Modern Zen Master – Spirituality, Wellness, and Lifestyle Blog

February 18, 2018 Sandy

You are pure energy. There is energy all around you but there is also energy flowing inside of you. This invisible energy is called Chi or Prana. This vital life force keeps us vibrant, healthy, and alive. In Meditation, Yoga, and Ayurveda we connect with our Chakras. The Sanskrit word Chakra translates as wheel. Just imagine a swirling wheel of energy in each part of your body. That is where matter and consciousness meet. There are seven main Chakras, the centers in our bodies in which energy flows through. If you open those seven Chakras then you are in alignment with the divine. The Chakras start from the base of the spine all the way through the crown of your head. These swirling wheels of energy correspond to massive nerve centers in the body. Each of the seven main Chakras contains bundles of nerves and major organs as well as our psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being. Since everything is moving, it’s essential that our seven main Chakras stay open, aligned, and fluid. If there is a blockage, energy cannot flow, and this often leads to illnesses. Therefore I recommend that you clear your Chakras as often as possible. I like to clear my Chakras during meditation. I visualize each Chakra and breath consciously into each chakra at a time, starting from the spine all the way up to the head. So it’s important to understand each Chakra and therefore I want to give you all a quick summary of each of the main Chakras: The Seven Main Chakras First Chakra / Root Chakra: The Root Chakra is the chakra of stability, security, and our basic needs, like food or financial stability. It encompasses the first three vertebrae, the bladder, and the colon. When this chakra is open, we feel safe and fearless. Second Chakra / Sacral Chakra: The Sacral Chakra is our creativity and sexual center. It is located above the pubic bone, below the navel, and is responsible for our creative expression, our overall well-being, and our abundance. Third Chakra / Solar Plexus Chakra: The Solar Plexus Chakra means lustrous gem and it’s the area from the navel to the breastbone. The third Chakra is our source of personal power. When opening the third Chakra you feel more confident and in control of your life. Fourth Chakra / Heart Chakra: Located at the heart center, the fourth Chakra, is at the middle of the seven and unites the lower Chakras of matter and the upper Chakras of spirit. The fourth Chakra is also spiritual but serves as a bridge between our body, mind, emotions, and spirit. The heart Chakra is our source of love, joy, and inner peace. Fifth Chakra / Throat Chakra: The Throat Chakra is the fifth Chakra, located in the area of the throat. This is our source of verbal expression and the ability to speak our highest truth. The fifth Chakra includes the neck, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, jaw, mouth, and tongue. Sixth Chakra / The Third Eye: The sixth Chakra is located in between the eyebrows, and therefore also called the Brow Chakra. It is also referred to as the “third eye” Chakra. The third eye is our center of intuition. We all have a sense of intuition but we may not listen to it, or heed its warnings. Focus on opening the sixth Chakra will help you hone this ability. The Third Eye Chakra is also connected to imagination, wisdom, and the abiliy to make decisions. Seventh Chakra / Crown Chakra: The Crown Chakra or the “thousand petal lotus” Chakra is located at the crown of the head. This is the Chakra of enlightenment and spiritual connection to our higher selves, others, and ultimately, to the divine.

Sending you Love & Light, Sandy

Lifestyle The Spirit of Christmas

December 26, 2017 Sandy

Seriously guys Christmas is supposed to be the season of love and giving. But all I experienced were busy people trying to get last Christmas presents and buying food that will last for one year. What happened to the old fashioned way of handmade presents and baking cookies with the kids? I also noticed that sitting at home and having a TV Marathon does not get you anywere. The same old movies, which we already have on DVD or Blu Ray. This all does not make sense to me anymore. I am so looking forward to finally have time to read a book and sip my all time favourite ginger and lime tea. I am tired of the same old, same old. We are so caught up in the materialistic world that we truly forget about the real reason of the season. We should not ask what our family and friends can do for us but rather what we can do for our family and friends. I noticed that my son is always overwhelmed by the amount of presents he receives every single year. But instead he lightens up, when I go to the playground with him or we just play an oldfashined board game together. Those are the moments that make my Christmas perfect. I love his sparkling eyes, when we decorate the cookies together and when he can handcraft some gifts with his grandpa.

