P-51 Mustang

Last year (2011) held some difficult lessons for me. In April, I had a biopsy that turned up positive for prostate cancer. I was shocked! My health had been fine for years. After the shock, fear set in. Cancer is a scary word. My dad died of prostate cancer, and I pictured him the day he died, heavily sedated and moaning in pain. I did not want to die like that.

With surgery scheduled for the end of the summer, my wife and I worked on healing meditations to reduce the cancer. A family road trip to Minnesota served as another excuse to put off my prostatectomy. Shortly after returning from the trip, I checked in for surgery at the U of W Medical Center, on August 29^th. The surgery went smoothly, and they only found one cc of cancer. It appeared contained within my prostate, and they took the whole prostate. The most frightening aspect of my experience seemed to be over.

For some reason, it wasn’t. I had gone into surgery unafraid, and I made it through surgery fine. A few days after surgery, they sent me home with a catheter bag and a long list of symptoms or problems to watch out for, including signs of infection. I came home from the hospital feeling weak and vulnerable, afraid that I’d tear something open. I especially worried that in my weakened state, I’d get an infection or pick up some other illness. Once the catheter was out, I found myself dealing with a bad case of incontinence.

The whole experience triggered an enormous amount of anxiety, something I don’t usually have. I don’t even remember what all of my fears were about. Some seemed to be from childhood, and some were related to past lives. For example, being strapped to the operating table triggered a past-life memory of an ancient torture chamber.

My prospects were always good. Stage II prostate cancer is very treatable, but having a disease brought up past-life memories of miserable deaths from one illness or another. Having this old stuff dredged up led to a lot of irrational fear and some long, miserable anxiety attacks. Having this stuff dredged up also gave me an opportunity to work on letting go of it. Releasing old fears, anxieties and other emotional blocks is a powerful way to clean out your energy system, raise your vibration and advance your spiritual growth. I believe this is one of the reasons I got cancer, so I’d have the opportunity to clear out old stuck energy. An even more important benefit I received was some very valuable spiritual lessons that I’ll cover in another blog.

To let go of the stuck energy, I used a very effective meditation technique that clears blocks from your aura and chakras. As author of Simple Meditation, I admit that you may find this meditation to be a little complex. It is well worth your time and could lead to significant spiritual growth.

 Meditation for Releasing Old Fears

Sitting in a comfortable chair will make this exercise easier, although you could even do this in bed.  Grounding and Running Your Energies is important. I highly recommend that you read up on those exercises. If you don’t have the time, at least be sure to ground yourself by visualizing a beam of light extending from the base of your spine to the center of the earth. This will act as your grounding cord and give you a place to release any blocks you’ll be letting go of.

Once you’re done running your energies, you should be in a calm, meditative state. If you only have a vague idea of what you want to release, you can simply hold the intention to bring up images of what needs releasing. For instance, you might think to yourself, I’d like to release the energy from old experiences that make me afraid to speak out in a group setting. You might see an image appear of a bully making fun of you during elementary school. As you hold that image in your mind, see it as a picture in front of you. Attach a grounding cord to it by visualizing a cord that extends from the bottom of the image down to the center of the earth, like the grounding cord you created for yourself. This cord will allow the energy from the picture to drain out, releasing the energy of this old memory. After you’ve drained the energy from a picture, you can even blow it up, to further release energy. Your intention (visualization) to do these things is all you need to create results on an energy level.

When you’re done with the first picture, work on finding another and another, draining the energy from each of these old memories. When you’re done grounding these old pictures, the next step is to bring some very high vibration energy into your chakras and aura, to burn out the remaining remnants of troublesome energy from these pictures. You can do this in a very similar fashion to the exercise I used to Target Cancer with High Vibration Energy. Visualize a beam of very high vibration energy coming down through the top of your head and targeting any old fears or other emotional baggage that you want to release. Let this high vibration energy burn up the lower vibration blocks, with the remnants running down your grounding cord. The first, second or third chakras are likely places for these energy blocks to be residing. Becoming familiar with the chakras is helpful.

The first (root) chakra relates to security and survival, so fear pictures are likely to be here. The second (sacral) chakra relates to emotions, and the third (solar plexus) chakra relates to issues like self-esteem.

When you feel that you’ve cleared out enough old emotional baggage or low vibration energy for the day, take a deep clearing breath and move onto more meditating or finish up and go on about your day. You might feel a bit out of sorts for a day or two, as your body continues to release old stuff.

 During my recovery, I had plenty of fears and blocks to release, so I used these meditations quite a few times. They helped me get my life back on track quickly.

Although much of what I went through was an awful experience at the time, I’m grateful for what I’ve learned and for the growth I’ve experienced. I’m now back to being calm and confident, but I now have an even greater appreciation for life and am more compassionate and understanding toward others that may be going through their own difficulties. Releasing old fears or other emotional blocks is a wonderful way to start the New Year. This may be especially important this year, with potentially big changes coming in 2012.

Gray Wolf- That's my car mirror on the left side.

Personally, I’m in a place where I could use all of these. Two months ago, I had surgery for prostate cancer. Although it looks like I’m free of cancer, the experience stirred up a whole lot of anxiety and issues, some of which have nothing to do with cancer. I’ll write about them sometime, but for now I’d just like to tell you about Wolf, my totem animal.

