5 Spiritual Benefits of Exercise

At this day and age you would think the fact that our physical bodies require exercise is such as no brainer... however I keep coming across 'spiritual' people who feel they are on the journey of their lifetimes without getting off of their arse.

Well, that is simply not possible - you can get some of the way down that long road, however, without being physically active you are not going to get far. This trip simply requires all of you - body, mind and spirit to be fully present and in working order.

Exercise or physical activity has many benefits for the body and mind. Science has been studying some of them for well over a century and perhaps longer and there is much written on this subject. Sport psychology is newer science but nevertheless equally important with some well known axioms such as the part played by the mind in achievement.

One aspect of our humanness that often gets left out of this equation is how exercise has many positive benefits for our spiritual selves. We often think of this part of us as existing outside or separate in some manner from the rest of our denser attributes. However, it is not, we are not and physical exercise is critical to the health of our entire being.

Some of the ways that exercise can benefit those of us walking a spiritual path in particular are centered around our energy field, while other positive aspects are more grounded in this reality. The following are a few of my own observations about spirit and exercise.

1. Exercise helps build an energy bridge between body, mind and spirit. We can look at this in terms of newly formed synapses in the brain or to better development and function of glands such as the pineal gland involved in the awakening of higher consciousness. Of course, our minds are far clearer, insights and ideas often arrive through activity and we feel more connected within.

2. There is a large element of detox arising from exercise which has immediate and far reaching advantages for the entire body, but also for the spiritual aspects of our beings. When we are detoxing regularly some of the poisons we have been exposed to, every cellular process benefits from this. Not only are we brighter and lighter we are also able to experience our path more and perhaps enjoy it. Detoxing clears the spirit as much as the body and mind.

3. When we move physically our energy field responds by shifting and realignment - this is an important function of exercise, energy blocks, resistance and stagnant areas within the energy field will be forced to loosen up and will be easier to work on. It's like any other place where there has been little light for some time, once you give it a bit of a shake, the whole thing may unravel.

4. Building the body is not the least of these - perhaps it is the most overlooked aspect of exercising for spiritual reasons. Even for those of us walking this spiritual path, we often lose sight of the fact that 'god' or our divine light, resides inside of us. This means we are literally the 'house of god' and must take care accordingly. This is not complicated - take care of your body and it will reward you with wonderful health and a deeper connection to higher consciousness.

5. Another aspect to having a daily exercise regimen is the fact that nothing else on earth balances hormones as quickly or as easily as adequate exercise. Our endocrine function is a fundamental piece of communication for inner worlds in a multi-dimensional human being. When any part of our hormonal transmission and exchange is not working - we are not receiving inner guidance as we should. This can be a risky experience for those walking the path of higher consciousness.

There are many other positive benefits of exercise these are just a few listed here that I can say I notice on a daily basis. You must be in your body to walk this path, it is the only place where it all happens and the only space you can occupy.

Make the most of it, for your own benefit.

April

sunflower in my herb garden 

Listening, Hearing and Ignoring

So, what is it that you keep putting off? What words of inner wisdom are gently washing ashore for your benefit and yet, you feel them, hear them, but cannot for the life of you seem to do anything about them?

I'm not entirely sure what to call this state of mind we all find ourselves in from time to time (blocked, resistant?). However, it is real and happens far too often to be good for us. Usually this goes on until there are a pile of changes, things, advice and tasks we should be doing or have done - yet they linger on.

And what do we do? After a while we start to get down, feeling heavy, weighted and dragging in our spirits as if there was a heavy burden on our backs. At times we make feeble attempts to hack away at that list, to no avail. 

The interest, motivation and energy to get going is just not there.

However, if we can get the presence of mind enough, or perhaps find an open door to walk through into some much needed clarity, then sometimes that is all that it takes to finally begin to roll once again towards our desired goals.

For me, whenever I feel this way and this dark heavy energy has settled over me like a wet blanket, if I can get myself focused enough to do something different or get physical, I can often overcome this energy block and actually accomplish something for the day.

Today, and for these past few days, some old negative patterns such as this have been coming up to the surface for me, I have been doing nearly everything to force the energy to move and then to keep things moving. 

Today, after my workout, I just jumped into cooking some recipes I had been putting off (there it is!). Then I went out into my herb garden and planted, pulled weeds and generally dug in for an hour or so. Next I am going to make some technical changes to my blogs (another task put off) and then work my way down my growing list.

