and holistic practitioner of Yoga, Meditation and Thai Massage, and is a Reiki Master. She is the founder of The Meta Experience, a visual and healing arts company. Visit http://www.themetaexperience.com for more information on her work. 

Befriending Our Fears: A Journey Into Oneness

Recently I, like many others, have been feeling pulled toward a sense of oneness; an indescribable state of supreme intelligence where nothing is separate and all is God. In oneness, there is no difference between you or I, a tree or my arm, a car or a cat. There is only the divine omnipresence. This causes the elimination of polar opposites, of good or bad, right or wrong, negative and positive. Everything that separates us is an illusion, a perception of a void that does not exist.

What a confusing paradox to be in! Once my awakening into oneness began, I started questioning everything. So if there is only one, and all of reality is an illusion, why do I work? Why do I eat? Why do I sleep? Why do we experience duality? The only answer I could find within myself is that our incarnation into physical earthbound form is a total experience, an opportunity, for individual and collective growth. Our existence in a multifaceted world of polarities is so that we may transcend, grow, and evolve our universe.

Although I am beginning to feel one with everything, a big part of the duality I feel is my fears. My fears offer stark contrast to love and joy, the more pleasant part of my existence. Once I realized that my fears are a large part of the illusion of separation, I decided to confront them.

"Keep thy friends close and your enemies even closer" goes a wise saying. The best way to release our fears is to befriend them. By being a friend to what scares us the most, we are releasing the power it has over us. If our fears do not have power over us, then the negative energy has no place to hide and will have to leave our aura altogether. It is hard for the boogie man under the bed to haunt you if you are crouching next to him with a flashlight and offering him tea and cookies. Either you will find comfort in your fears or they won't have a reason to stay.

Follow these steps to befriending your fears in a simple active meditation:

1) Create sacred space: Any type of soul work you do should be honored. Find some peaceful alone time in an uncluttered, safe environment, such as in front of an alter, by a quiet lake, or in a calm restful area. Avoid doing this type of work in a messy room or in a space that is distracting.

2) Make a list of all of the things you are afraid of. It helps to put it all on paper. Start with the most obvious, such as "I am afraid of death" or "I am afraid that there is never enough money." After you've feel like you've got the obvious fears out the way, start to scan yourself for fears that are not as immediately obvious. Notice what clues your body gives when it is acting from fear and notice when you get those reactions. For example, if you get a knot in your stomach when you see someone accomplish something wonderful, you may realize that you feel fear when you see others successful because you are afraid that everyone will be successful but you. Write all your fears on your list until you are confident there is nothing left to write.

3) Read over your list and spend a moment with each fear. This can feel unnerving, but do not hold back any emotion or sensation during this process. As you come across each fear, shift your response so that you are smiling and laughing as if it was an old friend being silly. Approach the fear as if it had the innocence of a child and as if it meant no harm. Treat it like a well-meaning sister or brother. Personify it until you can see a being that you love and can forgive. As you are doing this you are taking away the fears power. You are treating it as if it has no negative intentions. You are allowing the fear to melt into a friend.

4) After you have spent time with each individual fear, visualize yourself at a tea party (or having a few beers, whatever you prefer) with all of your fears in one room. With your minds eye, imagine them all at a long table with you at the head. Give all your fears silly faces and have them stare back with innocence at you. If you have listed twelve fears, make sure all twelve of them are invited to your party. Now imagine yourself kickin' it with your fears, having a great time. Imagine "fear of death" telling jokes and you patting "there is never enough money" on the back.

5) Now that all of your fears are your friends, you really have nothing overpowering you. Send love and light to all the areas where there was once tension, where the fears used to hide. You no longer have resistance. You no longer are ashamed and scared because even that which scares you is freed. You now have the chance to move into oneness.

It may be strange not to have any fears. Sometimes, we are addicted to our fears and cling to them because we have grown comfortable using them as excuses. We may find it easier to cover them up and create a false sense of victory then to confront them, bring them into the light and make them our friends. Whatever path you choose, realize that we will never move past pain, suffering, and turmoil until we let them go. We are holding our fears prisoners in our lives, not the other way around.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist and holistic practitioner of Thai Massage, Yoga, Meditation, and Reiki. She is also the founder of The Meta Experience, a visual and healing arts company. This technique, and others like it, are taught in her Light Consciousness workshop. The next class begins May 22 at The Baltimore Yoga Village. Visit http://www.themetaexperience.com for more information. 

