My decision to go to India was inspired first by intermittent but persistent guidance in my meditations when I seemed to receive an injunction to go to India.
At first, I dismissed this thought as a part of my mind chatter as I entered into meditation.
After all, I rationalized, meditation is universal and not limited by the constraints of time and place. Still, that quiet voice repeated time and again the direction, “Go to India”.
When a spiritual friend and fellow energy healer Dr. Steve Hinkey was giving a workshop in my home, he said he was going to India and had the opportunity to meet with some of the top Mahamandaleshwar leaders in the Hindi religion and did I wish to go? A “Mahamandaleshwar” means “Superior of great and/or numerous monasteries” or “Superior of a religious district or province” (maha = great, mandala = district, ishwara = head, sovereign), they hold a position similar to a Cardinal in the Chruch. Immediately my injunction was recalled to me and I realized that this is what I had been guided to do.
When I first arrived in India, from the moment that my feet touched Indian soil, I realized that something was different.
There was an energy that I could not find the words to name, that was unique to the land of India. This subtle and profound energy had a significant impact on me and upon my meditations immediately, despite the fact that my friend Steve said the hotel I had booked for us had landed us in the middle of one of the most impoverished ghettos of Asia. Still, we were safe, and it was clean despite the material lack of the people around us.
Immediately I noticed a significant shift in the quality, depth, and tenor of my meditations. At that time, I assumed that what I was feeling was a new development in my meditative life.
After all, my logical mind contended, how could a place impact my interior spiritual meditative life?
I observed the changes and transformations in my meditations from the role of a dispassionate observer. I enjoyed the graciousness and generosity of the people of India throughout my travels. I saw as one does with travel, many beautiful and amazing things. I engaged in new experiences and new relationships, bonding deeply with many with whom I felt deep and karmic bonds of love and energetic connections of love and spiritual community.
Shanti Mandir Ashram near Magod India
My friend Steve and I spent a week at the ashram of Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityananda called Shanti Mandar, providing, as our Sava (service), energetic healing for many of the Brahmin boys who were there to learn the Vedic tradition at the ashram, as well as for a variety of Australians who had come for a scheduled trip with Nityananda (a journey for spiritual awareness).
Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityananda and Genevieve Gerard (center) and Dr Steve HinkeyDr. Hinkey & Genevieve Gerard Performing Healing Sessions at India AshramHealing Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityananda Students
We must dive deeper within ourselves,
we must become established in the knowledge of the Truth. – Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityananda
We chanted, meditated and enjoyed the energy of India, a place where the eons of spiritual striving and practice seem to have imbued the very earth itself with spiritual energy.
Throughout this time, no matter where we traveled and no matter what we did, I became aware of something I had never felt before, something I had been unable to access back in my home in America, until my experience in India.
It is that of which I write today: The Omnipresent Presence of the OM.
Beyond the Sound of the OM
According to legend, the sound of the OM is the sound created when all sounds are combined. Spiritually sounding of the OM is an often-taught tradition that crosses many lines of diverse disciplines. The OM is sounded to clear energy from one’s chakras, to send forth the energies contacted in both group and individual meditations, and to help meditators achieve various desired states of meditation.
All of this I have done and used throughout my 50-plus years of the practice of meditation, but what I am describing today is beyond that or an expansion of the regular use of the sounding of the OM.
It is an awareness of energy which can be accessed and utilized when engaging in the physical sounding of the OM, whether sounded firmly and clearly, or whispered, or sounded silent. It is the sound of the Omnipresence of the OM.
This Omnipresence of the OM embraces and includes everyone and everything as celestial music of the spheres. It resounds within the silence, the silence that is within all sound. It links us to the power of the Word and connects us with Universal Source.
This Omnipresent Presence of the OM holds within it the power to create.
It is both mystical and magical. It is both Universal and the thrumming of all of life force on earth.
When you use the sound of the OM in your meditation you are choosing to consciously open and align your life force with energies that are beyond what is physical and material, but resides in what is Spiritual, transcendent and eternal. The OM calls that to you. – Genevieve Gerard
I invite you now to calm your mind, open your heart and invite the Light, to bring to you this resounding sound that connects you with your Soul, with all that you are and all you will ever be and all that you have ever been, in this sound.