I think our world would be a better place, if we would stop thinking that we have to get a lot of presents in order to show our love to family and friends. Getting stuck in the material world does not do us any favour. As a matter of fact, we are actually helping the corporate industries to become even richer instead of helping ourselves to get out of debt. Did you know that the amount of money we spent on Christmas presents could help to stop the world hunger?

I want you all to think before you spent. Why not invest more time walking in nature, or volunteering for the poor, or just reading a book to your kids? The opportunities are endless. Just cultivating the sacred essence of time is more important than all the materialistic possessions you have. Christmas for me is a sacred time, a time of reflection, for purification. Just dwelling in this holy time and being conscious of Christmas is what makes all the difference in the world.

Just center yourself and ask how you can connect to the devine and have a more conscious life? Let us breathe new life into this season and make a new tradition of Christmas. Have yourself a Merry Christmas and a spiritual renewal.

Love & Light,

Sandy

Spirituality The 30 Day Meditation Challenge

January 28, 2017 Sandy

I am so excited to finally share with you my experience with meditation. Now, don’t forget this is supposed to be fun. So please don’t stress out if it feels like a big challenge in the beginning. I have to admit that I also struggled once I started meditating on a regular basis. But after the 30 Days were over, I realized that now this habit is a huge part of my life and therefore I can’t live without meditating at least once a day. If you have never meditated before in your life you probably worry about those 5 things:

Where do I meditate?
For how long do I meditate?
How do I sit down while meditating?
How do I meditate?
Do I need special equipment for meditation?

You really don’t have to worry about those 5 things because I tell you the best way of getting started with meditation. I want you to make meditation a habit in your day to day life. Therefore I will show you a variety of meditation techniques that helped me to become more relaxed, more centered, and more balanced in my life. For me personally meditation was the key to become the divine person I now am. So let’s get started on the challenge:

Where do I meditate? It really does not matter where exactly you meditate. You can meditate anywhere in your home, including the bathroom (which was my favorite room to be when I got challenged to find a quiet place for meditation). You can also meditate outside in nature if you want to. Just find a comfortable place like in your backyard, at the beach, or maybe in a public park. The most important thing is that you don’t get disturbed at all. If you have kids or other family members around just make sure they are not at home or are all asleep. When things really started to get hectic I just locked myself in the bathroom, and told my family members, that I needed some privacy for a little while.
For how long do I meditate? In the beginning I challenged myself to meditate for at least 3 minutes a day. This does not sound like a very long time, but trust me as a beginner it can feel like hours. You will not believe how long 3 minutes can be, once it is all quiet around you and you are just by yourself with your own breath and your very own thoughts. After two weeks I challenged myself to meditate for 6 minutes a day, and the last ten days I already tried to meditate for 10 minutes a day. Please, don’t get mad at yourself if you can’t make it to 10 minutes. This is really a very long time when it comes to meditation. But once you get used to this habit 10 minutes will be over in no time.
How do I sit down while meditating? You can sit down any way you like. If you want to, you can sit on a chair, or on a pillow or blanket on the floor. If you prefer to lie down, this is also fine. But please make sure you don’t fall to sleep. Most people prefer the lotus position while meditating, but sitting comfortable on your knees is also fine. Just make sure you feel comfortable and you don’t have any pain in your body while sitting down.
How do I meditate? I suggest that you set an alarm clock in order to stick to the time for your meditation session. Once you set the alarm close your eyes and relax. You have to take a deep breath in, hold it in for about 3 seconds, and then exhale slowly. If thoughts start to drift in and out that is OK. Especially the first meditation session should be simple and easy on you. Just allow you to be, and experience this sensation for yourself. If your body starts to twitch a little bit, or if you feel a little itch, that is alright. Just be with your breath and be in the now. To focus on your breath can be also a saver, once you start to drift off with your own thoughts too much. If this happens, just try to comeback in the now and focus on your breath again. Keep telling yourself in the mind: “Breath in, hold your breath for 3 seconds, and exhale slowly.” I personally feel more comfortable breathing in thru my nose and breathing out thru my mouth. But you have to try for yourself what feels best for you personally. Just simply feel what you are feeling. I suggest you relax your shoulders and put your hands on your knees. Your mind is probably dancing around: see those stories, see those thoughts and after come back to your breath. So with each exhale just let your thoughts go and try to come back in the now. But there is no reason to force you to let go of something in particular. Please don’t put any kind of pressure on you. Just trap and hold your mind in a particular place. Feeling your breath travel in and out is the best part of meditation. Knowing that you have the capacity and ability to meditate is amazing. It is easy and simple as that. Towards the end of the meditation session I suggest that you bring the palms of your hands together and rub them, because especially in the beginning your hands will feel very heavy. Rubbing your hands will put heat in them. Then you put the palms of your hands on your eyes and keep breathing slowly in and out. Once the alarm clock is turning on you slowly open your eyes. That is all you have to do.
Do I need special equipment for meditation? I definitely recommend listening to calm and relaxing music while meditating. You can easily find tons of meditation music on YouTube. Just make sure the music is only instrumental. That way you can better focus on your breath. If you are concerned that you are getting distracted by your own thoughts too much, I suggest that you try out so called guided meditations. There are also tons of guided meditations on YouTube. But especially in the beginning I recommend that you only set an alarm clock and just be with yourself for at least 3 minutes. If you prefer you can sit on a chair or lie down on a bed. I personally prefer sitting in the lotus position on a special Zen blanket. But you can use any blanket, a yoga mat or even a special meditation pillow. Choose whatever equipment you feel most comfortable with. To make your meditation session very special I suggest that you turn on a candle or some incense. As always I hope that meditation will help you to bring more Zen into your life.