How to Love Yourself

Loving is the process of radiating with the energy of higher consciousness and directing it to a living or non-living thing. Loving is medicinal. It is a powerful transmitter for good. It is the savior for humanity.

Self-love is a beautiful thing. It is the ability to revere all parts of yourself, even the shadow. By channeling deep affection and directing it inward, you are allowing a sacred connection to cultivate inside yourself. In this way, you are allowing supreme forgiveness, respect, honor, and care to be a part of your system. Through self-acceptance and value, you can open your heart to others and release your fears.

I hear people all the time declaring that they needed to "love themselves". They are searching for something greater - perhaps a purpose, the meaning of life, or God. They are most likely going through a change - maybe a job, relationship, or health issue. They are in need of their soul's medicine. And although they are ready to take an internal journey, often times they don't know where to begin.

Just as there are many paths to God, there are many paths in loving yourself. Here is a heart-filled suggestion on ways to develop healthy self-love.

* Taking Care of the Body - Part of loving yourself is honoring your physical temple. Find ways to feel good about your exterior and interior body. Take good care of it by giving it healthy diet, exercise, and plenty of rest. Adorn it with clothing that is comfortable and makes you happy. Find ways to connect with your body, perhaps through yoga, meditation, or holistic practices.

* Create Sacred Time - In our busy world, we must reserve time for peaceful contemplation. Centering your mind, body, and spirit is vital in loving yourself. Gift yourself time and space to relax and focus on you. Consider it a date with yourself.

* Do What Makes You Happy - Follow your heart when it comes to your occupation and leisure activities. Discover what is meaningful to you and integrate it into your lifestyle. Part of loving yourself is feeling free to do exactly who you want to. Make sure that you are playing and laughing as easily as you did in your youth.

* Let Go of Your Fears - Our fears keep us from opening our heart completely. Release the illusions that our mind projects on us so that we can enter a higher state of love and awareness. Take courage and let go.

* Honor Your Reflections - Everyone around you is a reflection of some aspect of yourself. Each person is your personal teacher. By choosing to honor others you are choosing to humble yourself to their lessons. In this way, you are then loving and respect yourself.

By doing the above suggestions, you are choosing to value yourself and live a life full of self-love. In this process, you may feel tested and challenged. This just means you are growing. As your reality begins to shift, loving yourself becomes as natural as breathing. Continue loving and gift someone else with a lesson in self-love.

Helina Metaferia is a visual artist, holistic practitioner, and founding director of The Meta Experience. She is the founder of The Love MySelf Program, a set of workshops in Meditation, Light Consciousness, and Intuitive Painting, all designed to create wellness in the participant. The next Love MySelf Program classes begin May 20, 2010 in Baltimore, MD. For more information on The Love MySelf Program or her private holistic services, visit http://www.themetaexperience.com.

Yoga -- From an Ethiopian Yogini's Perspective

With the success of commercial advertisements and offerings at local gyms, the term yoga has become common language. To some it is a fashionable way to tuck that tummy. To others it is an obscure image of foreign figures sitting with their legs crossed neatly next to their ears. And to some, it is perceived as a religion, a cult, or a thing that requires a new god or goddess.

Let’s put all of those misconceptions to rest. Yoga (which is the Sanskrit root of the word “yoke,” meaning to unite) is the union of mind, body, and spirit through the practice of an ancient science and art. Yoga brings the body to wholeness on all levels through postures, breath exercises, moral codes, concentration, withdrawal of the senses, and meditation. It is a humbling practice that may incorporate mantras (sound vibrations), mudras (hand gestures), and diet to bring a person into balance with the universe.

Yoga’s roots lay in ancient African culture, and it was notably practiced by the Nubians and people of Kemet (ancient Egypt). According to Caroline Shola Arewa’s book Opening to Spirit, Opening to Spirit, the Dravidians, the early settlers of India who are descendents of Ethiopia, introduced the practice of yoga to pre-Aryan India. Yoga is strongly affiliated with India, and most of the yoga taught in the West stems from the Indian schools of yoga. Yoga is independent of religion and may be practiced by anyone regardless of religious affiliation. It is, however, a spiritual path of Healing.

Yoga is embedded in our way of life. From our first yawns and stretches when we get out of bed, to the deep breaths we may take before making a public speech, to uttering the sound “um” (similar to the yogi’s sound OM) when trying to clear our mind. It is when the Muslim makes salat, the artist looses sense of time while painting, and the jogger feels that “runner’s high.” Yoga is our natural state of being.