Relax into it. Tune in to it. Let yourself enjoy it and receive it and stay with this experience for as long as feels right for you to do so.
Then take some time in quiet and reflection to feel what this experience brings, to become aware of the world beyond your physical hearing and enter into the joy of Oneness with the Universal Presence and pervading Love that travels on the waves of the Omnipresent OM.
It is available to you in the Eternal Now for your healing, for your joy, and for your empowerment. You are a beloved child of the Universe and this Omnipresence of the Om is your portal.
Many schools and systems of meditation use the sacred sound of the Om to ground the energies and insights that are accessed and received in meditation.
As the sound of the OM is explained as the sound created by the unity of all sound, so it is also a symbol of Unity in general.
Utilizing the sound of the OM in meditation brings your consciousness the awareness of the Oneness of all sentient consciousness. Sentient consciousness is more Universal than simply human consciousness. Focusing on the Universal sound of the OM opens awareness and residence with a sense of connection and unity that aligns you with Light, Love, and power that resides just beyond your usual perception.
The gift of the omnipresent sound of the OM is that through the simple act of you sounding the OM, you can align your consciousness to this thrumming that lies in the heart of all sound.
How to Use the OM In Your Meditations
The OM can be used as a sounding and entry point for meditation by using it as a way to center your energies as you “Calm Your Mind, Open Your Heart and Invite the Light.” This is the instruction and intention that I suggest that you use to open your awareness to receive the Presence of your enlightened awareness, your Higher Self, (your Soul).
To use the sacred sound of the OM as an entry point to your meditation, you simply sound it. Many schools of meditation suggest sounding it 3 times. Other schools of meditation suggest sounding it repeatedly until you have noticed your consciousness opening.
Whether you use it before simply sitting calmly, quietly and receptively, or choose to combine it with a guided meditation is a choice you can make.
The sound of the OM begins at your diaphragm and then let the sound rise through your whole body. Groups who use the repetitive sound of the OM in group meditation create a sound that aligns with what is known as “the Music of the spheres.”
Some suggest that the sound of the OM is the sound of the Soul, although I experience as an underlying thrum of Creative force that brings us into alignment and awareness of the Creator, Universal Soul, and Universal Love.
The OM can also be used to ground and complete your meditation. For many meditators, it is the final sound that acts as an Amen, or So Be It invocation to the energies that have been accessed in the meditation experience.
I suggest that you use and experiment with the Omnipresent sound of the OM with a spirit of joyful playfulness and open receptivity to your Soul.
About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”
Read more details…
Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.
Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.” Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.
Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.
In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.
It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.
Many teachers of the Spiritual Path teach about Oneness.
In our world of rugged individualism and self-focus this concept of Oneness is foreign and can be a little threatening.
After all, if we are truly all one, if we truly believe that and begin to live that, we would have to change our behavior to others.
Within this paradigm of thought we would not only be compelled to follow the Golden Rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” we would realize that in the Oneness that unites us, harming another causes us harm.
This is a vast and profound concept that as we ponder on it, would by logical conclusion transform all our relationships into right human relationships. It would lead us to the conclusion that Arjuna reached on the battlefield as told in the Bhagavad Gita “I can no longer war against myself.” If by some miracle of awareness and enlightenment every human being on earth began to accept and live this concept, the Golden Age of Peace and Prosperity prophets predict would be immediately ushered in, not just for 1,000 years, but forever.
Greed, war, revenge, selfishness, and forces that move so much of our current reality would become unthinkable. Watching anyone, anywhere in the world die of hunger, a virus pandemic or the diseases of contaminated water would be too painful to bear.
If we grasped the truth of Oneness of which the sages and wise men expound, we would realize that not only are we our brother’s keeper but that by helping our brother we are helping ourselves.
– Genevieve Gerard
This concept is so vast, so outside of our daily experience, that it is easy to dismiss. We think, “How can we be One since I am clearly me and you are clearly you?” It is easy to reject these thoughts, even among spiritually motivated and inclined people. We quickly ascribe these insights to Holy Men or Saints knowing that to live and embody such a truth would bring so much change and transformation to the world that it is beyond our imagination, beyond our ability to even conceptualize.
