Improve Your
Spiritual Wellness
Improving your spiritual wellness is one of the most important aspects of living a cozy life. This doesn’t mean to only focus on your intuition but to expand your horizons and experience many different types of situations that will increase your spiritual wellness. Embrace all parts of your spiritual self; try new things because when the soul is ready, the teacher will come. Paying attention to your spiritual wellness will tie all parts of living a cozy life together within you.
Yoga
When you think of yoga, you might think of someone sitting on the floor with their legs crossed, their hands turned palm upward on their knees and their thumb and middle finger touching, their eyes closed, while they’re making an om sound. While this is a common position for meditation, yoga is much more than this. Yoga is a Hindu spiritual discipline. It is a way to practice meditation and relax while controlling your breathing, and it can also include going through a series of body positions called asana.
There are many different types of yoga but a few are more popular than others. Hatha Yoga is great for beginners because it involves gentle stretching movements that are easier to do. Hatha yoga moves include the basic moves that you’ll find in more difficult disciplines. Bikram yoga is done in a studio that is heated to 105 degrees with 40 percent humidity, which replicates the environment of India. The same twenty-six movements are done repeatedly to help aid in meditation. Once you memorize the movements, they become second nature so you don’t even think about them, which enables you to focus on meditation while doing the movements by rote. If you enjoy a livelier yoga session then Vinyasa yoga might be perfect for you. In this style, you move from one position to the next fairly quickly and you never repeat the same set of movements like you do in Bikram yoga. If you want to ramp up your yoga session even more, then Ashtanga yoga might be fun for you. In this style, each pose builds on the previous one with increasing difficulty.
In addition to the movements done during a yoga class, breathing is very important to both help you with the meditation part of yoga and to enable you to complete the class. Pranayama is the name given to the regulation of your breathing, and like yoga, there are several different types of pranayama that you can practice depending on the style of yoga you’re doing. The easiest being one called 4-4-4-4 breathing, where you breathe in as you count to four, hold your breath for four seconds, breathe out while counting to four, and holding for four seconds before breathing in again.
There are also a variety of ways to meditate while doing yoga. The Third Eye Meditation is when you focus on the area between your eyebrows where the third eye is located. Any time you feel distracted by something happening during the class or if you find yourself focusing on your movements, you redirect your thoughts back to the area of your third eye and try to silence your mind. During a Chakra Meditation, you’re directed by the instructor to focus on one of your seven chakras and visualize something specific that the instructor wants you to visualize. You might also be instructed to make sounds, called mantras, during this visualization. Gazing Meditation is when you fixate your gaze on a specific item. Once you have this image clearly in your mind’s eye, you close your eyes and hold the vision in your mind.
Yoga can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be, depending on the style of yoga you choose to practice. Some styles are perfect for beginners while other styles really require you to be quite athletic to be able to keep up with the changing and holding of the different positions. The benefits of yoga for your mind, body, and spirit can be phenomenal; can bring you a sense of peace, and help you get into shape.
Reiki
Reiki, by definition, is a healing technique of Japanese origin where a practitioner channels energy into the person getting the treatment in order to activate the person’s natural healing ability. Reiki is thought to restore both emotional and physical wellness by clearing blockages in the body. Two Japanese words are used to create the word Reiki. Rei means “universal life” and ki means “energy.” So Reiki is interpreted to mean “spiritually guided life force energy.”
Mikao Usui is the person known for creating the Usui System of Natural Healing, which is his technique for working with Reiki energy and is the most popular method today. According to the Usui method, Reiki energy is passed from person to person through a line of masters with specific teachings, initiation, and form of practice. Within the Usui method, there are four different aspects of Reiki. The first is healing by laying your hands on the patient and transferring Reiki energy to them. However, many practitioners also use a hands-off method, where the hands are held a few inches above the person’s body instead of touching them. The second is personal development through choices, the third is spiritual discipline though connecting with spirit and the fourth is practicing Reiki as a mystic order to connect with others following the path of Reiki. The Usui method has three symbols that are energetic keys used to access the nonphysical world. Anyone can learn the Usui method.
Reiki is the life force that flows through everything that is alive. If that energy is weak, blocked, or out of sync with the person’s spirit then it can lead to an imbalance physically or emotionally. Getting a Reiki attunement is a way to bring balance to a person’s energy flow, to unblock areas where the energy isn’t flowing smoothly and to boost weak energy levels. Reiki is used to bring about relaxation, to facilitate healing, and to reduce stress. It is important to note that Reiki is not used to treat or cure diseases.