Ethiopia has its share of dedicated yogis. Committed to a path of self-realization and enlightenment, the modest nuns, monks, and priests of Lalibella and other monasteries spend their lives in spiritual development. They use postures, mantras, meditation, moral codes, holistic teachings, and life force building techniques to discover themselves and their connection to the Creator. Their devotion to life service fulfills karma yoga, and their goal of Christ-compassion is the practice of bhakti yoga. The hermits in the hills are known for sporting their long locks, standing on their head for lengths of time, standing on one leg, and engaging in hours of meditation and prayer (tselot).

Yoga practices are not far from the common people as well. Ethiopian culture pays particular attention to sound and movement, both components of the state of yoga. The rapid movements of the neck, shoulders, and upper torso in the eskista dance release old prana (life force energy) and restore health to the areas of the thyroid, thymus gland, respiratory system, and breasts. The conscious alignment of the country woman’s spine as she gracefully carries baskets on her head and the meditative state of trance guided by traditional drum playing are more examples of yoga practice.

The benefits of yoga are numerous. On the physical level, yoga is an excellent way of reducing stress, and assisting with issues such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Yoga is key in balancing emotions and reducing mental chatter in the mind. It promotes a healthy diet, vitality, inner strength, wisdom, and spiritual bliss.

Here are some yoga practices you may try at home:

Technique 1: Cat and Cow Stretch - An exercise for opening the chest, heart, and massaging the spine. Come to a comfortable table position, with your hands directly underneath your shoulders, your knees under your hips, and your spine neutral. Make sure the back is flat and the arms are not over extended. Upon inhalation, slowly drop the belly toward the floor and gaze up toward the ceiling, creating a natural curve in the spine. Upon exhalation, round the spine and let the head drop toward the floor, gazing toward the navel. Moving with the breath, repeat the Cat and Cow stretch for five to ten breaths.

Technique 2: Alternate Nostril Breathing - An exercise that promotes clarity and relaxation by balancing the left and right hemisphere of the brain. Sit in a comfortable seated position; make sure your posture is straight. Form the fingers on your right hand into a mudra by releasing the index and middle finger to the palm, placing the right thumb on the outside of the right nostril and the right ring finger on the left side of the nostril. Pinch the right nostril closed with the right thumb, and take a slow and deep inhalation through the left nostril. Release the breath through the left nostril. Close off the left nostril with the right ring finger, release the thumb, and take a slow, deep inhalation through the right nostril. Exhale through the right nostril. Repeat this exercise for five to ten breaths, making sure that there has been an even amount of breaths from the left and right nostrils.

Technique 3: Mantra Meditation - An exercise for whole body balance and relaxation through sound vibration healing. Sit in a comfortable seated position; make sure the posture is straight. Place the hands on the knees with the palms up if you need an energy boost or the palms facing the knees if you need to feel more grounded. Closing the eyes and focus on the area between the brows, known as the third eye center. Repeat the sound for universal union, OM continuously for two minutes out loud, elongating the “m” sound. Next, repeat the sound OM internally for two minutes. Next, allow the sound OM to float on the mind, feeling the essence of the mantra for several minutes.



Helina teaches hot vinyasa flow yoga at Spiritual Essence Yoga in Upper Marlboro, Maryland on Wednesdays at 8:15pm. She also sees clients for private yoga therapy. For more information, visit http://www.themetaexperience.com.

Discovering Our True Power

My whole life I viewed power as a struggle, a conflict, for authority and influence. Power implied greed, competition, wars, and forces at battle. If you wanted power, you needed to join the sea of others that were stepping over each other for wealth and control. You'd need to look past humility, love, and gentle kindness, a much nobler path, but one that was for the weak. If you wanted power, you'd have to separate and distinguish yourself, as it required proving yourself over others to achieve domination. 

The real source of power involves no separation. Power is a state of oneness. While conflict creates chaos, unification brings strength. Our pure power and potential is created when we are internally sound, clear, and whole. We can find our true magic when the different parts of ourselves find resolution and when we are no longer separated by our polarities -- the good and the bad, our pleasures and our pain. 

Similarly, when we as people are no longer divided by our egos and our identities, we realize that we are all reflections of each other and that there is no seperation. As a people, our connection and bond is stronger, and our true collective power can be realized. A divided consciousness creates a divided world, and division can only lead to conflict and destruction, which can hold no real power. 