Recently, while I meditated with some friends on the issues of Goodwill and the Will to Good, embodied in the past Olympic Games, an image came to me that in some small way demonstrates this principle of unity, of oneness. It was a positive image I called One Breath, One Life.
I invite you to experience this image as you just breathe. To experience this, you must join with your thoughts and your imagination the possibility of the oneness of our being linked with all of life on this planet. That link is through the life-yielding breath. Something we can take for granted.
Recently, while I meditated, an image (and meditation) came to me that demonstrates the principle of unity, of oneness. It was a positive image I called One Breath, One Life…
Breathing Oneness Meditation
As you sit and breathe (no more is required of you than that), realize that the air you breathe is the same air that is available to every living being on earth, purified every minute by plants and trees.
As the air enters your lungs, it infuses your blood, your very life force. The molecules, the atoms the very essence of that breath circulates through you, infuses you, sustains you.
When you exhale, those atoms, those molecules are released back into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide you release is then transformed by plants, maybe as far away as the Amazon or some rainforest. The atoms and molecules that have nourished and sustained you travel on the currents of air to faraway peoples and foreign cultures.
This air, these very atoms, and molecules, are available to other life forms, the plant life of the planet and the animals of the planet. That which has touched you and sustained your life is available to touch them and sustain their life.
As you just sit and breathe in and exhale naturally and effortlessly in this small way we can become aware of the unity of life that exists on this unconscious, pre-conscious level.
Have gratitude and give thanks for the miracle of purified breath and oneness.
– GG
As I realized this, pondered on this and imagined this I was filled with a sense of oneness, a sense of connectedness to life that filled me with great peace and with great joy. This is a simple way we can touch this concept through our mind, through our intention, through our heart. If you choose to try this exercise while you are sitting and breathing, make sure you “Calm your Mind, Open your Heart and Invite the Light.”
Pay attention to any thoughts and impressions that may come from your Soul (your Higher Self) and realize that ‘Energy Follows Thought.’Ponder on this! Your actions or lack of actions can affect others.
In this simple experience you have touched on the unity of life through breath,the oneness of all of life for just these brief moments of time, right here, right now.
Namaste,
Genevieve
The Blessing of Love on All that you Do!
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About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”
Read more details…
Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.
Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.” Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.
Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.
In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on Apple Music (iTunes), Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.
It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.
Within each of us lies wisdom, an awareness of truth and more important knowledge of what direction we need to travel in our life to grow, to learn and to develop into who we truly are and what we can become, that is our Soul.
Our Soul is an integral part of our Self, but it is not usually that which most readily springs to our conscious mind when we ponder on and reflect upon ourselves. It remains the most profound and in many ways useful part of what for better words we may call our Spiritual Anatomy.
Our Spiritual Anatomy is usually not a part of our everyday consciousness because when we think of ourselves we most often think of our personality. Indeed, our personality is the vehicle that does the bulk of the “heavy lifting” as we move and function in the world of men. Indeed, our personality is usually a most significant part of our being as we live and move and have our being in any given incarnation.
When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator. – Mahatma Gandhi
The ancient wisdom tells us that our being is composed of a variety of vehicles that come together to form the fullness of life. These parts of ourselves are often referred to as bodies, and it is in the interplay and integration of these diverse parts of ourselves that we learn to live and express the fullness of our human nature. It is through this interplay, this integration that we learn that we grow, that we come into our full awareness and learn to express the fullness of what it means to be a human being.
It is through the integration of our physical body, our emotional body and our mental body that our personality fully develops and grows. But the adventure of becoming does not stop there. As we increase our awareness and our integration of Self the process of integration grows and expands as we begin to incorporate the fullness of our nature, that of our spiritual nature or our Soul.
It is through the emerging awareness of our Soul that we begin to understand and come to the joy of what it means to be a human being. It is through the “Touch of the Soul” that we begin to understand what a myriad of spiritual paths have taught throughout the ages, that as human beings we are a spark of the Divine. It is through becoming aware of our Soul that we can begin to manifest the fullness of this miracle we call life.