During a Reiki session, the practitioner uses specific hand positions to move along the person’s body, seeking out areas that are holding stress or where energy is blocked and moving the Reiki energy into those areas to help heal them. The person receiving the Reiki treatment will sometimes feel a warm sensation.
If you’re interested in becoming a Reiki practitioner, there are three levels of training available to you. Reiki Level 1 is also called the First Degree. It’s an initiation to Reiki that teaches you to open energy channels on a physical level in order to connect with the universal life force energy. Many people who attain attunement at Level 1 use Reiki for themselves to clear their own blockages. Reiki Level 2, also called the Second Degree, is when you learn to practice Reiki on others while also learning to expand the energy channels. During Level 2 you’ll learn the Reiki symbols. You have to practice between twenty-one days and three months after your Level 1 attunement before you can receive the Level 2 attunement. Some Masters will teach both levels during an intensive weekend class and attune you to both at the same time. Reiki Level 3 is also known as the Third Degree and Reiki Master. This is the level of being a teacher who can attune others to the different levels of Reiki. It is a deep commitment to Reiki and training others in Reiki.
Dance
Dancing is a great way to get exercise and connect with your inner essence through the sound of the music, the flow of your body, and the energy that dance creates around and within you. It gives you a sense of well-being while you’re having fun. Dance helps you attain a happy, energized feeling that can transfer to other areas of your life. After dancing, your body and mind are invigorated.
Dance has many different types of benefits. Physically it requires you to move your body and use your muscles, and it helps you gain better coordination. When you’re dancing regularly, the exercise will improve your muscle tone and can even help you lose weight. It is heart healthy because it is an aerobic activity, which also increases your lung capability, makes you more flexible, and gives you greater endurance. If you haven’t danced for a while, you might be winded at first, unable to dance for long periods of time, and sore afterward, but keep at it to reap the long-term benefits. Mentally it also helps with your memory, especially if you’re doing a style of dance that has many individualized steps like country line dancing, ballet, or tap dancing. The more you dance, the better you’ll feel about yourself because it boosts your self-confidence psychologically and in your physical body.
If you’re dancing with a partner, you’ll have a greater awareness of the space around you and how far you can move without crashing into other dancers. If you’re dancing alone, you can still attain special awareness because you have to know where you’re going in your dance. Dance also improves your overall coordination and balance.
You can dance anywhere. When I have to clean my house, I crank up the music and dance around while I’m cleaning. It’s more of a workout, but it makes the dull task of cleaning much more fun and entertaining. You can also join a dance school and go to classes, join competitions, or join a belly-dancing class at your local gym. Once I even did a twenty-four-hour dance marathon, and let me tell you—that was definitely a challenge. But it raised money for a great cause and was a lot of fun, even though I was exhausted when it was over. There are plenty of places to dance, you just have to seek out those that offer the style of dance you want to participate in, or you can rock out in your home if you prefer dancing in private.
Travel
You might be wondering how traveling can help you live a cozy lifestyle. The experience of seeing the world, whether it’s near or far from where you live, provides you with insights that you wouldn’t have obtained by staying at home. While on your travels you will experience cozy cultures from around the world that you can include in your own life when you return home.
Traveling doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. If you can’t afford to travel around the world, then find weekend travel destinations that are relatively close to where you live. Choose destinations that offer something completely different than what you experience every day. Pick locations that can help you learn about other cultures, history, or unique local businesses. By choosing a destination outside of what you know, you’re expanding your horizons and are becoming a more knowledgeable and well-adjusted person because you’re learning about the world around you. Traveling locally also gives you the added benefit of meeting more people who live in your area and supporting the community while having an exceptional individual travel experience.
Not only is traveling an adventure, it has many other benefits as well. You can choose to book active travel time where you’ll be participating in various activities such as hiking, water sports, horseback riding, or white-water rafting. You could also choose to book a cultural tour where you are immersed in the local culture in a different country. Both of these types of travel have perks. If you’re doing active traveling then you might discover that you’re great at water-skiing and just didn’t know it because you hadn’t tried it before. Or you might get over your fear of heights long enough to cross a swinging bridge high over a river—for someone who is afraid of heights this is a major accomplishment. If you’re traveling to experience local culture, then you will learn words in another language and understand how people in other countries live, which gives you a completely new perspective. Both types of travel help you to meet challenges head on, grab opportunities that come your way during your travels, and offer you the chance to learn something new about yourself along the way.
Focused Meditation
There are many different ways to meditate by following the traditional methods, some of which are the Buddhist, Hindu, and Chinese meditation techniques. Each of these methods has their own postures and breathing techniques. Traditional methods of meditation often require that you learn from a teacher. If you have the time to take classes in the traditional methods, then any one of them may be perfect for you.