Love & Light, Sandy

Lifestyle 11 Steps to Become a Morning Person

January 12, 2017 Sandy

I never liked getting up early in the morning. I hate it, hate it, hate it. Even as a teenager I used to sleep in around noon, at least on the weekends. As a student that came in handy when my seminars did not start before 10am. But once I finished university, I had to rethink my sleeping schedule and morning routine. I also read about a study, that has shown you are at your best between 5am and noon. This is the time span where people are most efficient. Ever since I started to wake up more early and changed my morning routine, I noticed that I just feel my best in the morning and get more things done. So if you get up earlier, you certainly get the most out of your day. Being a morning person makes you definitely more happy and successful. Another study has shown that people who get up early, tend to be more optimistic and proactive. So if you are not a morning person and like to sleep in, just like me, then I have 11 steps to follow for you, that will help you on your way to become a morning person. Those tips and tricks are helpful in order to be more optimistic, happier, and successful. I am challenging those of you, who like to stay up late and like to sleep in. So let’s get started:

Go to bed early

The most important thing in order to become a morning person is by starting to go to bed at a decent hour. That way you don’t feel grumpy and groggy in the morning. Try also to stay away from electronial devices after 8pm and rather read a book or magazine. This usually makes me more sleepy than watching TV or youtube on my tablet.

15 minute intervals

I suggest that you start getting up 15 minutes earlier than your usual wake up time. You can adjust 15 more minutes each day till you reach the new wake up time. So for example if you usually get up at 9am but want to get up at 8am you have to get up the first day at 8.45am, the second day at 8.30am and the third day at 8.15am. The final day you get up at 8am and after that you try to stick to this routine.

Use a nice wake up tone

Change your alarm clock to a tone that is not annoying and does not let you feel grumpy first thing in the morning. I usually use songs that I love. I also like to change those songs frequently, so I don’t get used to them by not noticing the alarm clock in the morning.

Skip the snooze button

This is very important, because it makes you feel in the trap of falling to sleep again. It is no good falling to sleep again and make yourself wake up over and over again. I realized that I felt even more tired once I pressed that snooze button and fell to sleep again. The snooze is not only a time consuming thing, it even lets you feel more worse. It is just a way that takes up time and lets you feel even more worse because you lose precious time in the morning.

Keep your alarm clock away from your bed and night stand

This is not only better for your health, to stay away from electric smog, but it really forces you to get out of your bed in order to turn off the alarm clock. So once you are already awake, it is much easier to stay up, instead of rolling over in your bed and fall to sleep again.

Open your windows

It is very important to get some daylight in order to become fully awake. Open the curtains or the blends and if possible open your windows for fresh air. Just get some sunshine on your face in order to stimulate your hormones. This shows you that it is morning and gets your body moving. The best way to start your day is to get fresh air.

Make your bed

This is just a habit of mine in order to let me realize that the night is over. Once my bed is made it protects me from crawling back under the cozy sheets because I don’t want to ruin my tidy bed.