So how did a wolf get me that important message? My wife and I were driving near the edge of town, in Bellingham, Washington. A gray wolf trotted out of the woods, so we stopped the car in the middle of the road. The wolf circled our car, occasionally looking up at us. Then, it trotted to the edge of a parking lot, turned and looked at us again. Eventually, it crossed the parking lot and continued towards the wooded hillside at the edge of town. I immediately sensed this was a message from my wolf totem animal, reminding my that he’s nearby. Later, when both my wife and I did some clairvoyant reading, we got the more in-depth message regarding love, support and protection.

The night before, I’d done an hour-long interview on the Spiritual Broadcasting Network, briefly talking about my wolf totem animal. I knew that this had to be far more than coincidence. I also need to mention that wolf sightings are quite rare in Washington, especially wolves that circle your car.

When I have seen and communicated with Wolf, my totem animal, it has been clairvoyantly, especially during vision quests. In other words, I’ve seen his image with my eyes closed, using my third eye’s psychic vision. In speaking with a variety of people, I’ve heard many say their experience with totem animals has been through seeing an actual animal, or even coming across a picture of one at an especially significant time.

For hundreds of years, Native Americans have ventured into the wilderness, seeking their totem animal for direction in life. Their totem animal usually took the form of a vision, like my psychic images during vision quests.

Wolf

In communicating with Wolf, I’ve learned that totem animals are advanced spirits, much like guardian angels and other spirit guides. They take the form of an animal, or call on one, to get a specific message across. For me, the image of a wolf conveys a sense of strength and protection.

You may already be aware of your totem animal too. Are you strongly drawn to a species of animal, collecting pictures or small statues, like the wolves and owls (my wife’s) hanging around our house.  Have you had an encounter with a wild animal and sensed they had a message for you?

Watch for these experiences. You’ll usually get a sense that the animal’s behavior is unusual and significant. You might also consider meditating and contacting your totem animal or spirit guides. This is especially effective on a vision quest trip. Having such an experience can enrich your life and bring you a deeper sense of spiritual connection.

Some cancer patients believe that mainstream medical treatment is their only option for managing their cancer symptoms. While surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can attack and remove cancer, they typically produce additional symptoms and side effects that are painful and inconvenient. To minimize the negative effects of cancer, patients can use complementary medicine alongside standard medical care.

Energy therapy is one complementary method that some patients find very effective in their cancer management. Healing Touch, Intuitive Bodywork, and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) are three energy therapies that can treat side effects, relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve quality of life.

Mountain Lions

According to the American Cancer Society, complementary treatment become integrative therapy when it is performed on-site in hospitals or cancer treatment centers. Many cancer treatment programs now offer complementary therapies to promote overall wellness.

Once a cancer patient may be hopeful that their melanoma is curable, another may be diagnosed with an aggressive cancer like mesothelioma and facing a grim mesothelioma prognosis. Both patients can benefit from energy therapy to manage their cancer symptoms. Energy healing promotes a balance of energy for whole body health: body, mind, emotions, and spirit. It is effective for men and women with any cancer or chronic illness.

Healing Touch

Studies suggest that Healing Touch and forms of therapeutic massage are beneficial cancer treatments. With Healing Touch, practitioners use light, gentle touch to support natural healing. Healing Touch International, reported several studies done on radiation and chemotherapy patients. The research showed the Healing Touch played an important role in reducing both physical and emotional symptoms in patients with breast cancer, gynecological cancers, and other malignancies.

Some practitioners integrate Healing Touch with Intuitive Bodywork. Together, these energy therapies work well with standard medical treatment to manage cancer symptoms and side effects. Any cancer patient can use these complementary treatment methods, whether they are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, mesothelioma, stomach cancer, or another disease.

Intuitive Bodywork

Intuitive Bodywork is also a form of therapeutic massage. It involves a therapist “tuning in” to a patient’s body to discover areas where energy is blocked. Practitioners of Intuitive Bodywork may consult spirit guides or past emotions during therapy sessions.

The therapist serves as a conduit for the flow of life energy. He or she assists a patient in “hearing” their body and releasing the negative elements that block energy. This form of energy healing restores balance and promotes overall health. Patients often report lower stress levels, relief from pain and discomfort, and faster recovery times.

Emotional Freedom Technique

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is another energy therapy that promotes natural healing. It can reduce the fear, anxiety, and emotional stress that many cancer patients suffer. EFT is similar to acupuncture, although no needles are involved in the therapy. This form of energy healing uses tapping and mantras to trigger painful emotions and release them from the body.

Scientific evidence exists today to support mainstream cancer treatments. Energy healing cannot make this claim. But patient testimonials reveal that energy therapy is a valid, effective complementary treatment. While it cannot cure cancer, energy therapy can do wonders to improve life for cancer patients and survivors.

Bio/Byline: Melanie Bowen is an advocate for natural health and cancer cure initiatives. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English with a specialty in Psychology and Medical Research, you will often find her highlighting the great benefits of different nutritional, emotional, and physical treatments on those with illnesses in her efforts to spread awareness.

Bull Bison, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

After an exhausting fourteen-hour drive, and a long wait in line, a friendly man in uniform at Yellowstone National Park’s Norris campground greeted us. “Yep, I’ve got your reservation here for next weekend. You’re here kind of early, aren’t you?”

Home Away From Home

Drats! I thought (or something like that). We must have read the calendar wrong. From the crowds we’d seen, it was apparent this could be a problem. I practiced my grounding meditation technique while he typed into his computer and commented that the whole park had been full every night of the summer. After 10 minutes of computer searching and talking to other employees, he did manage to find us a site for the night. They must hold one or two for such emergencies. Thank God!