To start to understand your Soul as an integral part of yourself and begin to connect with your Soul as a part of your full being and your true nature, is the beginning of wisdom and the portal to real joy.” – Genevieve Gerard
This part of your Self, your Soul, contains within you a jewel of the greatest value we can find in life. The ancients have long referred to it as “the jewel of the lotus.”
What is wonderful and glorious is that this jewel of great value is within you and available to you. It is yours to use and come to know. It is yours to call upon for the wisdom it possesses. It is yours to enjoy and express. It is yours as a teacher, as a guide and as a source of love, joy, and peace, the “peace that passes all understanding.”
It is through meditation that this part of your being becomes accessible to your mind, to your heart and your personality. This quest to learn to touch your Soul and to incorporate the fullness of your Soul ultimately into the fullness of your being is a journey that has been undertaken by wise men and sages throughout time and is available to reach by everyone.
I invite you to embark upon this journey of meditation to awareness, to wisdom to joy through meditation. As the ancient Chinese saying expresses “every great journey begins with a single step.” As you embark upon this step be assured that your Soul awaits your intention to know yourself to the fullness of your being with such a deep and abiding joy, and such a powerful and profound love, that the best in life is yet to come.
A Guided Visualization to Wash Away Your Troubles and
Connect With Your Body and Soul
About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”
Read more details…
Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.
Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.” Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.
Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.
In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.
It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.
Many paths of spiritual teachings and self-help books speak of the importance of loving ourselves.
It is a common psychological truth that most people are much harder on themselves than they are of others.
Indeed, loving ourselves is often described as a prerequisite for learning to love others.
Although many teachers instruct us to love ourselves and stress the importance of learning to do this, to those who carry within them the pain of guilt, self-recrimination, self-doubt, and lack of self-esteem, this may seem to be an impossible task.
Love who you are, embrace who you are. Love yourself. When you love yourself, people can kind of pick up on that: they can see confidence, they can see self-esteem, and naturally, people gravitate towards you. – Lilly Singh
Three Key Elements of Learning To Love Yourself
There are three key elements of learning to love yourself that are often left untouched and unexpressed that are of paramount importance.
Be Gentle With Yourself
One is to be gentle with yourself. Look over your life, your weaknesses and failures with compassion. You are not perfect and more important you are not expected or needed to be perfect to love yourself.
Anyone who told you that you need to be perfect to receive love did not know how to love and set you up to fail. Love does not require perfection. Love is available to hold you, to nurture you, and heal you exactly the way you are.
Forgive Yourself
Two is to forgive yourself. Of course, you have made mistakes in your life. That is a part of the human experience. It is how we learn and how we grow.
Past mistakes have nothing to do with the present. They are in the past. You need not carry them into the present.
As you forgive yourself you can tuck them neatly into the past where they belong. Let whatever residuals of self-blame and guilt you may have been clinging to go. They no longer serve you and have no place in your present life.
Look to the Source of Love
Third is to look to the source of love that is a bottomless well that is always filled to overflowing (your Soul.) It is through touching your Soul and bringing forth the love that is always there for you into your consciousness, into your being, that you are flooded with love and filled with resounding joy.
You have within you a Source of self-love that when you become aware of it is unconditional and profound because it understands all of the motives and misunderstanding that created the mistakes or life lessons you have Learned.
Your Soul has been with you since the beginning of time. It knows you completely and accepts and loves you without condition. It is available for you to access whenever you call upon it, whenever you need it.
Your Soul needs nothing from you, expects nothing from you and requires nothing from you and it rejoices in the opportunity to fill you with the love it bears for you, to fill you with the resounding joy that spontaneously arises from the touch of the Soul. – Genevieve Gerard
From the consciousness of your Soul awareness, forgiveness, Grace, and compassion are available to you. Part of demonstrating that you have learned a lesson in life is letting that lesson be in your past and then, through self-forgiveness and compassion letting it go. Your future is not determined by a past mistake. Your future lies before you unwritten and unformed. It is filled with new possibilities and potential you have not yet had available.
