Skip to main content

Trending Now: What everyone's reading.

So… Is Your Higher Self the Same as Source?

  Not exactly. Think of it like this: Source is the origin —pure consciousness, God/Goddess/Divine Light, whatever you want to call it. It’s the everything-and-nothing energy from which all things come. Your Higher Self is your personal bridge to Source. It’s your soul in its purest form , untainted by fear, ego, or human distortion. Your Higher Self is you , just on the zoomed-out level —the version of you that remembers the full story, all lifetimes, all lessons, all missions. So: Source is the sun. Your Higher Self is the sunbeam that still holds its essence but is uniquely you . Is Your Higher Self Your Soul? Pretty much— but here's the nuance: Your soul is eternal. It’s the part of you that has lived countless lives. Your Higher Self is like the fully awakened version of your soul —the one not currently squeezed into a human body trying to pay bills and avoid family drama. When you're in human form, you're kind of like the tip of the i...

Staying Present in Meditation: Tips to Calm the Mind and Refocus

 


“When the Mind Wanders: Gentle Ways to Return to Stillness”

Meditation isn’t about having a blank mind—it’s about learning how to come back.

It’s completely normal to drift into thought during meditation, especially when you're working with visualization. One moment, you’re feeling the beautiful flow of light moving through your body… the next, you’re thinking about your to-do list or what’s for dinner.

That’s not failure. That’s the nature of the mind.

The real power comes from noticing when you've wandered—and gently returning, again and again.

Here are some simple and compassionate ways to quiet the mind and guide yourself back into your meditation practice when distractions arise.


1. Acknowledge and Return (Without Judgment)

  • Don’t fight the thought—just notice it. “There’s a thought.”

  • Redirect your focus with gentleness. This is how you build mental strength.

2. Anchor Yourself to Sensations

  • Tune into physical cues like warmth, tingling, or pressure in your body.

  • Use your breath as a reset. A few deep breaths can work wonders.

3. Break It Into Smaller Segments

  • Keep your focus in short bursts. Think of it as moment-to-moment awareness.

  • Visualize the light in one body part at a time—it’s more manageable.

4. Be Gentle, Be Playful

  • Meditation isn’t a test. It’s exploration.

  • Think of guiding your attention back as a soft, curious game.

5. Practice Regularly

  • Even five minutes a day adds up.

  • Stay patient. You’re developing a beautiful skill that takes time.


🌿 You’re Closer Than You Think

The fact that you can visualize and feel moments of stillness means it's within you. With the right tools and support, those fleeting moments can become lasting states of peace.


💫 Ready to Deepen Your Practice?

If you’d like personal guidance to help calm your mind and enhance your meditation experience, I’d love to support you.
As your healing and meditation coach at Artful Living Coaching, I’ll walk beside you as you cultivate inner stillness, reconnect with your energy, and explore powerful practices that bring real transformation.

✨ Reach out today and let’s begin your journey—back to presence, back to peace.

Comments

Popular Posts

Learning to Speak Again—from the Inside Out

There was a time I silenced myself— Not because I had nothing to say, But because I thought nobody cared. It all started when I became a photographer. I spent years capturing other people’s stories—their moments, their milestones, their memories. I poured myself into their light while quietly fading into the background. No one ever really asked about my story. Then I moved to a town where, oddly enough, that silence deepened. Coming from Orange County, I was used to people being curious—wanting to know me, connect with me. But after moving to Lake Elsinore, it felt like no one gave two shits about who I was or what I’d lived through. Even in my church community—despite showing up, attending events, trying to build relationships—no one asked. No one seemed to care. So, over time, I just stopped sharing. I stopped offering anything at all. For years, I silenced myself. Not because I had nothing to say— But because nobody asked. Then came the stroke. Afterward, I stuttered and stumb...

From Employee to Entrepreneur

You might wonder why I started a photography business.  After losing my career in the mortgage industry and struggling to find work in sales and marketing during the 2007 recession, I turned to landscape photography as a hobby. People who saw my photos started asking for headshots and family portraits. Initially, I resisted, insisting I didn't photograph people. But with gentle encouragement from friends, I eventually gave in, and lo and behold, I was really good at photographing people. So much so that it felt more like divine intervention. It was as if God were saying, "Stop trying to open doors to your past of dead-end jobs and oversold career promises when I'm trying to open doors to your future." This was a spiritual awakening, and with that, everything sort of just fell into line. After that, what truly motivated me to start my own business was a deep-seated frustration. I was tired of building other people's empires with my own sweat and effort. Whether it ...

Reclaiming Wholeness: From Survival to Soul-Aligned Success

There are two pivotal moments in my life that changed everything. The first was when I had my stroke. I was lying on the ground, unable to move, and I prayed to God, “Please don’t leave me like this.” I had no idea how I was going to provide for myself. I’ve been an unmarried woman my entire life—not necessarily by choice, but because I never met the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. So I’ve always had to pay my own bills and take care of myself. After my stroke, I was left with deep trauma and fear. It felt like my soul had disconnected—like I’d lost a piece of who I was, and I didn’t know how to get it back. The second was the pandemic. It left a lot of fear in me. I had my stroke during the pandemic, and in a strange way, it was both a blessing and a curse. The world stopped—and that pause gave me the time I needed to heal. In the beginning, I focused on my physical healing. I thought that was the most important thing. I needed to rebuild my strength, stamina, and endu...

From Paralysis to Progress

 One Step at a Time  After going up and then down hundreds of steps of stairs, on my way back up again I looked up at the steep steps and asked myself while out of breath why I do this? The answer came quickly: Because I can! Walking is a gift, and as a #strokesurvivor, it's also a #miracle that I am able to. Having been completely paralyzed on half my body, every step for me is a victory. On my way back up, I knew the higher I climbed, the harder I had to push myself.  With each step I take, the distance between me and a repeat stroke lessens. I push past what feels impossible and I #nevergiveup.