The next step, in the check-in process, was listening to a long list of rules regarding camping in grizzly bear country. Rangers can fine you for even leaving a water bottle sitting on a picnic table. Those bears must be hungry. Leaving food or toiletries out is a definite no-no.

Grizzly Bear, Rachel & Heather

Although we camp regularly, we hadn’t used our largest tent for years. Upon setting it up, I was shocked to discover what dreadful condition it was in. Why didn’t I set it up at home first? It almost looked like a bear had already gotten to it. What actually happened is our kids had let it blow into a lake where waves, sand and wind took a terrible toll. The poles were bent. The fly had holes, and worst of all, the zipper would no longer stay closed. The embarrassingly lopsided tent stood open as an invitation to all the bears and mosquitoes in the area. Shortly after we erected the tent, it started to rain.

So, what do you do when you have a faulty tent and nowhere else to go? For five nights of our vacation, four people and our dog crowded into the truck to sleep for the night. This was a character building and bonding family experience that our kids can tell their kids about someday.

The first night, Rachel slept in the front seat, got up in the middle of the night and threw-up. The next night, Heather slept in the front seat, got up in the middle of the night and threw-up. Other than throwing up once, both girls seemed to be in fine health the rest of the trip. They both theorized that the discomfort of the seat raised havoc with their stomachs. On my night for taking the front seat, I slept in a more upright position, avoiding any such turmoil.

Bubbling Pool at Yellowstone

In Yellowstone, we covered many miles and saw a vast variety of wildlife, including a grizzly, pronghorn, wolf, elk, eagle and herds of bison. Be sure to bring good binoculars, because much of the wildlife is off in the distance. Along with wildlife, Yellowstone is known for its geothermal features. In fact, half of the world’s geothermal features are in Yellowstone. After dinner, we toured many of these, including Old Faithful, the neighboring geysers and bubbling pools.

We set out early for Grand Teton National Park, with the kids still asleep in the back of the truck. This is a definite advantage to camping in your vehicle instead of a tent. Like in Yellowstone, there were an incredible number of tourists in Grand Teton National Park. It made me appreciate the lack of crowds in Washington’s North Cascades, our home hiking grounds.

Grand Tetons Mountains Over Jackson Lake, Wyoming

After grabbing a campsite, we drove to Jenny Lake, the most popular spot in the park. Jenny Lake is beautiful and is the starting point for many fine hikes. We set out for one of the most popular trails, Cascade Canyon. Our outing started with a quick boat ride across the lake. We then joined swarms of people on the climb up toward Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Many people don’t go farther than these two scenic stops, so the crowd thinned considerably past Inspiration Point’s Jenny Lake overlook. Scenery on this hike is spectacular, including waterfalls, lake views and an alpine canyon surrounded by jagged peaks. That evening, we watched the changing clouds and colors over Jackson Lake, as the sun dropped behind the Grand Tetons Mountains.

While the girls slept in, we stuffed our pathetic tent into a dumpster and set out for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming. This place is worth seeing. It covers five acres and includes connected museums with five different themes: Buffalo Bill, the plains Indians, western art, firearms, and the Yellowstone region. My wife Mary and I especially identified with the Plains Indian museum, having had a life as Oglala Sioux, approximately 150 years ago. Near the end of that life, I even toured with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

The next morning’s adventure included Teddy Roosevelt National Park’s thirty-six mile loop drive. This winding road brings you through rugged badland terrain with wild horses, prairie dogs, deer and more bison. A big bull bison crossed the road in front of us, so I set out after him at a jog. He stopped and turned towards me, giving me a “leave me alone or else” sort of look, then he continued down into a ravine.

When we reached Minnesota (where most of our relatives live), we borrowed a luxurious motorhome from my sister and brother-in-law. This was so much better than sleeping in the truck! Our next two days included large family get-togethers. We ate a lot of delicious food and visited for hours.

Simple Meditation (Cover)

On August 7^th, Mary and I did a presentation on my book (Simple Meditation) at The Valley Bookseller. The St Paul Pioneer Press had run a great story that detailed my search for solitude, trying to escape a hectic life with 70-80 hour work-weeks. There were far more people than chairs at the event, and participants actually stood patiently through our 45-minute talk. The store sold 26 books, and we received a very warm reception. Amongst the crowd were friends, relatives and classmates that I hadn’t seen for years. It was very heartwarming to get such support.

On their first day of yacht ownership, my sister and brother-in-law hosted a cruise on their 37 foot Carver. This is a very comfortable way to get out on the water, one we could get used to.

Our last day in Minnesota, I finally used my whitewater kayaks for their intended purpose, rather than just as luggage compartments strapped to the top of our truck. Mary’ brother, Jeff Hobbs and I found some great kayak surfing waves on the Apple River in Wisconsin. Later that day, we kayaked again, on the St Croix River.

In Minnesota, Mary and I had become spoiled by luxuries like motorhomes and yachts. On the way home to Washington, we desperately wanted to avoid another night in the truck, so we called every motel for miles and even stopped at a few, inquiring about vacancies. At one such stop, at a truck stop/motel in Montana, we watched a drug deal taking place in the two cars next to us. My wife and kids were all yelling things like, “Hurry up and get us out of here!” I did.