How To Connect
Meditation techniques, visualization, and mantra’s are all available to help you reach for contact with your Soul. This union of Soul and Personality, this oneness with your Source of self-love is the natural state of your being, even if you have never attempted to reach that source before this very moment of time.
In reaching out to touch your Soul you need only be open to receiving the wellspring of Love and Joy that is there to give you all the love your heart can hold, all the joy you have ever imagined.
To be receptive to the experience of the love and the joy of consciously connecting with your Soul, here is a simple meditation to help and support you.
Soul Contact Meditation
If you are ready to open yourself to this possibility, experience this brief Soul contact meditation visualization:
Calm your mind, open your heart, invite the Light.
Sit quietly, open and expectantly and focus your attention on your breath. Observe the natural rising and falling of your breath as you take from life exactly what you need and let go of exactly what no longer serves you. Sit up with your spine aligned. As you breathe let yourself calm your mind and let your attention focus on being right here, right now, totally present in this moment of time.
Be here NOW and open yourself to being aware of your Soul.
Form the intention to touch your Soul, and allow yourself to be open and ready to receive all the love that resides for you in your Soul.
Now visualize or imagine a radiant point of Light about 3 feet above your head. Identify that Light with the Light of your Soul. At the top of your head visualize (or imagine) a fully opened lotus flower. From the radiant point of Light above your head see a golden Light descending, like the Sun nurturing a flower.
Bring that Golden light down into the top of your head and allow it to gently flow down to your heart. Let your heart fill with just the right amount of the Light of your Soul and the Love of your Soul.
Remain open and receptive for as long as feels comfortable to you. Let the love of your Soul for you wash over you. You may be filled with resounding joy or deep profound peace. Whatever you experience is there for you, freely, whenever you want to experience this union of yourself, with yourself.
When you have received from this connection all that you wish or need, return your attention to your breath, noticing the natural rise and fall of the breath and become aware of the world around you.
As you open your eyes and prepare to return to the call of the world, you may notice that you are filled with a love, a joy and a peace that passes understanding. Take that with you out into the world and give that to the world in gratitude for the blessing you have received from the Touch of your Soul.
– GG
By taking this brief time to consciously connect with the Love, the power, and the wisdom of your Soul you are declaring your willingness and intention to be and become all that you are as a human being. You are opening to not only being who and what you are as a human being, but a unique blend of a material human being and a Spark of Divine Light that is the hope of humanity.
As a blended being of Soul and substance you can love and express yourself as the imperfect being of humanity, a being that moves through life learning and growing through all of life’s adventure.
As you learn to love yourself you are exploring and manifesting the purpose of life which is demonstrated by learning how to love, how to forgive, and how to merge what is eternal and empowered, with what is material and temporal. Learning to Love is the most important part of life, and learning to love yourself is an integral part of that process.
About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”
Read more details…
Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.
Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.” Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.
Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.
In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.
It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.
The spiritual journey, no matter the name of the path or the structure of the belief has always contained the techniques of both prayer and meditation.
Some paths include both prayer and meditation, comfortably vacillating from one to the other depending upon the purpose or needs of the moment.
In many ways prayer and meditation are twins, but they are not identical twins. They differ in subtle but significant ways.
When I was first taught to meditate by a Maharishi Yogi; as I was leaving the instruction called an “initiation” back in the 1960s, I recall pondering about the experience I had just had. I remarked to myself that I had previously known the state of consciousness that I had just experienced at the conclusion of a time of deep prayer; a state I had referred to as “prayer beyond words.” Ponder on this!
Even at that young age the universality of the path we take to connect to our Soul struck me. Beyond the connection to our Soul, which I have come to believe is the hearts desire of everyone, exists the desire to connect with a higher source (God), however, you define God.
Each one of us needs time and space for recollection, meditation and calmness…. Thanks be to God that this is so!” – Pope Benedict XVI
It is to reach the Soul and connect to God that people along all spiritual paths engage in the practice of both prayer and meditation. And although both prayer and meditation serve a similar function there are differences in both the purpose, method, and outcome of the two practices.