The main issue with knowing, wanting or needing to make some of these changes, or to complete some task is not the fact that they do not get done. The main problem here is how much energy can be tied up, waiting for us to complete one task in order to move on or create an opening for something else. 

We have to decide to walk through each outer door as it presents itself (or not) long before we can gain access to inner doors. That's just how energy works.

Have an active day,

April

painting with my 5 year old

What is Energy? an excerpt from Universal Energy Laws

Usually the most common definition for energy is the ability to do work, it can also be used in reference to the ability to make something happen. Both of these definitions put forward some powerful and interesting concepts. Other words that can be used for energy according to the thesaurus are: vigour, vitality, life, spiritedness, spark, strength, power, drive, fire, force, and so forth. 

But you probably get the picture. All of these words and even these most simple definitions equate energy as being very similar to other elemental forces. 

When we speak of energy in terms of the ability to do work, this is where energy comes into its own. Our bodies must ‘work’ and be in working order, otherwise we are dysfunctional (something is NOT working) or become sick and depressed. 

One very important aspect of living on this planet, is that all human beings need to contribute to the consciousness, and for many of us, this is our work. If this is your work, then you are responsible for keeping your body, mind and soul, clear, clean and in great condition. 

Otherwise what sort of energy are you actually contributing? 

When we think of energy in terms of the ability to make something happen, this implies that it is a force and can be used or applied to other things. If this is the case then I can shift or move energy from place to place or transfer it from one site to another. Actually this is a very simple process and is what takes place during energy therapy, for example. 

This concept also helps us to understand the very real situation of energetic blocks, resistance, reluctance, denial and refusal- each of these is a problem within the energy field and leads to all sorts of chronic issues such as anxiety, overweight, dis-ease and dysfunction.

An energy BLOCK, is a place of little or no movement within the energy field. It contains energy that is stagnant, immovable, frozen or stuck and if not dealt with will lead to dis-ease and dysfunction.

What is Consciousness and what does it have to do with energy? 

Consciousness is a force first of all. The dictionary refers to it as a state of awareness, alert, responsive, mindfulness, with actions that are purposeful, deliberate and knowing. This is loaded! Imagine the planet becoming a living breathing aware and conscious being…oh the things we could do. 

Like all energy, consciousness is alive and lives within your cells residing in the WATERY matrix in living tissue. The task then becomes to connect to your highest levels of consciousness and allow your body to be pulled up to vibrate at the highest point. 

This is especially important with the food we feed our bodies such as living food like fresh vegetables and fruit. In a plant based diet these living foods contain consciousness, while ‘dead’ food (some meats, prepared meals, highly processed food) does not, a good reason to limit fish and meat and cut out rubbish.

Water is also able to alter its composition to become conscious, this is how consciousness is moved within cells, and therefore is the medium for a gradual process of awakening. In fact water is so important to you as a healer, energy practitioner, therapist or light worker, your body, mind and soul cannot integrate (arrive back together) unless you change your vibration through water. 

To connect with the highest vibration of love and consciousness, and then to draw to you what is yours, you have to at least rise up to meet it. Closing the Energy Leaks© then becomes part of the whole process, which includes pure food and movement and taking action.  

It is not enough to just visualize or meditate, no matter what others may say! You must then act (move) on what your heart desires and not be a passive watcher. This movement includes exercise and the right diet as well as managing your own energy.

***excerpt from Universal Energy Laws by April Danann available on Kindle  special price this week! 

5 Things to Do Today - on Your Spiritual Path

Let's face it, there are many of us walking along on this path inwards as we reach for our own higher consciousness - and every day is different. However, for some it can seem as if each task, every day, to achieve anything significant takes an enormous amount of effort.

And it does - there is opposition, resistance, negativity and all sorts of fear to be overcome as we move along these shores. At times, it may appear as if we forget to live each day, we have been so focused on just following and listening.

There are times when you need to relax a little and re-ground your energies into each new level of reality as it is reached. Perhaps to take some time out for yourself every day, just to centre and remember who you are and why you are doing this.

I have listed a few things I have found to help me remain focused on the path, but also which remind me to allow this journey to be the life I am living. Completely.