Every motel we tried was full for the night, so we spent our last night in the truck, sharing the wayside rest with bikers returning from Sturgis, truckers and some rugged looking travelers. After another uncomfortable night in the truck, and twenty-eight hours of driving, it sure felt great to arrive at home.

Sunset over Lake Whatcom, WA

To update you on my experience, these exercises are having a positive impact. Over the past few years, my PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) had been steadily rising, which is why my doctor recommended a biopsy. The biopsy results showed cancer. A pathologist at the University of Washington gave it a Gleason Score of seven.

Although I scheduled surgery for the end of August, my wife and I began alternative approaches to improve my health ourselves, changing to a more alkaline diet, taking supplements and using energy-healing meditations. I recently got another PSA test, and my score had dropped 18%, into the high end of a normal range for my age (51). According to a lab tech that I spoke with, it’s quite unusual to have prostate cancer and see a drop in PSA. My plan is to continue what we’re doing, check my PSA again, and make a careful decision regarding surgery.

If you’re dealing with cancer or another illness, these healing meditations can help. If you’re in fine health, they make a good preventative step.

These techniques work on a quantum energy level, because energy responds to our thoughts. When you visualize quantum energy moving or changing, you are actually causing it to do what you envision. These changes don’t always manifest immediately on the physical plane, so please be persistent. Meditating has the additional benefit of releasing stress, which can hamper your immune system.

Target Cancer with High Vibration Energy

It is best to do this exercise sitting upright. Grounding and Running Your Energies are a beneficial way to start. If you don’t have time to read those exercises, start by visualizing a beam of light extending from the base of your spine to the center of the earth. This will act as your grounding cord and give you a place to release any unwanted energies.

For Running Your Energies, you bring high vibration cosmic energy through the top of your head (crown chakra). For this exercise, use even higher vibration energy. I ask for spiritual help at creating a beam of very high vibration and pure energy/light that looks like clear water with bright white light shining through it. My clairvoyant training was not based on any religion, but we referred to this vibration as Christ Force Energy, the energy vibration that Christ healed with.

See this beam of intense energy focused down through the top of your head, lighting up the area that you are working to heal. For me, this is my prostate. Visualize the intensity and brightness dissolving away any unhealthy tissue. You might think of this beam like radiation treatment, or a laser beam, except it’s not harmful to your healthy tissue. Watch as the energy and light disperses from its initial target to the rest of your body, so it can heal other areas. Let any unwanted energy debris flush down your grounding cord.

When you feel ready, move on to another exercise or take a few deep breaths and finish your meditation.

Reprogramming Your DNA

The energy debris or toxins, mentioned in my earlier article, can cause mutations in one of your cell’s DNA. If your immune system is not working well enough to catch this, the mutated DNA can be the start to cancer, as the mutated cells continue to grow and divide. As the cancer grows, it looks less and less like normal cells. That first meditation targets the severely deformed cells, while this exercise’s purpose is to replace mutated cells and to correct faulty DNA before they start causing trouble.

Once you’re in a meditative state, hold the intention of finding an ideal cell with perfect DNA. Hold the intention that your other cells match this cell. Visualize this taking place throughout your body. I even visualize a whirring noise as this takes place in cell after cell. When you feel as if the job is complete, move onto another meditation or take a few deep breaths and go on about your day.

Dealing with your own cancer provides a powerful incentive for learning more about energy healing meditations. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing, both dealing and learning. Yes, I’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, with a Gleason Score of seven. At first, this caused a rollercoaster of emotions. My first reaction was shock, since I’m almost always in good health. How could I have cancer? Some fear followed right behind the shock, since the word “cancer” brings up dreadful images, like the condition my dad was in the last day of his life.

A big shift occurred after one of my meditation sessi

Curt & Riva Backpacking

ons. At the suggestion of a wise spiritual being, I sent loving, positive energy to my prostate including the cancer. This is quite different than my initial reaction of viewing it as a horrible, invasive thing in me. When I finished my meditation, it no longer seemed so frightening or awful, making it much easier to relax. That’s a good thing, because stress causes your immune system to shut down. Now, my focus is on healing and good health.

An illness like cancer can have a number of contributing causes, some physical and some spiritual. On a spiritual level, I’ve (my higher or spiritual self) manifested this as a way to deepen my spirituality and to further develop my healing skills. This seems to be working, in that I have been meditating more, raising my energy vibration to new heights and working with a very advanced group of spiritual beings, learning new healing techniques.

On a physical level, a few issues probably increased my risk for cancer. My dad died of prostate cancer, which is one mark against me (heredity factor), and one I can’t do much about. I’ve also experiences a lot of stress, especially in the years before I started meditating. Carelessly handling chemicals and toxins, during construction and remodeling work, probably didn’t help either.

In learning new healing meditation techniques, I’ve been fortunate to work with inspirational spiritual beings, like Archangel Raphael. He is willing and able to work with anyone that asks, including you. Archangels are capable of doing many things at once, so if you call on him, you won’t be tearing him away from something more important. Archangels are found in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. There are also many non-religious people that believe in angels. My belief in angels and archangels is based on my own clairvoyant experiences, as I’ve found them to be very real, powerful and loving beings.

In dealing with cancer, knowing that I have such powerful help has made the whole situation much less frightening. Meditating definitely helps with that too. The purpose of this article is to share with you some meditations for clearing stuck energy and physical toxins that can cause cancer or other ailments. If you already have cancer, these exercises can help, but you’ll need to do more to actually target the cancer cells. I’ll cover meditations for that in future articles.