Prayer is you speaking to God & meditation is allowing the spirit to speak to you.” – Deepak Chopra
Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra on prayer vs. meditation
Prayer has always seemed to be best suited to times when praise or petition is the need. In times of great need, prayer seems to spring naturally from the human heart as we reach out for help and healing in times of danger, distress, and pain, be it physical or emotional.
In times of trouble we reach automatically for the help and intervention of the Divine, even if we have no sustaining belief in the Divine. It is archetypal in the human experience to reach out, indeed cry out for that which is beyond our human limitations for help and comfort.
Likewise, in times of transcendent joy praise rises spontaneously in our heart. Even if we do not conceptualize what we are praising that welling feeling, praise accompanies the experience of great joy and great love.
I deepen my experience of God through prayer, meditation, and forgiveness.” – Marianne Williamson
Meditation is best suited for contemplation, deepening our understanding or quieting the chattering mind and engaging the power of our higher source (Soul) to bring about the desired result. One would meditate for deep relaxation, healing and to invoke the power of our intention using techniques such as visualization.
Meditation is more a conscious approach than prayer and as such garners the best result when entered into with conscious intent and regularity. The continuity of consciousness that disciplined practice of meditation grants makes meditation the technique of choice when one desires a specific outcome, which is why visualization is a technique incorporated into most meditations.
There exists a myriad of techniques of meditation designed by spiritual leaders and masters throughout time to bring the student of meditation to the desired state of consciousness, being or understanding.
In understanding the subtle differences that exist between prayer and meditation, we are empowered to draw from these two ways to connect with our Soul and connect with our Source using whatever method is best suited to our desired outcome.” – Genevieve Gerard
Fortunately, we can choose and use whatever technique best meets our needs at the moment, freely guided by the wisdom of our inner nature and our Soul in any moment of time to receive what we need.
I encourage you to explore prayer and/or meditation and see which resonates with you.
Namaste,
Genevieve
The Blessing of Love on All That You Do!
QUICK FACT: This post has been viewed 2,035 times. Checkout our other related posts below.
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About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”
Read more details…
Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.
Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.” Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.
Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.
In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.
It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.
Ancient Druids, magic and mystery, all seem to accompany thoughts of the equinox or its sister times, the solstice. Perhaps it is archetypal or an ancient memory of times when our lives were more attuned with nature. There always seems to be something significant about these passages into the seasons.
Various groups around the world use these ancient demarcations of time to call for people to come together and celebrate through ritual or in some cases meditation. Any time that groups draw together with the intention of helping others or healing the planet has a positive impact on the world around us.
Since energy follows thought, the conscious intention of men and women of Goodwill throughout the planet unite to focus upon and celebrate our unity in the human family and help us realize how we are more alike than we are different. Realizing our oneness as a part of the human family and our bond as we observe the common changes that manifest in the world around us with the changing of the light helps bring us together.
The changes in the light from the Sun and the changes in the weather demonstrate wisdom about life that influences us on a subtle, preconscious level. As the leaves begin to change, we can reflect upon the changes in our life and the changes in our self as we journey through life. Autumn often seems a melancholy time to me as we loose length to our days and find ourselves moving forward into winter. It is often a bittersweet time of reflection.
To take the time of this ancient ritual to monitor the movement of the Light through our lives by a special focus on the seasons of our life, whether through meditation, writing in our journal or sitting by the fire with a cup of tea or a special friend, the autumnal equinox provides us the opportunity to observe and evaluate our lives in harmony with the movement of the Sun and our Planet.
Enjoy this day and celebrate all that you are becoming and all the ways you are growing as you journey through the adventure of life.
The highest compliment you can give me is in joyfully referring others that you feel I can help.
Please remember how grateful I am when I receive this compliment on my work.You are allowing me to be of service.
1) You can simply copy and paste this URL [ https://GenevieveGerard.com ] into an email (and hit the space bar after the web site name in your email to create a link out of it) or
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Testimonials
What Other People Are Saying About
Genevieve Gerard Life Guidance Coaching
Hi All, a quick note to tell you about a magnificent healer,
teacher, meditation leader, and all round special person, Genevieve Gerard” -Dr. Steve Hinkey in Virginia
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, humour, healing and
insight with me.” -Artistic Director in the United Kingdom
When you speak about the work it seems to click clearer,
its like a simpler version or easier to follow,
but still profoundly powerful.” -Yoga Studio Owner in Phoenix
Thank you again for your time, talents and mentoring.