Within the traditional methods are three different focusing concepts you can try during meditation. You can focus on one object, on everything around you, or on nothing at all, instead, focusing within. The purpose of focusing on something outside of yourself in the beginning is to train the mind to quiet down and become filled with calm peacefulness. Meditation is a way to find happiness within yourself by freeing your mind of worry, chatter, regrets, and any other emotion that brings about inner distress. You can’t be happy if your mind is in a state of distress, you can’t live a cozy life if you’re constantly worrying about something, and you can’t be true to your own inner self if you’re not at peace within your spiritual essence. Meditation can help you resolve things that are holding you back from being happy.
Meditation connects the spiritual realm with the physical realm and it’s done within your soul essence. It helps you to remain in control of your inner world through feelings of calm peacefulness when the outer world isn’t going as planned.
If you’re a very busy person, you might feel you don’t have the time to learn a traditional method of meditation. Or you might feel that the traditional methods are too hard, time consuming, or they might make you feel a bit overwhelmed. That doesn’t mean you can’t meditate though. Guided meditations are easy to do and are freely available online. You can also create your own guided meditation that hits on the things you want to work on in your life to create more positivity and happiness.
I’ve created my own style of meditation over the years. I’m always super busy with something or other and for me that’s normal. I don’t have time to practice the traditional methods, so let me share my one minute white light meditation with you. I do this meditation whenever I’m feeling out of sorts, am worried about a problem, am overwhelmed or just need a moment to refresh myself at a core level. Here’s what I do. Regardless of where I am (with the exception of driving—don’t do this when you’re driving!) I stop what I’m doing, close my eyes, and imagine white light gathering like a cloud around the top of my head. I address the issue, say fix it please to the spiritual realm and then imagine the cloud of white light pouring through me like a lightning strike. It fills me quickly and fixes the issue before coming back up through me and exiting through the top of my head back into the spiritual realm. It takes away worry, feelings of being overwhelmed, and basically anything that’s bothering me so I feel balanced and happy again. All of this in a minute or less. Now, I’ve been doing this exercise for many years so it might take you a little longer than a minute but you’re welcome to try to see if it helps you too.
Try It Now Exercise
For this exercise, I’m going to lead you through a guided meditation for wellness. You can also read this slowly and record it so you can play it back while you’re actually doing the exercise.
(Start recording here) To begin, find a place where you can either sit comfortably in a chair or lie down on the floor or a bed. Once you’re settled, imagine a wave of energy entering your body at the top of your head, slowing moving through you until it goes out through the bottom of your feet and the tips of your fingers. As this wave of energy flows through you, it makes every cell in your body relax into a heavier state. It moves very slowly, touching every cell with its relaxing effect. Let your breathing follow the movement of the energy. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Continue this for a few minutes until you sense the energy leaving your body because you are completely relaxed.
Now focus on the following words as you listen to them being played back for you. Let your energy connect to the energy of the words; let them empower you, enhancing your overall well-being.
“I am living my life to the fullest. I am doing what is best for myself in every aspect of my life. I am aware and living in the moments of my life. I understand that I have complete control over my own energy, my frequency, and that I can allow it to raise or lower as needed. I create my life as I choose to live it. I choose to live in a cozy, positive environment with people who will enhance, nurture, and improve my life. I choose to embrace the wellness within the universal flow and allow its positive effect to enhance my life in every way. I feel the energy of universal wellness wrapping around me like a blanket, holding me in a warm, cozy embrace. This is a natural process, one that I may have forgotten, but now have chosen to remember. I am one with all that is, all that was, and all that will be. I am power. I am love. I am spirit eternal. I embrace my spiritual essence and vow to live in truth to my inner being while on the earthly plane of existence. My desires manifest in the earthly plane, allowing me to achieve the goals I desire. I will make it a habit to quiet my mind every day, to relax, to think only as much as is needed to reach a resolution, and to share the love in my heart with anyone who needs it. I understand that my experiences will lead me to the place I am supposed to be on my spiritual path. I make my choices freely and without doubt. I work to raise my frequency to higher levels so I can happily enjoy the cozy lifestyle I have selected for myself. I embrace the simple, I honor the little things, and I am part of it all. My general wellness will enhance my daily happiness as I do the things I love with the people I love and for the reasons I love. I am pure, I am the light, I am love.”
Imagine another wave of energy entering your body through the top of your head but this time as it moves through you it invigorates you, awakens you, mind, body, and spirit. You feel positivity in all areas of your life, an overall wellness that empowers you throughout the week.