We can discover the power in ourselves and create true power as a people by beginning to live a life of oneness. And what better way to remain in a state of solidarity than to experience life through love. True love is the bond that glues all together and offers no separation or conflict. Open your love channel and stay tuned. Love each moment, each experience, each breath. Love the person next to you, and the person far away. Love them because they are just a reflection of the same energy that is you, that is all things on this planet. 

Love will guide you to a complete sense of self and connection to all things. It is the answer to the void and the disconnection we may feel. It is the key to your true power potential. 

The Art of Meditation

Our minds are composed of perspectives, beliefs, impressions and thoughts. There are layers of consciousness that dwell within each of us, and most of us maintain minimum awareness on only the shallowest level of our being. Meditation is an ancient art of stilling mental activity so that one can discover the depths of their being.

I had only a faint conceptual understanding of meditation when I began to practice years back. I would read yoga and new age texts and attempt sitting with closed eyes and crossed legs, searching for mental stillness - only to find that my mind was a mental chatter box! I would think about running errands, think about my work, think about something a friend said, think about something I should have done. I felt defeated by distracting thoughts, and the world of peace and tranquility that meditation promised felt worlds away.

Somewhere in my daily meditation practice, I observed a strange occurrence. I had found a pause, a hesitation between the mental chatter, almost like a comma in a sentence. I began to look for the pause each time I would sit and meditate. I would look for it when I was going about my daily business. Each time I found the pause I would breath deeper and carry it out for longer stretches of time, until the comma in the sentence became a period, and the period extended into an ellipses.

The art of meditation is finding the space between the thoughts and cultivating a suspension of the mind. In this beautiful state of mental emptiness, the real power begins. A mind wiped clean of incessant thoughts gives an opportunity to instill a new consciousness and awaken to the fullest potential. Once our minds become a blank canvas, it can develop into a beautiful masterpiece created by our connection to the cosmos. Here, we can enjoy the fruits of our practice. Our world may appear more vivid, deliberate, and harmonious.

Exercise: Mental Housekeeping
Like all art forms, meditation requires practice and perfection. Here is an exercise that can help you build a peaceful mind.

1) Sit quietly and comfortably in a chair or on the floor in a simple cross legged position. It is important to feel comfortable in your posture, so be sure to find a posture that you can maintain for a period of time. Make certain that your backs is straight, your shoulders are relaxed, and the top of your head is facing the heavens.

2) Begin to notice your natural breathing. Feel the breath flow in and out of the lunges. Begin to take in longer and deeper inhalations and exhalations. Focusing on the breath is a basic meditation technique that allows you to relax and bring your attention inward. It is difficult for the body to perform deep breaths and for the mind to become very active at the same time.

3) Notice the content of the mind. Notice any thoughts, but in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. Imagine your mind as a beautiful special room in your life. With each breath you take, imagine a breeze blowing out the thoughts in your head. Have them fly out opened windows and dissolve as they leave your mental home. Begin to feel lighter and lighter in your mind with each breath. After several breaths your mental room becomes clean and clear. Now, fill it with protective radiant light. The light can be rainbow colored, white, or any vibrant color you imagine. Fill your mental body with this protective layer until all you feel is the warmth and love of the color(s).

4) You may now begin to sit in peace, relaxing in this new joy. Sit this way for five, ten, twenty, or thirty minutes. If new thoughts enter your mind or you become distracted, invite the vibrant color you imagined to sweep through your mental home and carry the thought out the window.

5) Bring yourself our of meditation very gently. Place a gentle smile on your face. The smile is a way of sealing your practice and inviting closure, sort of like a bow after a martial arts practice. Practice a mental housekeeping as often as desired, and at least once a day.


Helina Metaferia is a holistic practitioner and visual artist and teaches a Meditation Intensive class through a company she founded called The Meta Experience. Visit www.themetaexperience.com and click on The Love MySelf Program for more information.

Raising Our Vibrations to Realize Our Potential

Each day gives us the opportunity to awaken to our fullest potential. It is how we choose to think, feel, and act that determines what we do with our day. It is what we choose to do with our day that creates the series of events that become our circumstances. All of this is a reflection of our vibrational state.

Our vibrational state is the energy frequency at which we radiate - abundance or lack, love or fear, peace or turmoil, agitation or contentment, and so on. Vibration is not New Age terminology. It is science as well as the content of various forms of spirituality. Some may refer to it as the Ka and Ba in ancient Egypt, Prana in India, or Chi in China. It is the makeup of our energetic fields and the substance of our being.