1. Plan something fun or just do something you enjoy doing. If you have children, play with them or follow their lead, they always find something to do and make it entertaining. You can paint, draw, play a game, draw a hopscotch outside, swing, lie in the sun, colour a picture, read a funny book and laugh at yourself. 

2. I don't know about you, but being in the garden, planting and digging in the soil are some of my favourite past times. Today, get some seeds and plant a herb garden - if it's too late to do that outside, use pots or plant them inside. I like to plant seeds in stages - about a week or 10 days apart, so that I have a steady supply of some of my most used ones. I do this with coriander and basil especially. Parsley grows really well outside and is prolific, it will grow over the winter in a warmer spot (shelter from the wind) and you can get a good amount of herb from each plant for your cooking.

3. Why not plan a fast or better still, do not eat anything else today. Choose instead to sip on clean spring or well water, clear herbal teas with lemon and nothing else as you go about your day. For the next 24 hours or so, you can give your digestion a little break, flush out some toxins and revive your system. You will not only feel better, but will rehydrate your skin and have a clear, focused mind.

4. Even if you exercise already, why not do something different today? Instead of your same old routine start a new one, or break your session up into 2 or 3 mini sessions throughout the day. This keeps your metabolism boosted, oxygenates your brain and helps with concentration and mindfulness. Try a run-walk-jog for about 10 minutes - sprinting for 30 seconds or so every couple of minutes...your body will thank you.

5. Write. Record your journey or your day. Write down your dreams, your ideas and thoughts, start a new journal or diary. Choose a beautiful journal (or better still make one) and keep it for yourself - make this a part of your own special time. Your time to reflect on who you are and all you are doing to get back to yourself. 

Today is a great day to get started on doing more for yourself, deepen and enrich your own life as you follow your path inwards. Have a healthy day,

April

Flowers in the garden

Making the Internal Connections

Once you start the process of re-gaining ground inside of your mind (perhaps referred to as finding your will power as well) anything you then set your 'mind' to, can be accomplished. Easily. The single greatest benefit of these detoxes for me has been coming more into the present.

The entire game is all about focus, which generally means our minds, but also a few other aspects associated with the body. There are two things that come up here for me - I repeatedly see, read or hear people advise others to conquer or get out of their minds and there is a mind-body connection to our immune system.

Our minds are part of the body and soul package - these elements are not separate from each other. If and when anything (known or unknown) has a detrimental affect on either of these components, it will affect the entire organism. In other words, a toxin in your body, will influence your mind and soul equally or more so.

Whatever you do, stay in your mind - it is a huge part of your body, quite necessary for all you do, especially to 'create' the life you want to have and follow your dreams. A lot of the work of change, opening up and even the path we are all on, takes place in our minds.

So we have established how much we need our minds. Yet we are pushed out of them, interfered with and struggle with negative or dark energies which affect our thoughts. Some of these can be traced back to an all too commonplace modern 'problem'. 

One of the biggest toxins on the planet, which is widely known, however, it is also commonly accepted (and used in many applications) – is the presence of synthetic hormones. The majority of these chemicals end up remaining in the stores of fat in our bodies.

Synthetic, man-made endocrine disruptors are found throughout the food chain, in packaging, water, chemicals in clothing, medications, in nearly everything we touch and even the air we breathe. 

Hormones of one sort or another are everywhere and more are being made every day. What I want you to see here is the connection between man-made synthetic hormones, fallen angels, mold (yeast, fungus), internal messages and body systems.

Synthetic hormones – man made chemicals acting and overriding natural human body function

Fallen Angels – messengers of God who chose power over love

Mold (yeast, fungus) – single celled opportunistic pathogens taking up too much space in our bodies

Internal messages – communication inside our bodies between and from all organs and cells, vital link to higher consciousness

Body Systems – all systems go down, de-regulate and dysfunction when hormones are not working properly

Each of these are linked because one feeds off of the other, for example, yeast creates an acidic toxic environment inside your gut. Molds release their own hormones, which would have the vibration of the Fallen Angels. When present in sufficient numbers, internal messages get clogged, diverted and lost, then body systems deregulate and dysfunction results. 

What comes first? Perhaps the body systems going down such as immune function, this allows the mold, yeast and fungus to overgrow in different areas within the gut. This organism then releases it’s own hormones, overriding and interfering with the body’s own natural human hormones.