Express Yourself
You are a unique person with thoughts that are different from anyone else on the planet. You see the world through your own spirit, through your own energy, and through eyes that are different than everyone else. So, how do you express yourself and your feelings while living a cozy lifestyle?
There are literally thousands of ways that you can express yourself and each one of us does it in a different way. Let’s go over some of the basic ways you can express yourself, which will also keep you living in coziness. Then you can take these ideas, expound upon them, and put your own unique twist on the way you express the inner you to the world.
The primary way people express themselves is through speech. If you enjoy something you can tell someone about it, teach a class on it, or do an internet video about it. Maybe you know how to do something that can help others learn how to do the same thing, or maybe you’ve created a new way to organize your home that you can share through the spoken word. You may give excellent advice that people seek. If you prefer writing over talking then you can express yourself through your website, blog, or by writing articles for other websites. You may even be able to write a book to express your ideas. Speech and the written word are wonderful ways to express your inner thoughts, the way you do things, and to help others understand the topics you’re writing or speaking about. Your facial expressions and movements when you’re speaking also add another layer to the way you express yourself. You may talk with your hands or eyes in addition to normal speech. If you want to express your feelings privately, then a journal might be the way to go.
Expressing yourself through fashion and the way you present yourself to the public is also unique to you. Some people prefer to wear classic clothes and accessories that make a fashion statement while others enjoy being flamboyant in their appearance. You may like a traditional hairstyle or a new, unconventional, trendy style to express your inner self. Makeup can create a subtle or bold statement about yourself. We all have our own quirks, preferences, and styles that are all our own. In college, I had a purple rat tail that was hidden under my hair until I braided it and pulled it over my shoulder so it could be seen. Today, mermaid hair, which is a multitude of colors, is all the rage. The cologne or perfume you choose to wear adds to your fashion statements. It can be fresh and understated or bold and loud in its fragrance.
You can express yourself through your home decor, the way you’ve decorated your home to make it cozy and warm, or you might like the stark and formal look for your interior space. Whatever style you chose, it will reflect part of your inner self.
Drawing, painting, photography, creating videos, dancing, the type of music genres you enjoy—all of these are ways to express your inner self. Maybe you love cooking, baking, and inventing recipes. If so, you could host a dinner party for family or friends to show off your creations.
Regardless of the ways in which you chose to express yourself, your personality and inner light will shine through every single time. You may bring a smile to someone else’s face but the fact is, you’re making yourself happy through self-expression.
Volunteer
Have you ever taken the time to volunteer somewhere? Volunteering is a wonderful way to obtain a cozy feeling inside. It brings joy to be able to help others by giving of your time, energy, and soul essence. You can choose any type of volunteering. It may be as simple as jumping in to help your neighbor with some yard work, helping kids with their homework in an after-school program, helping out during times of natural disasters, or lending a hand at a local animal rescue. Volunteering helps you feel spiritually connected to the people in your community and part of something bigger than just yourself, which is very healthy for your spiritual growth. It’s a positive sharing of yourself with those who can benefit from your assistance.
Let’s say you love animals but you’ve never had an animal. If you volunteer at an animal shelter you’ll learn new skills through your experiences. Doing something you’ve never done before is a way to challenge yourself to achieve your goals. You may even discover that you’re exceptionally good at what you volunteered to do, which helps you outside of the volunteer environment. You may even adopt one of the animals from the shelter once you’re more confident in your ability to care for an animal. Volunteering is always a way to meet new people who have the same interests as you.
There are many opportunities to volunteer if you look for them. The best way to decide where you’d like to volunteer is to think about the things you like to do. There are many organizations in every field that are nonprofit and have many positions available for those who want to help. You might work in a garden, cook, teach a sport or class, do computer work, build something or help with cleanup. There are also ways to volunteer that aren’t connected with a structured volunteer program. Maybe you love going to the beach and a local group is doing a beach cleanup on Saturday. It’s a great way to help out while being in an environment you enjoy. Or maybe you love horses but can’t have your own. Volunteering at a local barn or rescue will give you time with horses and will help those running the facility. If you enjoy spending time with the elderly, you can volunteer at a nursing home. Hospitals, libraries, and community centers usually have some type of volunteer opportunities in which you can participate.
The opportunities to volunteer and make a difference are endless. You just have to choose something that is important to you or that you enjoy doing and get involved. The rewards to volunteering are gratifying both personally, spiritually, and, if you’re doing manual labor, physically. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make a difference in someone’s life today.