Our breath, food, water, rest, exercise and knowledge contribute to our vibrations. This affects every part of our existence, from our health to our capabilities. Whether we choose to take the deepest breath, eat the healthiest food, drink several ounces of water, get the fullest rest, practice exercise, or deepen our consciousness is up to us. Some may feel limited by their circumstances (they cannot access the healthiest food, etc) or are ignorant to the ways in which one can enhance their life force. Again, everything, in essence, is a choice. The one thing we are always able to access is our will, our thoughts, and our actions. Perhaps all we need is to shift these things in order to create the domino effect that determines our lives.

Choice is at the heart of shifting our vibrations so that we may live the life of our dreams. If we feel stagnant, stifled, or scattered, choose to lift your vibration and watch your world change. Cleanse yourself through diet and exercise, engage in conscious discussion or books, and begin to take time to rest - not just through sleep but through relaxation time. Drink plenty of water and discover breathing exercises. And most of all, shift your thought patterns to reflect your purest worth.

Don't worry about the "how." Just choose to shift and the rest will unfold for you. Raising our vibrations is a constant practice. The more you practice, the more you will discover that your life will become more fulfilling than you have ever imagined it to be.


Love Light,
Helina Metaferia

** Helina Metaferia is a holistic practitioner and visual artist living in Maryland. Visit the website: http://www.themetaexperience.com

The Love Experience - Gratitude to those that are helping me expand my heart

I have been feeling a specific spiritual growth around the heart and solar plexus lately. I have been praying to learn how to love for years now, but have been feeling blocked by my own pain and ego. However, these past few weeks I have been feeling a small spirit guide chip away at an odd ice sculpture in my chest, known as my sentimental heart.

I woke up this morning feeling in complete gratitude, oddly enough, for the most difficult situations I have encountered in relationships. I realize that those who have made me angry, made me cry, and made me want to resist loving are the ones that are helping me grow to love the most. They are teaching me, often unconsciously, all of the polarities of this earthly realm which I must deal with in order to connect with pure Love at its core. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the most complex emotional situations - the lover that I couldn't stand to be around anymore, the friend that cursed me out, the person who had been an abuser. In my crazy state of heart expansion, I felt compelled to write this blog entry in complete grateful honesty.

Thank you to those special people in my life that had once been romantic partners, who I once thought were the embodiment of everything I've ever wanted, but who also became the embodiment of everything I couldn't stand to be around. I realize now that the pain in my chest that I have been dealing with for years were an unwillingness to let go of disappointment, anger, and disbelief that love could have many sides to it. I was never angry at the person whom I couldn't be with romantically, although I might have projected this anger onto them. I was more so upset with the nature of love. Now, however, I see that these experiences have allowed me to evolve so I may learn a deeper type of love, one that is unconditional and unselfish, and one that is never ending.

Thank you to the friendships that had turned sour, where I felt betrayed and hurt and that you never really "had my back." My tears were never in vein. I needed you to be my spiritual teachers as well. Whether our relationships were karmic settlements from past lives, or whether you intuitively read my insecurities when you met me and knew how to push all my buttons, you were a mere reflection of my vibrational state. I accept responsibility for the situation and that I have attracted a person that could hurt me so. I am sorry for any hurt that I may have caused you. Even in the face of residual pain, I still have Love. I love you unconditionally, whether you receive it or not.

Thank you to those relationships that I still have to work through. You are my everyday teachers. These may be current family, friends, associates, and people that are currently in my vibrational field. We are in each others lives for a reason. We reflect each others deepest desires, thoughts, and attachments. Here is where I can practice the Love that I am growing to know on a deep level. I promise to practice my patience and trust with you, even when it is most difficult. And I promise to practice to see you for your God-consciousness, something that is in everyone of us but is often veiled by our illusions of each other. I Love you. I pray you learn to Love me too.

Thank you for those that have Loved me unconditionally, even without knowing me. My guru, Amma, comes to mind when I think of this. Here is a woman who has millions of disciples around the world, yet who Loves so fiercely and openly as if you are her only child. I feel like she is more than a mother or a best friend. She is the one who Loves me the most while knowing me the least. We don't speak the same language, and I only see her once a year (while she is being swarmed by thousands of other disciples), however I feel her Love to be pure. Amma (and God) have been my ultimate teachers. Thank you.