These techniques work on a quantum energy level, because quantum energy responds to our thoughts or intentions. You can also adapt and utilize these visualization meditations as energy healing techniques for the benefit of someone else, even from a distance. Just visualize their body along with the steps described in the exercises below.

These techniques are not intended to replace medical treatment. They are intended to work with and supplement whatever medical treatment you are receiving. If you are currently healthy, they are a good preventative measure.

Ring of Energy Visualization for Removing Debris

You can do this exercise sitting in a chair or lying in bed. Grounding and Running Your Energies is a wise way to start any meditation. Having a grounding cord is especially important for this exercise, because it gives you a place to release any energy debris. Once you’re in a relaxed meditative state, with a grounding cord in place, visualize a hula-hoop sized ring (one meter across) hovering above your head with a beam of emerald green healing energy extending across the inside of the ring. I usually ask Archangel Raphael to supply this especially powerful energy. Slowly visualize the ring moving down over your head and slowly down your body. See the green energy pushing any of your dark, stuck energy down with the ring. When the ring passes your feet, this dark energy will be pushed out of your body and travel down your grounding cord. You can then let the ring disappear with a pop. Next, let Raphael’s green energy pour down through the top of your head and fill your body with its soothing and healing power. Once you’ve done that, thank Raphael, take a few deep, clearing breaths and finish meditating, or move onto another exercise.

Healing Waves Meditation for Washing Away Toxins

An advanced healing guide suggested this meditation to my wife Mary, for removing toxins from the body that can contribute to cancer. The healing guide briefly mentioned that the ions in saltwater would help carry toxins out. I don’t know enough about chemistry to explain how this works, but I trust him as an excellent source for information.

You can do this visualization meditation sitting or lying down. Once you’re in a relaxed, meditative state, visualize a saltwater wave sweeping over your head and pouring down through you, as if the water could pass right through you. Let it wash through every part of you, and visualize it carrying any toxins with it, until you have the sense that they’ve all been removed. You might see the toxins as little black specks. Once you’re ready, take a few deep, clearing breaths and finish meditating or move onto another exercise.

Toastmasters Logo

Many of us have done our best to avoid speeches or business presentations. For most of my adult life, I’d face challenges like whitewater kayaking, black diamond ski runs and mountain climbing, but when a client would ask me to put on a presentation, I’d feel a sense of panic come on. Usually, I’d struggle through, but I certainly wouldn’t have volunteered to give a presentation or speech.

Once I decided to write a book (Simple Meditation), it became clear that I’d have to get up in front of audiences, for book signing at the very least. So what do people do to overcome their fear of public speaking? Join Toastmasters, of course.

Climbing mountains was less scary than public speaking

I joined in 2009 and fast-tracked through the Competent Communicator Manual, completing the ten speech assignments in five months. There are a lot of other roles at a Toastmasters meeting that will get you speaking, without actually being one of the “speakers.” As I attended weekly meetings, I did get better at speaking. I also learned that it can be downright fun, challenging, even exhilarating. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you connected with people and got an important message across. A well done speech or presentation also gives you a chance to get your message out, whether your goal is to get information out, persuade others on an important topic or learn to sell your nifty product.

Not only is Toastmasters a place to improve your speaking skills, but you learn to listen better, gain self-confidence, hear some fascinating speeches and meet some very nice people.

With my book now in print, I am booking numerous speaking engagements, and I’m very thankful for the skills I’ve learned at Toastmasters. By the way, if you’re interested in booking me for a speaking engagement, my talks focus on meditation, spirituality, nature and the trips you can find on my website. Email me, and we can discuss your needs.

If you do something in your life that involves communication with others (most of us do), especially in groups, of if you’d just like to meet nice people and hear fascinating speeches, I encourage you to visit a Toastmasters meeting. They are a very welcoming place. You just might find that it’s a lot of fun and not so scary after all.

Introduction

Simple Meditation- front cover

 Have you ever felt as if there should be more to life? A deeper meaning or greater purpose? Less stress? More happiness? Maybe more of a spiritual connection?

I’ll bet you’ve even had moments when you experienced this spiritual connection, times when you were fully involved in what you were doing, blissfully happy and thinking of nothing else. Maybe you were sitting on a beach listening to waves roll into shore. Or you may have been in the mountains, gazing in awe at a spectacular view. Maybe you were looking into a crib, watching your baby sleep.

Wherever you were, it was a moment when your thoughts got out of the way, so you could experience that deeper, inner part of you, the spiritual part that is naturally calmer, wiser, and happier, the part that understands all things are connected.

In the pages of this book, you’ll find the information and tools you need to experience more of that spiritual part of you, the part that can let thoughts go and be fully in the present.

Tuning into the details of nature is a wonderful way to let go of other thoughts and to start meditating. You could sit calmly in the woods, listening to the birds sing or the wind blow through the trees. Spending this time in nature puts you in a healthy environment, connected to the energy of a beautiful place.

Such escapes to nature kept me sane during the 1990s, while I worked seventy-hour weeks running a real estate appraisal business. Eventually, I started to learn and develop meditation techniques that went even further than connecting with nature, and I could do them without leaving the comfort of home.

Although we spend our days rooted in the physical world that we can see, we are part of a vast field of quantum energy that we can’t see. The chapter on spiritual connections provides insight into those unseen, heavenly aspects of our universe that affect our lives every day. By understanding and working with the spiritual realm, we can improve the quality of our lives on earth.