Appreciate the Arts
When you think of art, what comes to mind? Paintings or drawings are what most people think of first. There is much more to the arts than just painting though. If you look at any college degree program you will probably find classes in applied arts, liberal arts, fine arts, decorative arts, performing arts, and visual arts. These can be further broken down into the areas of painting, dance, ballet, music, drama, film, theater, creative writing, digital design, poetry, interior decorating, sculpture, and more. The arts can be defined as any outlet that allows you to use your creativity and imagination to create something others can enjoy and appreciate.
If you’re someone who enjoys history, science, or are mechanically minded, then you may say the arts aren’t for you. That’s okay. You can apply what we’re discussing to those fields as well. Being creative is part of feeling cozy. When you can make something, whether it is a beautiful song on the piano or a unique, intricate machine that is intriguing to watch, that creation is a part of you, of your creative soul, and when it is shared and appreciated by others; that’s the same principle as appreciating the arts.
Making another person feel a connection to your work, to move them emotionally and at a soul level, is what the arts are all about. It is taking someone away from the day-to-day routine so they can experience something extraordinary. It is an artistic endeavor that makes you think and feel from your core essence. It can raise your frequency and empower your spirit. The arts teach you to look at situations from a new perspective, to connect with your senses and to dig deeply into the well of your spiritual emotions to find a divine connection to the experience.
You can participate in the arts as an observer or as the artist. As an observer, you can appreciate the arts by going to a theatrical production, taking a trip to a museum, supporting groups that create the arts, or visiting the screening of a new film or indie project. As an artist, you could participate in a painting class, take a dance class, or learn to play a musical instrument. Participating in, instead of just viewing the arts, allows you to stimulate your soul’s creative essence and to tap into your unique talents, whatever they may be. Sharing your final creation, whether it’s a performance, a painting, or a sculpture, exposes others to the arts. As an artist, you use your innate talents to let your spiritual essence shine through, which brings joy to others.
As spirit, we have always been entities of expression. Throughout time on Earth, we’ve always been able to find ways to bring the energy, colors, and sounds from the spiritual realm into the physical realm. Creative expression of our spiritual selves has always been a part of our being. When we’re connected to this creativity, we’re also connected to the energy of coziness within. Creative expression allows us to reconnect to a part of our spiritual immortality through engaging in a way to bring our creative spiritual self to life through our art.
If you haven’t experienced the arts lately, take some time to experience the range of emotions you’ll feel when viewing the ballet or a play, or by creating a painting that was born of your spiritual being. Let the arts inspire you to express the truth of your inner self, your true divine essence.
Try It Now Exercise
Coziness Transformational Challenge
Are you ready to add more coziness into your life? To find a deeper connection to your inner self? To feel more warmth, love, serenity, and joy in your life? Now that you know all of the ways you can grow through the simplicity of cozy, it’s time to implement these changes in your life. It’s time to participate in your own Coziness Transformational Challenge.
The first thing you need to do is to set a specific start date for your program. This is going to be your point of activation. This is the date you’ve chosen to actively make changes in your life to add more coziness to it. The program you’ll follow for your Coziness Transformational Challenge is within the pages of this book. Define the areas you would like to improve upon, study that section of the book, and follow the examples or exercises.
The hardest part of any transformational challenge is choosing to begin and then sticking with it. If you’ve ever started an exercise or weight-loss program it’s a similar process. You have to be aware of the choices you’re making along the way and you have to care about, and want to achieve, the end results. When you activate your internal sense of coziness, the end result is more awareness, changes within your home, and changes within your thought patterns and spirituality. This adds more positivity to your emotional, physical, and spiritual health for your mind, body, and spirit.
To have the most success, make sure you’re ready and willing to accept the changes you’ll make in your life. Then set your start date. The time has to be right for you to achieve the most success and you’ll instinctively feel when it’s right. As you practice, adding coziness to your life will become effortless. It will be a seamless flow brimming over with positivity.
The best way to keep up with your progress is to keep a journal specifically for this exercise. You can even write Coziness Transformational Challenge right across the front and glue pictures to the front of it like you would on a vision board, which will make it all the more cozy itself. Any time you have a cozy event write down what you did, how it was received by others, and what you could do differently next time to make it even cozier. Write down ways you implemented a feeling of coziness to your personal life each day. Also refer back to the practices list after the table of contents to see if there are any you haven’t tried yet or you’d like to do again. Write how you felt about the change and whether you feel like it worked or not.
You can do the Coziness Transformational Challenge for as short or as long of a time as you like. There’s isn’t an end date to finish. This is a life change, so take as long as you need to make it. You might try for thirty days to start and make a point to practice every day. After that you could choose to take a break and do the challenge again at another time or you might decide that it’s working so well you want to keep going. It’s all up to you. This is a choice to add warmth and coziness to your life so make sure you’re having fun and enjoying every minute of it.