It has been priceless and I am grateful for the
gift of your presence in my life.” -Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California
Reviews and What People Are Saying About
Genevieve Gerard’s Products and Seminars
All 5-Star ratings on Amazon for Genevieve’s
Meditations For Daily Joy 4-CD Set:
Genevieve Gerard is a very gifted spiritual teacher.
Her “Meditations for Daily Joy” is truly a heartfelt creative
work of advanced consciousness.
I especially enjoyed her “Feeling Free Meditation” in which
she teaches a powerful breath and awareness visualization for
transforming feelings. She has a very soothing and comforting
speaking voice which also contributes beautifully to her work.”
–www.Amazon.com 5-Star Review
By now everyone should realize how much meditation
can have a positive affect on your daily life.”
Joy Changes Everything
I just want to say that Joy is one of the greatest human experiences,
and is so fleeting in our daily endeavors. So that when it does show up
it is almost overwhelming, and gets relegated to the day you get married,
divorced, give birth, die, win an award, etc. And then we dwindle around
from there, setting up the next big hit, and then wonder why it doesn’t come
on demand, as programmed or set up.
What Genevieve has done here is allow us to
incorporate into the living substance of the daily fabric of our lives
Living Joy. A joy that can build and grow and delight us to degrees
way beyond what those ‘big hitting’ events bring.
To grow in daily joy is an Art, and an art that dances in her work.
And is so needed — I mean imagine a world where people connect to joy daily
for no reason, and then express it. Highly recommended.” -Dr. Steve Hinkey
–www.Amazon.com 5-Star Review
Transformation on the London Tube
I recently participated in a wonderful nurturing workshop of
Genevieve’s in London, we closed the evening with a beautiful meditation,
after which I knew I had to come back for more. With Genevieve living
in the US I realised my hours in her physical presence were running out,
luckily for me I could attend the following day’s workshop.
I left the second day with a wonderful purchase, Meditation for Daily Joy.
It didn’t take long for me to sample all of the meditations on the compilation.
There are 12 uniquely individual meditations on the four CD’s, with
an introduction for each section. Truly it is an absolute bargain,
a lifetime’s worth of work condescend and accessible to all interested in
bringing awareness, clarity, and joy to their every experience. Now downloaded
to my i-pod, I have Genevieve’s soothing voice to turn each London tube ride
into a transformative journey. Thank you Genevieve!”
–www.Amazon.com 5-Star Review
Grounded and Expansive
I have practiced various forms of meditation for over 40 years.
Genevieve Gerard’s series combines elements that make it entirely practical
for me, and at the same time spiritually satisfying. Having these gems is
invaluable for so many aspects of daily living–from walking to eating,
from calming strong emotions (Feeling Free Meditation) to self-confidence
in difficult circumstances (Wheel of Fire Meditation).
As one example, much of the stress of driving has been eliminated as
I’ve learned through the Flowing Freeway Meditation to be more relaxed
and present in my body and more aware and appreciative of the drivers around me.”
–www.Amazon.com 5-Star Review
Reviews and What People Are Saying About
Genevieve’s Sleep In Heavenly Peace CD:
From Sleepless in Orange County
After years of tossing and turning and
looking at the clock to see what time it “could be”
I finally got a restful nights sleep.
The soothing voice of Genevieve lulled me to sleep
in the first few minutes after I went to bed.
What a difference for me as I usually am not able to fall asleep.
I slept soundly and felt rested in the morning.
Frankly, I cannot wait to go to bed tonight…. sweet dreams.”
With so many “sleep” tapes in the market today,
it’s hard to know what to get if you want something
to help you relax and sleep. Generally speaking, the
message is the same–relax, let go, visualize, etc.
However, Sleep in Heavenly Peace by Genevieve Gerard
stands out from other tapes I’ve listened to.
Her voice is kind and calm and her words are well chosen and clear.
What I really appreciate is the “space” she allows between sentences.