And thanks to all of you reading this article. Whether I know you or not, I am releasing my fears and am willing to Love you too. I aspire to be able to Love every and anyone the same with no strings attached. This is the teachings of Jesus, of Buddha, of Ghandi, of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is the teachings of all of the saints, gurus, and seers. Now, are we willing to practice? To embody it? Or will it always remain in a book on our nightstand, or a theory for the mind? I plan to live it to the fullest, whether I realize it completely in this lifetime or the next.

Give praises.

-- Helina Metaferia

** Some of the "L's" in love have been capitalized intentionally.

What is Light Consciousness?

Light Consciousness is the elevation of thoughts and the increase of complete awareness, thus increasing our overall vibration. If we acknowledge that our thoughts become things, and that our lives are a reflection of the content of our minds, we can see that developing an optimum life begins with the purification of the mental body and the invitation of a newer state of consciousness.

We can create light consciousness in us if we release blockages we face in our past, clear our minds, and embrace affirmation thinking. We can further strengthen our light by learning to build our auric fields with higher frequencies and staying attuned to this vibration. What may appear to be mystical magic is only shedding old mental baggage and creating a new reality for ourselves, one full of peace, love and light.

Creating light consciousness is an art, a science, and a discovery into inner power. It is a healing force that is the foundation of the light worker.

Learn light consciousness in my upcoming workshop at Baltimore Yoga Village. We will discover ways to heal old, unnecessary vibrations and construct positive light energy in our lives. Feel freer and have fun doing it!

In this workshop we will focus on the fundamentals of light energy and its applications. We will learn:
* How to release old blockages
* Meditation exercises
* What inner light is
* How to attract light in our lives
* How to heal others with this energy
* How to gain love and compassion in the process

Class Details:
Light Consciousness
Four Consecutive Saturdays
Early Spring Session: March 13 - April 3, 2010
4:00pm - 5:30pm
Baltimore Yoga Village, Mount Washington Location
6080 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD 21209
* The registration deadline for a session is three days before class begins.

For more information or to register for class, visit my website at www.themetaexperience.com.

Love light and be bright!

10 Tips to Release Stress

Like many others, I first got into holistic wellness as a way to deal with stress. I realized that my mind was often full of worry and my physical body was full of tension. At age 20, I felt the weight of taking 18 credits in school and working two jobs. One day, a friend offered to teach me simple breathing techniques to deal with my stress. After trying the techniques I felt lighter, calmer, and more clear, and wanted to learn everything I could about natural wellness. This changed the course of my life and opened me up to a healthier lifestyle.

Here are 10 key practices that have helped me deal with stress over the years. I offer them to you in hopes that you will integrate them into your daily routine and discover optimum wellness. The practices are broken down as it relates to the mind, body, and spirit, although each practice has an effect on our overall being. Enjoy!

For the Mind....

1) Breath - This is the fundamental way that we receive our life force energy. Most modern people take the act of breathing for granted, even though we can only last minutes without a breath of air. The way we breathe dictates the quality of life. We can alter our breathing by slowing it down, increasing its speed, opening our lungs, and restricting passage ways in order to relax the body, shift our mental state, and balance our nervous system. Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong offers excellent breathing techniques for stress reduction.

2) Stay in the Present Moment - We are constantly between two realities: our past and our future. It is very rare when our minds are clearly focused on the present moment. This, however, is the only real truth. Our past is over with and our future hasn't begun. So why be full of regret and worry? Concentrating on our present moment opens us up to mental ease and peace. It is also where our creativity and amazing ideas dwell.

3) Meditation - Our minds are often full of repetitive chatter. Peace of mind begins with internal silence. Meditation offers a silent retreat into our selves and provides clarity, wisdom, and states of bliss. It helps to eradicate the ego and connect us with our highest selves. Meditation has proven to be an effective tool in stress reduction and can lower blood pressure, help students concentrate on tests, and help relieve anxiety.

For the Body....

4) Exercise - At least 30 minutes a day of physical exercise can improve your total health and provide an outlet for life's stressors. Looking for an alternative to the gym? Try swimming, walking, tennis, yoga, martial arts, salsa dancing, capoeira, biking, or any other physical activity that is fun to you. Keep your exercise routine fun and diverse and be sure to include anaerobic, aerobic, and flexibility practices.

5) Diet - Our foods give us the fuel to construct each cell in our body. When we understand that our foods are a key component to our well-being we can begin to have a healthy relationship with food. A proper diet is essential for stress reduction. In addition to limiting our process food intake, we can concentrate on eating nutritious whole foods that are life sustaining. Be sure to make an informed decision on what type of foods you consume according to your specific health needs. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water.