Many of the exercises in the following chapters use the power of visualization to tap into this unseen energy, using it to access information or to release blocks to your emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. One of the easiest ways to release these blocks is through an exercise that runs more energy through your system, keeping it clean like a mountain stream.Relationships are a key factor in the quality of our lives. Meditation can help you let go of anger, resentment, and fear, blocks to great relationships. Not only will this improve your relationships, but improving those relationships will make it much easier to meditate.

Chapter 9, on walkabouts and vision quests, suggests a trip into nature to tie this all together. Your trip doesn’t have to be a rugged wilderness outing. It could simply be a weekend dedicated to following some simple steps to connect with nature, meditate, review your life, and use the tools you’ll learn in this book to examine your life’s purpose. It can be a powerful and life-changing experience.

Throughout this book, I will also share some of my own experiences in my quest to find my purpose in life. I have not always been an avid meditator, at least not officially. Much of what held me back was a set of preconceived notions about meditation―what it is and what it isn’t. If I’d understood the vast variety of techniques, the benefits, and the bliss of meditating, I would have started much sooner.

The exercises in this book are so simple and effective that you will start seeing results quickly, even if you’ve avoided formal meditation until now. Don’t wait any longer. As you read this book, take the time to try the meditation exercises that you’ll find throughout the chapters.

Welcome to an important next step on your spiritual journey.

Simple Meditation- back cover

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

 1 – The Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How 15

Very Simple Meditation Exercise 16

 2 – Connecting with Nature 25

Tune into Nature Meditation 33

Nature Photo Visualization Meditation 34

 3 – Spiritual Connections 41

Relaxation Exercise 50

•     Past Life Meditation 51

 4 – We’re Connected to One Another Too 67

Connected to Others Meditation 75

Cooling-Down Visualization Meditation 81

Releasing Perfect Pictures 85

Improving Relationships Meditation  89

 5 – Grounding and Neutrality 91

Grounding Meditation 97

Grounding Your Environment 98

Staying Neutral Exercise 100

  6 – Running Your Energies 105

Exercise for Running Your Energies 107

Reading and Releasing Energies 109

Powerful Being of Light Visualization 111

 7 – Energy Healing 115

Performing the Healing 117

Simplified Healing 118

Healing Visualizations 120

 8 – Getting Answers 127

Connecting with Your Higher Self 129

Contacting Spirit Guides 131

Reading & Releasing Energy with a Rose 134

 9 – Walkabout or Vision Quest 141

Inspirational Venturing Out Exercise 145

Finding Your Path Meditation 151

10 – Transform Your Life 165

        Transform Your Life Meditation 169

Bibliography 175

Index 179

About the Author 185

Praise for Simple Meditation

“Curt Remington has written an inspiring book that goes far beyond the joyous benefits of meditation alone. Simple Meditation: A Spiritual Connection for Transforming Your Life will assist you in experiencing the direct divine connection that is your birthright—right here, right now—within your everyday reality. The insights offered in this beautiful and transformative book will propel you onward and upward on your path!” ~Annie Burnside, author of Soul to Soul Parenting

“Curt, your nature photography is absolutely stunning and your meditations simply wonderful. How lovely that you have combined all of this beauty with your personal journey and translated it into book form to help others. You are a gift to the world. I cannot wait for your new book to come out. Wishing you and your readers so much love, peace, joy, beauty and Spirit all around. Namaste.” ~Lori Boatman, author of  Reannce and the Fifth Dimension

“Brilliant insights about blending the spiritual practices of life with heart, nature and the sciences. Provides matter of fact, simple steps to improve you health and happiness. Awesome!” ~Joy Gilfelen, president of UnitingCreatives.com and producer of Flipping the Joy Switch dvd

“You are an excellent writer, the best I’ve had all year. It was a great pleasure to work on your manuscript.” ~Arlene Prunkl, PenUltimate Editorial Services

“Through meditation, you can learn to think more clearly, work more efficiently and let go of stress. Whatever form your practice takes, let it be a part of your daily life. It is time well spent and the rewards are limitless.” ~Dawn Groves, author of Meditation for Busy People

“As Curt describes in this book, a vision quest trip can be a life-changing experience.” ~Darcy Ottey, executive director of  Rite of Passage Journeys

Simple Meditation is now available through your local bookstore or online at a variety of sources, including Amazon. It is also available as a Kindle ebook for Kindle, iPad, Blackberry or your computer.

Many of us have lives overflowing with responsibilities. We have too much stress and not enough fun. There are bills to pay, meetings to attend, and the demands of bosses, spouses, parents and kids, with little time left for ourselves. Shouldn’t there be more to life? We continue to tough it out, in hopes that life will get better. We often live for the future, hoping life will improve someday, like when we take that long-deserved vacation,  get a promotion, or when we retire.

Meditation can bring you peace and joy in the here and now. It’s something you can do every day, and it doesn’t take much of your time.

The information in this report and my upcoming book will help you:

• To know and appreciate yourself more
• To be present
• Learn to relax
• Improve relationships
• Bring forgiveness and gratitude
• Release blocks to health and happiness
• Release fear, anger & resentment
• Connect with Nature
• Communicate with angels and spirit guides
• Tap into intuition to get answers
• Review your life and examine its direction
• Transform Your Life

 Spiritual Connection

You can achieve these life-transforming benefits through meditation, because meditation helps you strengthen your connection with that inner spiritual part of you that is already calmer, wiser and happier, that part of you known as “your higher self.”