Have a morning routine

Have at least 15 minutes for yourself first thing in the morning. Choose things that you love and that you can look forward to. I like having a cup of tea or coffee. During that time I can read the newspaper or blogs and just get my day started. In the summer I even like to sit outside and watch the birds and just be by myself and centered.

Workout

You should do some exercise in the morning. Now if you like running or jogging you should certainly do that. As for me though I don’t have the time for that, but instead I do some yoga. This stretches my muscles and gets me moving. A morning workout is not only good for waking you up, it is also very healthy.

Have a healthy breakfast

Try not to skip breakfast because this gives you the boost of energy that you need for the day ahead of you. A healthy breakfast not only kick starts your metabolism, it also lets you feel less groggy. I recommend a banana because this fruit makes your stomac feel full easily, plus you get all the nutritions that you need. If you don't like to eat solid food in the morning, I suggest you make yourself a smoothie. This kind of breakfast is not only healthy but also fast and easy to do.

Plan the night before

Think about what you need the next day and plan the night before. I plan my outfit the night before, so I am not too stressed about what to wear the next morning. I also have my purse or backpack already packed. So the things I need for the day are already done and I am ready to go. That way I don’t have an endless to do list after I wake up. So those are the 11 steps I took in order to become a morning person. I hope my post was helpful and if you have more suggestions for a morning person to be, then please let me know in the comments. As always bring more Zen into your life. Love & Light, Sandy

Lifestyle 8 Tips for Changing your Life in 2017

January 1, 2017 Sandy

Happy New Year everybody. Do you want to be more successful and have an abundant life in 2017? Than this post is for you! Are you also the type that has lot of new years resolutions but does not know how to stick to it? Well, this year I have 8 wonderful tips for you to change your life for the best: 1. Skip Resolutions Yes, that is right. I want you to skip those resolutions. Most of you probably have specific resolutions like: I want to exercise every day, I want to read 100 books in a year, or I want to lose 10 pounds. But instead of being very precise I want you to be more realistic about your goals. For example you can choose more general goals like: I want to read more, I want to do more exercise, I want to lose weight. This way you have room to grow and it doesn’t stress you too much. It is one thing to say you want to change and another thing to go ahead and really change things. So if you have never really changed the way you live and live the same life up until now, then it is really hard to change your life, without knowing exactly how to do so. 2. Put your change into action For that reason I suggest a notebook or a planner. For example if your idea was to read more books, then you should make a schedule and plan your reading routine. If you decided to do more exercise you actually have to go to the gym and make a contract. I also suggest that you write down the days you want to go to the gym. If you want to start yoga, you have to sign up for a yoga class and write down the time in your planner. Make a list for all your goals. I am sure you get the idea. This really helps you to put those goals into action. 3. Journaling You really want to keep track of your life and make sure you notice those changes. In order to help you stay focused on your goals I suggest you get a notebook and start journaling. I like to write down my emotions, even if I don't feel great at the moment. But I like to keep track on my progressions and how I feel a long the way. This helps me to focus on the person that I am trying to be and leaves me alone with all my thoughts. If you don’t like to journal and write you can just be with yourself and resume your day or meditate on that. Just make sure you keep track of your goals and try to realize how that makes you feel. 4. Stay inspired Make an inspiration board, so you can actually look at the things you are trying to achieve or maybe look at what your role models are doing. This helps you especially if you start to lose faith or your momentum. I recommend you change your phone background or computer background as well. Write your goals on a piece of paper, in your planner, or in your notebook. Make sure you write down how your life will look like in 5 years, 10 years, or more. You should read this every morning or in the evening before you go to bed. Write it down in as much detail as possible. This will help you to not get distracted. Just keep inspired. 5. Stay away from negativity If you have a bad habit then you need to leave it in 2016. You also have to make sure you stay away from people that try to talk you out of your goals. There is no excuse to stick around someone that treats you like crap. So leave those people and bad habits behind and move forward to 2017. Make sure you stay away from all kind of negativity or turmoil in your life. There is nothing wrong with leaving people behind that don’t serve your purpose. You are just trying very hard to live the life you want. It is certainly impossible to change your life if you have heavy baggage still on you. So please make sure you ditch those bad habits and negative people, who are trying to way you down. 6. Believe in yourself Trust me, it is very important to love yourself, and believe in yourself. This will help you to focus on your goals and to stay positive. When you are constantly telling yourself that you are not good enough or you can’t do the things you want to do, then the universe is going to react by never letting you get there and never lets you accomplish your goals. So the first step to take action is always to believe in yourself and to trust yourself. All in all just love yourself. Be nice to yourself and know that you will make mistakes. You will not always stick 100 % to your goals. But this should not stop you from achieving your goals. Never give up on yourself and your plan. You are not perfect, but guess what nobody is. Mistakes are going to happen, but just breath, and keep trying. 7. Carpe diem This moment right now is the youngest you are ever going to be. The past is over and the future is not yet here. So stick to your plan and live in the now. This moment right now is the only moment happening now. So just breath in and do your best. Relax and rest when you need to. Just recharge and keep working hard. Do your best and keep your mind focused on your goals. Keep the energy high and the universe will reduplicate the energy that you are putting out there. 8. Fake it till you make it Make sure you plan your life and have a set of goals that you want to accomplish. But the most important thing is the moment right now. You don’t need to be right now where you want to be in the future. It is just not going to happen. My advice is to pretend that it is already yours and act as if it is already yours. That way you will enjoy life all the way up till you get where you want to be. Just breath in, be happy and enjoy life. Be aware that you have to work hard on your goals and eventually you will get where you want to be in the future. But most importantly don’t forget to enjoy every single moment that leads up to your future life. As always bring more Zen into your life. Love & Light, Sandy