Her pauses are perfectly placed and the listener to actually repeat,
reflect, refresh. If you are looking for a gentle relaxing experience,
check out Sleep in Heavenly Peace.”
–www.Amazon.com 5-Star Review
Restful Sleep
For individuals who enjoy a restful, full nights sleep,
this is a wonderful product.
The calming voice of Genevieve Gerard helps me to sleep
before the CD is over. I am sleeping so calmly now that
I have given many friends this CD. We all share the spot
where we usually now peacefully slumber. For me it is the phrase,
“Rearrange your covers . . .” and I do not hear anything else,
nor do I hear it turn off. The most important thing for me is the
good quality of sleep I have obtained using this CD.”
–www.Amazon.com 5-Star Review
Reviews and What People Are Saying About
Genevieve’s “How To… Why To… Meditate” Workshop:
Your tone of voice is so soothing,
and you articulate the different techniques so well that
I truly experienced each method that you led us through.”
The program was excellent, the instructor was excellent, the
information given was excellent!”
Reviews and What People Are Saying About
Relax & Release Stress Management Workshop Attendees:
I listen to the guided visualization every week
whenever I get stressed.”
Relaxation techniques are a must for our hectic life!”
Good Stuff — I am glad that I will have a tool to
bring me back to this experience with the CD!”
If you are interested in what you read and see on my site, I would appreciate if you would be so kind as to join our community.
With the information below I will be able to send you links to our free offerings that are exclusive to members of our Community. Your first two gifts will be a FREE copy of my article: 10 Keys To A Happier Life and a FREE copy of my downloadable audio: How To Use Affirmations Effectively.
After you fill out the request below you will be sent a confirmation email and then an email with your first two free gifts.
I will also spotlight other resources of interest. You will also receive special discounts as they become available as well as notification of any new or upcoming workshops or events as well as introductory offers on any new products.
I will only send out things occasionally and promise never to flood you with email. There is no cost and no obligation, no further commitments on your part and you can opt-out at any time (at the bottom of every email.)
I will try to keep notifications to things I think you might enjoy and appreciate or would be helpful in your daily life. Since I appreciate hearing from you to better direct my work and service to your needs as a member of my community you can e-mail me with your requests and feedback at any time.
I believe that energetically joining with a group of like-minded individuals enhances our life on subtle levels that transcend our conscious awareness. We have all heard or learned about the power of social networking in expanding our knowledge. You can join me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter, but the group that forms here is nearest and dearest to my heart.
As a member of our Community you can also make a request at any time if you have a need for meditation and prayer for healing for you or a loved one, and the healing need will be forwarded to a group I belong to who provide this healing as a service.
I hope you will join our community today to become a part of this network in the Light.
Namaste
Genevieve Gerard
You have my promise never to sell your email address, ever!
I look forward to being of service to you.
Other Ways We Can Connect
and I Can Provide Guidance Are:
I publish frequent articles and blogs that are available for free on my website and all of these can be found on the Genevieve Gerard archive page.
I post a daily seed thought on Twitter @Imagine1Minute and on Facebook each day, called Imagine1Minute to focus your consciousness for 1 minute on what the world would be like if this seed thought is manifested.
I am a frequent contributor to several online Meditation Groups which can be joined for free or fee (email me if you would like the information.)
I have over 20 products that use meditation and visualization to resolve various life challenges. They are available online at Genevieve Gerard on Amazon, Genevieve Gerard on iTunes and a variety of internet commercial sites both nationally and internationally or you can just navigate over to my website product page. I have also published short 10-15 minute meditations (in a MP3 format) from various live group events for a nominal fee.
You can write
or contact me at:
Touch of the Soul
Attn: Genevieve Gerard
301 E Yamato Rd., Ste 1240
Boca Raton, Florida 33431 • USA
1-(seven three one)-313-SOUL
1-(seven three one)-313-7685
8 am to 4 pm Monday - Friday
Note: In order to reduce spam we have substituted "@" in emails with (at) on this page.
An email shown as Customer Care (at) MyWebSite.com would actually be [email protected] when you email us.
Welcome Back Tip: You can search for key words you may be interested in, in the Search Site field located near the top right section of my website. Thanks for visiting! -GG
