Applicable & inspiring teachings + grounding meditations & yoga
“Cultivating Abundance” might give you The Ick if you’re in any way triggered by modern-day spiritual social media content (guilty) or boho-witchy stock photos—even if the intention is pure and authentic; even if the message feels true and resonates.
So instead of layering on more tips on receiving, I’ll share 3 teachings that have helped me practice recognizing the abundance I already have—and how to embody it in daily life without scrunching my nose at the idea like some lofty, unattainable concept.
Feel free to join me if you’re interested in playing around with abundance as a grounded, realistic, holistic lifestyle practice for the remainder of the year—even if it’s just for today, or as we transition into fall 🙂
Feel what abundance physically feels like
Dr. Joe Dispenza is known for his books, retreats, and online offerings that are backed by neuroscience. His students share wild stories of manifesting literal miracles from his curated meditations, which are all created based on research.
He teaches that, during meditation, we can visualize the abundance we desire and literally feel what that abundance feels like in our body.
If we find ourselves slipping out of that physiological state of abundance outside of our meditation, we can do our best to return to and access it as often as possible on a daily basis using tools from my previous posts, or whatever helps us land back there.
I’ve shared before about the importance of reconnecting with this type of physical feeling even when things get rough—after we’ve had a safe place to process any emotions that need to be expressed—which helps maintain an abundant flow state throughout our life. It’s a constant practice, and something I’m constantly relearning.
How I feel it:
I realized personally that I don’t have to reserve this practice only for what I desire—I can also feel into and recognize the abundance that’s already here.
An example of what abundance feels like for me: My aforementioned experience on a sunny porch in Germany felt like I had everything I needed in that moment and I wasn’t pressed for time, even though I was sad to have just left my family in California and was anticipating another few months apart.
This sense of emotional contentment despite a bit of sadness physically felt like the sun was melting tense muscles; like light was infusing my body; like a wave of ease was passing over me; like a fog was lifted and things felt lighter, present, sweet, calm.
Supportive meditation:
Cultivating Loving Awareness & Gratitude | 17 minutes
(P.S. Enjoy my travel guide for mind-body wellbeing)
Need nothing & desire everything
David Ghiyam has transformative offerings—including both paid and free content online and in-person—that stem from the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah.
I find the information he shares to be incredibly practical and universally applicable since it’s not a religion—it’ helped me navigate a lot of my own uncertainty and fears.
In relation to acknowledging current abundance, one of his teachings that recently inspired me was: Know that we don’t need anything, but we can still desire everything.
In other words: Even though we are whole and abundant as is, we can still desire to have beyond what we imagine is possible. We can hold these two truths at the same time: Gratitude for what’s here and an openness for what could be.
How I actualize it:
Even if I say out loud “I need nothing and I desire everything!” but don’t fully feel or 100% believe it yet, this sentiment reminds me to:
- Focus on what’s going well and what I already have (I have everything!).
- Keep up with the spiritual—i.e. mental + emotional—work that will create the conditions to receive what I want (I desire everything!).
- Remember that abundance is not about chasing or controlling, but about creating space for both acceptance and expansion.
Supportive meditation:
Accepting Challenges & Visualizing Desires | 17 minutes
Love what I do & what I have
Nikki Costello is one of my beloved Iyengar yoga teachers of ~9 years. I’ve always appreciated not only her dedication to yoga asana and philosophy, but also the way she applies her studies to her everyday life.
In a recent virtual class, she was rounding out a talk on how the physical practice of yoga is a means of calming the constant movement of the mind—whether we’re in a squishy restorative pose or a demanding standing pose.
Nikki said that, in this way, yoga teaches us that life is not just about doing what we love, but also loving what we do.
How I approach it:
I’m realizing more and more that I can’t wait for abundance in X to feel good, and I can’t 100% rely on doing what I love all the time to feel good, either, because there will always be something to do that isn’t necessarily something I 100% enjoy.
I can, however, do my best to love and feel abundant in what I have now, and also to love what I do now—even if things aren’t ideal or comfortable; even if I’m not doing exactly what I love (i.e. cleaning the shower drain, confrontation, math).
Reframing abundance in this way can be such a relief by taking the pressure off of future expectations and refocusing the attention on the present moment—which can also soften resistance and reactive behavior toward the things we don’t love to do.
Supportive meditations:
Cultivating Peace | 20 minutes
Can I Be With This? | 9 minutes
Reflect
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
These teachings don’t encourage passivity, but instead inspire and invite conscious and compassionate action.
I invite you to consider your own consciousness and actions around abundance:
- What does abundance mean to you now? What does it feel like in your body today?
- In what areas of your life are you currently abundant?
- Where do you desire abundance—has it shifted from the first post in this series?
- What is something you do that might not feel 100% enjoyable but is supporting your growth; that is helping to create the conditions for abundance?
- Most importantly: How can awareness of your abundance inspire you to give, share, and be of service in ways that feel feasible and true to you?
If any of this really resonates, message me for personalized 1:1 coaching—create the conditions in body and mind for your desired abundance to arrive and thrive.
Take good care,
S
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