6) Rest - In addition to the recommended eight hours of sleep, give yourself some additional down time where you can relax and enjoy doing nothing. How many days off from work do you give yourself a week? During those times, are you full of errands and overstimulating activity? Sometimes, we just need some down time.

For the Spirit...

7) Spirituality - Connecting to your spiritual side provides a source of strength in all of life's situations. No matter our faith or religion, it is important to feed and nourish our spirits on a regular basis. Find a meaningful discipline that can connect you to the higher realms and develop a spiritual practice that speaks to you.

8) Positive Outlook - Energy flows where our attention goes. If we concentrate on all that we lack or the downside of situations, our upsets will only add fuel to our fires. Whenever possible, choose to put a smile on your face. Create a gratitude list of all that you are thankful for. In an uncomfortable situation, find whatever is positive and focus on that. Pretty soon you will create a positive perspective that will allow your stress to melt in minutes.

9) Self-Care Days - Part of stress reduction if finding time when you can nurture yourself. Get a massage, take a hike on a wooded trail, or sit in a bath tub full of oils. Maybe your self-care day consists of organizing your closet (that certainly makes me feel more mentally clear) or baking treats. Whatever you decide, give yourself plenty of permission to spoil yourself on a regular basis.

10) Find Your Passion - We all need interests and pursuits to make our lives worth living. Is yours music? Fashion? Helping youth? Farming? Discover what makes your life exciting and take action.

Looking for more ways to release stress? Visit www.themetaexperience.com to learn about holistic wellness. 

How to Create Intuitive Art

Give a child a crayon and paper and they create instantaneously. Give an adult a crayon and paper and they pause, think, critique, self-criticize, and compare.

Somehow along the years we have lost our creative flair and our experimental fun. We have become over analyzing and ego-driven creatures. And our ability to create genuine works of art suffer. No matter if you have three Master of Fine Art degrees or have not drawn anything beyond your name since you were a kid, the same thing is true: Our inspirational channels for creativity can easily be blocked by our ego.

Intuitive Painting is a way to create art that is fun and freeing. It is a radical approach to making art. The principal is simple: Ground yourself in awareness, ease, and let your inner source guide you. Who cares how you mark up a page, as long as your marks are created from your inner-spirit. Authenticity and personal clarity is the fundamental driving force in intuitive painting.

Why struggle to create a masterpiece? Let the masterpiece create itself! Follow the following intuitive drawing exercise to find out how.
1) Sit in a comfortable position with a set of colored pencils and paper next to you. Close your eyes first. Let go of any chatter in the mind and find a moment of silence. Allow your mind to be as blank as your sheet of paper. Taking continuous deep breaths allows for the mind to grow still. Focus on nothing other than a place of emptiness.

2) Begin to draw something, anything, while keeping that empty clear mind. (Opening your eyes is optional at this point). Draw the view out your window or the flowers in your vase. Draw the nature of your day, or a memory from before. It doesn't matter the subject. If you are not sure what to draw, just begin making movements with your pencil and let the pencil lead you.

3) Continue to find that space in your mind as you draw. Don't look too hard at what you are drawing. It helps to look away from time to time, even as your hand is moving. Do not grow attached to what you are drawing. Simply move continuously, without stopping. If you pause, 9 times out of 10 you are thinking. And we want to curb the thinking, as this relates purely to the ego.

4) Practice to draw from a space of emptiness and non-attachment regularly. This takes out the control factor. Your pencil will begin to move before your thoughts do, and, with practice, your drawing will draw itself.


Intuitive Painting with The Meta Experience:
Four Consecutive Thursdays
Early Spring Session: March 11 - April 1, 2010
7:45pm - 9:15pm
Baltimore Yoga Village, Hampden Location
3000 Chestnut Ave. #15, Baltimore, MD 21211 (Parking and entrance on Mill Road)
$160 ($105 for students)
Price includes a complimentary half hour Reiki session
* The registration deadline for a session is three days before class begins
This fun four-week workshop combines active meditation with drawing and painting to produce meaningful works of art. The emphasis is on abstraction and introspection. Participants will engage in guided meditation sessions, followed by non-traditional drawing and painting exercises. Participants will broaden their understanding on how/why we make art and will gain a therapeutic home practice. The classes are for novice and experienced artists alike. A cumulative class exhibition will be held at The Baltimore Yoga Village in the summer.