Doing this feels great! You’ve undoubtedly experienced this connection at some point in your life. It might have been when you were fully involved in a sport. You might have been playing music, painting or maybe you were on a beach watching a sunset and listening to waves roll into shore.

For many of us, these moments have been in nature, and for good reason. In nature, everything works in cycles and tends to stay in balance. There is a strong interconnection between plants, animals and the topography. Experiencing this rejuvenates your spirit and helps strengthen your bond with all that you’re connected to, the physical world around you, important people in your life and the spiritual world that is silently guiding and supporting you, which includes your higher self.

In nature, we’re more observant of and connected to our surroundings in an expansive way. Our senses open up to the damp smell of the forest, the cool breeze on our skin, the layer of pine needles beneath our feet and the orange and pink clouds of the sunset.

Special Report

The above article is the start of an eight page report on meditation, and how it can transform your life. The entire report is too long to fit in a blog, but it is available, for free. Please sign up for my email list, and an autoresponder will send the link to you.

Curt & Mary just finished packing the raft

A blinding flash filled the sky, lighting the inside of our tent. A loud crack followed, and thunder rocked the canyon. My daughter Heather muffled a scream. The flashes came so close together you’d think it was light out, if not for the intense darkness between the flashes. I stared out the screen window, in case a bear would be so foolish as to venture out in this storm. Nothing seemed to be there, so I laid back down next to my wife Mary and thought about how easy our day must have been compared to my lives in the ancient Roman and Greek armies. Now that must have been tough, marching around with all that armor, fierce battles, bloody wounds, supply shortages and tents without floors. Just imagine all the insect bites. 

Big snake slithering through camp

In contrast, the first day of our Salmon River rafting trip hadn’t been so bad. For my teenage daughter Heather, the excitement may have started at the Hammer Creek boat launch, where her arachnophobic “spider spotting eyes” noticed a black widow on a nearby rock. Or maybe for her, the adventure started the night before, when we arrived at a run-down motel in the middle of the night, reminding her of the “Psycho,” or the many other horror movies she’s watched. She even got to stand guard, in the fold-out bed next to the front door. 

What did we get ourselves into?

Our day’s adventures also included sunny 100° heat, challenging whitewater, a broken flashlight, another big spider on our tent and a large snake that made it’s way through our camp as darkness approached. We were camped in rattlesnake country, however I believe that one was a Bullsnake. They look similar to me. This was also bear and mountain lion country, as if the spiders and snakes weren’t enough. Probably the worst hardship of the day was climbing into the tent exhausted and feeling like you’ve stepped into an oven. That 100 ̊ heat soaked into the sand all day, and our tent just held it in and radiated it back at us. Besides all that, I was sore from rowing all day. 

Sunset Over Camp - Did I see a spider under that bush?

These potential dangers reminded me of how vulnerable humans are, and yet how much we can really endure. I reached over my wife, patted my daughter’s shoulder and told her that everything would be fine. The storm would be over soon. At that moment, my wife and daughter were both probably wondering why they let me talk them into this torturous trip. In my Rafting the Snake River story, I mentioned the pile of rafting gear that sat in the garage for years, due to my inability to convince my family to go on such trips. Here they were, finally facing the challenge, and how are they rewarded? Spiders, snakes, heat and a thunderstorm. Good luck getting them to go again. 

Soon enough, the storm ended, and the temperature cooled down to tolerable sleeping weather. 

Making our way down river

The next morning, we packed our wet sandy gear in a disorganized fashion, as items had been thrown into the nearest bag available, when the rain started. With everything packed into dry bags and strapped into place, we set off down the river to continue our 72-mile whitewater adventure. 

In the morning, we set off down a dim and mysterious Cougar  Canyon, where big gurgling whirlpools and swirls would suddenly form. Did I mention the giant White Sturgeon in the Salmon River, which can grow over 100 years old and reach 20 feet in length. It was easy to imagine them lurking under the swirling water of the canyon. 

A Big Whitewater Hole

Along with beautiful white sand beach campsites and giant Sturgeon, the Lower Salmon River has steep canyons, thrilling rapids and calm-water stretches in-between. In the rapids, much of the goal is to avoid hitting big boulders and holes. For you non-river people, a hole (hydraulic) is created when water pours over a rock ledge and flows back at the surface, causing that frothing white turbulence. A big hole can grab hold of a raft, turn it sideways, and flip it over, as water piles down on one side while lifting up the other side. A large enough hole can also hold onto rafts and people, churning them like a washing machine. This was something we didn’t care to experience, so we diligently practiced our maneuvering skills. 

Punching through a wave

Our hardest whitewater that morning goes by the name “Half and Half Rapids.” The river map warns, “So called because half the time you make it. …big holes to avoid and maneuvering is required.” We dropped down a ledge and pushed through a small hole. Quickly, we pulled hard to the left to miss a car-sized boulder and a huge hole to the right. From there, we had a bouncy ride down a string of waves.  

Snow Hole Rapids- Yes, There's a raft under them.

Three rapids later, we came to Snow Hole Rapids, a major class IV drop. Lucky for us, another group  was there to scout the rapids when we arrived. We watched, as each of them hit a car-sized boulder sideways, plummeted down a drop and made their way between enormous boulders and holes, riding through rollercoaster waves. 

We followed right behind, hitting a pillow of water at the top boulder. It straightened us out as we plunged down the drop. We hit some big waves and soon reached the bottom of Snow Hole, wet but safe.  