Lifestyle Follow your Path

April 28, 2016 Sandy

Do not hesitate any longer. Make the most of every day. Encounter your strengthes and make your dreams a reality. Follow your passion. Do not make the mistake and blame other people for your misery. Get up and get moving. For example if you want to write a book, you have to write every day. If you want to sell art, you have to paint. What matters is now. Skip the past because it is over. Skip the future because you don't know what tomorrow will bring. But instead live in the present. Just go with the flow, and follow your path. Stick to your passion because great things don't happen quickly. Just look at a flower, it is planted in dirt but after quiet some time it finally blooms. Do what you really want instead of focusing on making money, and material possessions. Make your own path instead of living by society standards. Life is way to short to spend it in the wrong place, or with the wrong people. It is time to create your own environment and find the people and surroundings that help you grow as a person, and a human being. Remember we are spiritual beings having a human experience, so make the most of your time here on mother earth. Create your own beautiful things. Create a mission for your beautiful art or writing. Write poetry every day with the things that you do. Make your life a manifestation of who you are. Your creation will be the things that matter. It is the essence that you leave behind. Don't be sad if one door closes. The challenge is that you don't know what is behind the other door. So question yourself what is your passion, what is your cause and what is your believe? And then you go for it. Just make sure you create an environment with people that believe in you. Talk about what you do and what you believe in with the right people. There are people around the world who have exactly the same passion, and who are interested in the same things as you are. Remember your vibe attracts your tribe. There is no better time to follow your dream and your passion then right now. My advice for you is to jump right in and create your own reality. You will see, miracles are about to happen and the right door will eventually open for you. Love & Light, Sandy

Spirituality My Way of Zen

April 28, 2016 Sandy

Ever since I went to the United States I became tremendously interested in Buddhism. I searched for books at Barnes & Nobles about Buddhism, because I always thought of Zen as a very peaceful state of mind. I also strongly believe in the concept of reincarnation. During my search on the topic of Zen I stumbled upon Feng Shui, which translates as 'wind and water'. Feng Shui is actually the art of designing your home to promote success in life, health, wealth, and happiness. I got so interested that I started to take classes in Feng Shui at a College back in the days. In 2015 I also started to integrate meditation in my daily life, and since then I don't want to miss out on this habit anymore. Zen, actually means 'deep meditation' and is a form of Buddhism that helps you to reach Nirvana. To be precise, Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as Chán. It was strongly influenced by Taoism, and developed as a distinguished Chinese style of Buddhism. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam, northeast to Korea and east to Japan, where it became known as Japanese Zen. Zen emphasizes rigorous meditation-practice, insight into Buddha-nature, and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of others. Because of all the benefits that deep meditation brought into my life, I want you all to join me on my journey to spread love, light, and abundance. I truly believe it is necessary that body, mind, and spirit are all taken care of and need to be balanced at all times. Therefore I suggest you all bring more Zen into your life. Love & Light, Sandy