This class is a part of the Love MySelf Program, which is geared towards helping people find wellness through the visual and healing arts. Other Love MySelf Program classes include Light Consciousness and Meditation Intensive. Discounts are given to participants who take more than one class.

For more information on Intuitive Painting or the Love MySelf Program, visit www.themetaexperience.com.

7 Steps to Creating a New Reality

Feeling blue, blah or bummed? It happens to the best of us. The pressures from everyday life can feel more powerful then any internal peace we may have cultivated. The bill collector calls more frequently then you'd like, you're feeling overwhelmed at work, or there may be stresses within the family. These can all start to create a downward spiral in our vibrational body, and we may start to get overwhelmed.

There are plenty of ways to free ourselves from the funk and find a higher vibration. Here are seven steps to making that happen:

#1. Decide to kick the blues out the door: We first and foremost have to choose a new reality. Are you growing comfortable with your crying and wining? Has suffering becoming a familiar friend over the years? It is sometimes hard to break a bond with our pain on all levels. We may say that we are ready for a change, but find ourselves in the same habits that have caused the stress or discomfort to begin with. Detach yourself from any need to harbor pain. It wouldn't make sense to talk about dieting while eating two bags of chips.

#2. Own up to your experience: Healing takes a certain level of self-responsibility. It's easy to cling to victimhood and play the "poor me" role. But that will only create more circumstances in which we are feeling full of suffering. We create our realities and everything we are experiencing, either on a conscious or subconscious level. No one does anything to us, and the world isn't out to get us. Everyone and everything around us is a reflection of thoughts, beliefs, and feelings we have about ourselves. A woman who has the belief that "a good man is hard to find" is less likely to find a successful companion than the woman who has the belief that "there is an abundance of compatible men for me." The first woman is holding onto a fear and therefore creates this fear in her reality. The second woman is thinking a thought form that attracts her to a man that is compatible for her. Acknowledge that we have created the circumstance (the debt, the stress, the disturbance), accept the scenario for what it is and without judgement, and then let it go.

#3. Create a new reality: If you are upset that your car isn't working, attract a new car. If you are having issues in your romantic relationship, make it the relationship of your dreams. It sounds "easier said then done" but it is only as difficult as you make it. Imagine it, affirm it, believe it, emerge your whole being in it. If you had the life you always wanted, where would it be? Who would be with you? How would you feel? What would you be doing? Get specific, and imagine it as if it is in the present moment, right now. Decide this is your new reality. Tada! You've just created this for yourself.

#4. Trust, it's the magic wand and the catalyst! Creating a new reality only takes a second. It's the trust in your new reality that may take time to build. And again, that time is relative to whenever you decide to trust. If trusting is your thing, then gosh, you should be meeting your dream date in a few minutes now! A lot of times our fears, negative perceptions, and distrust in the creative process interferes with our new, chosen reality. Let go of the anxieties and the self-sabotaging. Let go of the limited beliefs. Trust in your creation of your new reality. Trust and faith are the two five letter words will give you momentum for your new reality.

#5. Don't worry. Be Happy! The thing about happy people is life always looks a little easier for them. They have turned life's lemons into lemonades. Be in the feeling of happiness, success and joy as much as possible. Be around as many positive folks as you can. If anyone is interfering with your joy, or bursting your new reality, send them a happy thought and take a break from them. No need to waste your energy on things that don't serve you.

#6. Live your new reality: Creating a life as a best selling author? Write your bio exactly as you imagine it and have your future press-release ready. Working on attracting a million dollars? Write yourself a check for that amount and carry it in your wallet. You don't have to wait for your new reality to happen before you can start acting it out. It may feel like you are lying and playing make believe but so what. Make believe was a land we lived in as children where anything could happen. We were powerful and unlimited. We need to bring that creative energy into our adult lives. In any case, living our new reality feels good.

#7. Tell a friend: Feeling good and raising your vibration in your self-created world makes anything possible. This good feeling feels even better when you share your enthusiasm with others. Perhaps you would like to create your new reality with a buddy. Maybe you want to do it with a circle of friends. It feels more real when others can affirm your new existence. It gives us courage and inspiration to move forward.

Now that you are fueled with a plan to live a better life, go live it. You can send me a postcard from your new place in the world.




The Author of this blog: Helina Metaferia has created a reality as an Artist and Holistic Practitioner in beautiful Maryland. Check out her website: www.themetaexperience.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @MetaExperience.