Maloney Creek Camp

That night, we camped five miles into Snow Hole Canyon, at Maloney Creek. At this camp, I suggested setting up our kitchen near the river, rather than hauling all of our gear and cooler all the way up the sand dune. It saved a lot of work, kept our tent from smelling like bear bait and avoided the blowing sand that seemed to get through our tent screens. 

I panned for gold, and had no luck, while Mary fished. She  caught two fish with her first three casts. After one more fish, her luck slowed down. Our tent still felt hot, but the situation didn’t remind me of life in the Roman Army, that night. It seemed much more survivable. 

Packing the raft went much smoother, the next day. We found ourselves working well as a team, both in camp and in the rapids. We made a smooth run down China Rapids, a tough class III, and plowed into a big wave/hole in Eagle Creek Rapids. 

Salmon River Gravel Bar

A large gravel bar beckoned me, as a place to look for garnets or gems. Idaho’s nickname is the gem state after all. While I wondered in one direction, looking for agates or garnets, Heather grabbed the fishing rod and proceeded to cast. She soon had a nice sized smallmouth bass. 

In the meantime, Mary used her psychic abilities to ask a spirit guide for help locating a nugget of gold. He told her to follow the shore downstream for twelve feet. His next instruction was to go inland for eight feet. Mary reached that point and looked around, asking “now what?” His final instruction was “down fifty feet.” Ha ha! Yes, spirit guides do have a sense of humor. He probably was telling the truth too. In studying prospecting, that’s just where I’d expect gold to be, at the bottom of the pile where you can’t reach it. 

As we made our way down the river that afternoon, we found the nice campsites occupied by large parties of rafters. Kerry, the friend I’d rafted the Snake River with, had recommended a camp near the entrance to Blue Canyon. I really hoped to get that camp, but our chance of finding it available seemed dim. As the river narrowed, we stayed close to the cliffs on the right side of the canyon and hit a small eddy, at the bottom of a white sand beach. What a beautiful spot, and no one was there. A small alcove in the cliff made a great kitchen, with another alcove for sitting. 

Comfortable Camping

That afternoon, we swam in the eddy, watched the changing light on the nearby peaks and had a delicious dinner of bass, brats and veggies. Mary and Heather laughed and screamed, running from a butterfly that followed them relentlessly. Later, we watched the changing light in the canyon and surrounding peaks, while listening to the steady sound of the rapids. For the first time, we got out our fire pan and built a small fire, sitting in one of the cliff’s alcoves. It crossed my mind, that I could almost live in that campsite. 

Had conditions on the river changed that much? Or had we adapted? Our kitchen gear now sat next to the raft, and we knew where everything belonged. The tent sat pitched away from rock piles which hold the spiders and snakes. All of our gear was ready, in case of a sudden storm. Maybe the biggest change was that we’d already faced plenty of challenges on the river. We had found that we can survive, and had a great deal of fun in the process. 

The final day, we worked as a team, rowing and paddling through at least 15 sets of rapids, covering 25 miles of river, with 20 of it on the Snake River. Long stretches of the Snake River were calm, with a stiff headwind. Rowing into a headwind makes a raft feel like a big, oddly shaped balloon. In other words, it’s not that much fun. We pushed on, mile after mile, with barely a complaint from anyone, taking in the scenery and enjoying the occasional rapids with some eight foot waves. We reached the takeout around five pm and loaded our gear into our truck. 

It was a long hard day, once again reminding me of marching in armor, in the Roman army. But by the end of the trip, we were tougher and more up to the challenge, having learned that we can survive major rapids, spiders, snakes, thunderstorms, miles of rowing and more. Not only that, but by facing these challenges, we gained strength and confidence in our abilities. We also saw some beautiful scenery and share some wonderful time together. Maybe life in the Roman army wasn’t so bad after all. 

View across from our final Salmon River camp

Powerful Being of Light Visualization Meditation 

 You are an eternal and powerful spiritual being. You’ve also undoubtedly endured some very difficult lives and may have been part of the Roman or Greek armies. Through life’s challenges and difficulties, we experience our greatest growth. Yet in our current life, many of us surround ourselves with modern conveniences and tend to stay well within our comfort zones, missing out on a lot of wonderful experiences. Many of us stay in a small comfort zone because we lack the confidence to push our limits. 

This meditation exercise will strenghthen your sense of true inner power, providing the confidence to venture out and explore your growth zone. With this confidence, you may wish to try new things, like camping, signing up for a class or joining a new group. For me, Toastmasters and public speaking required a big push beyond my usual comfort zone. 

Grounding and running your energies are an important part of this exercise and are very powerful meditation techniques that you can use every day. If you’re not familar with these exercises, please take the time to read them. 

Once you’re comfortably seated, with your eyes closed and your energy running, visualize yourself as an entity of light. This is your true spiritual state. As more bright light pours in through the top of your head, feel it expand your strength and power. You might visualize yourself becoming bigger or brighter. Know and understand that as a spirit, you are eternal and powerful, capable of manifesting great things. Feel this strength continue to grow. When you finish your meditation, carry this strength with you, as you try new things and face life’s many challenges. 

Warning 

Although your spirit is eternal, your physical body is not. If you do not have whitewater experience, please raft with someone that does or sign up with a competent rafting outfitter. Although my family and I had not done a multi-day rafting trip together before this, I did have extensive whitewater experience. Mary and Heather had been on numerous whitewater daytrips and many camping trips.