Meditation | Bonnie Barnard - Part 4

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Meditating through Illness to Health

Let me give you the greatest gift I can ever gift you. Here it is … a reminder to enter into daily mediation. That’s it. Meditation is one of the most powerful practices on this planet, without exception. Saturday I attended a manifesting workshop at a local bookstore facilitated by a long time friend of mine whom I adore. She ordered lunch for all of us, which included a beautiful Caesar salad made of crisp, green, Romaine lettuce. Within 24 hours I was writhing on my living room floor screaming as I held my stomach in pain. Shortly following was a fever of 104 degrees. Whammo. Fine one minute and delirious the next. My friend who was at the house tucked me into bed with five comforters as I shook in intense cold. Teeth shattering I made my way to the toilet to vomit for hours. Okay … I’ll spare you all of the following details; but suffice it to say, I’m guessing I had e. Coli. That nasty...

What Question Are You Living Into?

The Buddhists have a meditative practice where they sit and ask the question, “who am I?” Once an individual has gone through their list of labels — mom, daughter, teacher, friend, woman, etc. what remains is that which is beyond definition; The ISNESS that IS. It is a great question to live into. Once beyond the form of life, we can access a Life Force and realize it is THAT which is alive. The Buddhists also have an inquiry process when it comes to emotions. It is called Taking the Seat. It is a practice I did for ten years anytime an emotional arose from within me. I would become an interviewer and question the emotion until I knew it so well that I had befriended it. The questions I asked included: “what is your color?” “what is your texture?” “where are you located in my body?” “what is my first memory of you?” “what is your temperature?” and after a series of questions I always ended with, “and...

What a Difference ONE Change Can Make

Every change and choice we make, has the potential to create a new self. When Mary quit smoking, she wasn’t giving up a habit as much as becoming a non-smoker. Shifting this habit changes how she invests her time. What she does now during breaks at work changes from smoking with a group of friends to utilizing that time in a different way. Now she checks in with her mother, says affirmations, takes a walk or updates her bank records. Being a non-smoker changes the way she breathes; ostensibly deeper. How she walks is different. She finds herself paying attention to her environment, moving her legs more quickly and not fiddling with her purse to grab a cigarette or walk on the outside as not to offend her non-smoking family. Mary has come face to face with the emotions that she used to “smoke away” and now feels more alive as she experiences them. She didn’t just quit smoking, she is NOW a non-smoker. In July, I hosted a...

Honoring 9/11 through Spiritual Practice

Seventeen years have passed since 9/11. There is an entire generation that doesn’t know what it was like to bring a diet coke on the airplane and walk through a metal detector with their shoes on. Terrorism is part of the new generation’s vocabulary; which wasn’t part of mine as a kid. According to 247wallst.com there are 15 ways that our country has changed since 9/11: 1. tightened security at the airport, 2. increased national security measures (Patriot Act, Department of Homeland Security formed), 3. increased government surveillance, 4. the perception of public gatherings shifting into “hot spots” of concern, 5. America entered a constant state of war, 6. US immigration policies changed, 7. hate crimes increased against Muslims, 8. building codes shifted toward community safety, 9. US military strategies shifted from fighting countries to groups, 10. cybersecurity became a priority, 11. politics have become polarized, 12. conspiracy theories increased, 13. treatment of prisoners has been scrutinized and debated, 14. money tracking systems changed, and 15. efforts to keep...

Celebrating Productivity

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” Rumi Happy Thursday before Labor Day Weekend. As I researched the history of Labor Day, I find it ironic that we would be taking a day off of work to celebrate work. And, I love a good irony. Productivity is a high value of our culture. Doing, making happen, creating, and leaving a contribution tend to be an American staple. I know the satisfaction I feel when I complete a blog, give a talk, teach a class, pray or meditate with a client. As I stand witness to a client who has pierced through a pattern and had revealed to themselves a hidden aspect of their being, I know why I was put on this planet. There is a big difference, although subtle, between being busy and being productive. The definition of “busy” is having a great deal to do. The definition of “productive” is achieving a significant amount...

Half Way Through My Fast

On February 1st I announced on my blog that I would go on a February Fast cutting out political news from my daily diet and taking my own energy back. I would meditate from 5 to 6 pm instead of watching Chris Matthews and re-direct my energy toward that which I value. I want to share with you what I’ve observed. When a plane makes a very small, microscopic shift in direction it will end up in a different country. In fact, most of the time pilots are flying they are adjusting course. Flying is a series of mini-course corrections until the desired destination is reached. I should not have been surprised by the impact that this one small change could make in my life, but I was. By giving up political news, reading, and radio, I regained time. Probably 10 to 15 hours per week. The past three months I have had extensive leg, groin, and back pain. Metaphysically this means an inability to move, feeling unsupported, and...