Internal messages then get mixed up with those from the mold, confusing the body’s hormones and signal system or feedback loop. Once all of this is set into motion – within a weakened body, other synthetic hormones we are exposed to (and which are difficult to detox) work in concert with each other. It’s a vicious cycle of fake hormones.

There is so much coming in at us, on a daily basis we are ingesting birth control pills (don’t think so? Check your tap water), steroids, foods wrapped in plastic leaching BPA, water in plastic bottles, wearing synthetic clothing, taking medications, sleeping on plastic mattresses – we are ingesting hormones on every turn. 

This situation is pretty bad, however what is far worse is the fact we are absolutely not detoxing any of this stuff out. The number one issue facing us as the human race right now is not each of these diseases or conditions we hear about (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity) – it is the source of them. 

Hormone dysfunction. Our internal messaging system has been taken over and hijacked by this criminal group of Fallen Angels (endocrine disruptors). They have a hold on us and are not going to let go, until we force them out. 

It is really this simple. 

This situation is extremely important for those of us walking the spiritual path because we must rely on our senses, internal messaging system, communication from ‘the living God’ and all manner of intuitive guidance. Otherwise we cannot keep ourselves safe nor can we listen for, understand and follow the signs provided by our body.

Of course, everyone should have a fully functioning hormonal system, with their bodies up and running in a healthy manner. There is a way to achieve this, all it takes is commitment and dedication to healthy eating, clean water and lifestyle changes such as fasting and exercise. 

How much information and vital guidance are we missing out on with our internal communications system down?

Even a small change has a big effect.

April

Barley Cove beach - West Cork

Learn to Listen

For those of you who are channelers, or who are investigating this line of ‘work’, there may be some areas you want to consider before proceeding down this road. Speaking from experience here, there are a few things you should know.

First of all, you only want your own energy inside of your body, channeling and communication with other beings most likely involves calling something in. It is not ever advisable to welcome into your physical body foreign entities not belonging to you and who do not belong to this planet. 

This should not be an area of compromise.

The second point here, is if you feel you need to channel an energy (and call in beings, energy entities, ghosts, orbs, spirits etc.) then you have not done your own spiritual work, primarily because, once you are tackling your own path/mission/purpose you will quickly discover that---

You ARE the wisdom, you ARE the truth, and you already have ALL that you require inside your own body.

Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that you have arrived here on this planet without the tools, abilities and inner guidance system that is needed to navigate your way in this world.

You can access this wisdom, and this knowledge once you are firmly on your way to higher consciousness. The only means that will open these inner doors are  eating, drinking, fasting, walking the talk, exercise and energy management. In other words, taking exquisite care of yourself. 

BUT these are YOUR doors to open and NOT anyone else’s.

In the meantime, until you are spiritually mature enough to go it alone, your very own Mother/Father God (like all good parents) will guide you as any loving parent guides a child.

These things are NOT complicated- remember that our lives are set up to mirror exactly the way the universe works and has been operating since before time began.

This is vital information for all those who are walking (or attempting to) the spiritual path, seeking higher truths, awakening to embody consciousness and asking these questions about themselves. 

Do not look out there for the truth, it is buried, hidden in symbols, signs and messages rising up from deep within the cells of our bodies. Although they may be found anywhere - the media is not the best place to find guidance. 

When we look into the mirror we see a LOT of false media (includes energy entities), untrue and misrepresented events and a clear LACK of reporting of the very facts that humans need to make sound, rational decisions.

For example, just look at the most recent farce that has been the Swine Flu 'pandemic', it was over reported to the point of hype with facts that did not add up or were patently untrue and unsubstantial.

Now, here you have found your embedded fallen Arch Angel group (there are MANY good Angels, but that is another post) the hosts and legions of entities, groups, messengers, lackeys and errand boys of a parallel UNIVERSE.

All decimating false, corrupt and misleading information.

And these are an uncouth lot, just like those who manage our media systems and control the information that we have access to. They also control our food, sick care, education, governments, and everything else you can imagine.

We see select reporting on things that either do NOT matter or false reports on important issues, while the REAL news that actually would be of interest and assistance to humanity is hidden, cloaked and masked this is the specialty of this group of criminals.

Your internal messages, the information you need will find you, it will be repeated on your own internal broadcast system - not one thing from the false media of entities (and many humans) is required. 

What you are seeking is here.

April

Bergamot in the garden