Some things I learned during the past year .....

Like many others, I experienced a lot of loss this past year.   I do cherish memories but will never stop missing Brian; also my brother who more recently died.  I am missing communication with one of my sisters due to her illness; and I have experienced the lack of  love and support from someone I thought would be there for me. ♥ 

It's been a sad year but one of learning and one that has made me grateful and kept me strong with abiding faith. 

For 7 months of the year I lost clear vision; I viewed the world in triplicate and this meant I lost the ability to read and to write. This experience led me to investigate audio books and, as most of my readers know, I now have 2 audio books on the market and a third which will be released in the spring. 

This experience also led to great challenge when it came to ordinary walking.  Which curb was the right one? And from this I learned who my true friends are; those who were there for me with offers of drives and other support when I most needed it. 

I learned of some who didn't care when I thought that they would. I learned that not all family members are my friends; and I learned that my true friends are an amazing, loving, and caring family. 

So I guess what I really learned is that out of every negative there is a positive if I am open to recognizing and accepting it. ♥ 


"You can't get beyond what you've never been in." 

My books are available exclusively on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin 

Meditation -- what is it and why do we want to do it?

I am facilitating a series of Meditation and Emotional Healing Circles commencing Monday afternoon, 2 pm, in Fellowship Hall, Holy Trinity United Church, Elliot Lake.   This morning a friend said to me that she hoped we have a good turnout but that there are many who don't understand what a Meditation and Emotional Healing Circle is all about.   I hope this excerpt from Keeping It Simple will help to raise awareness and provide some understanding.    

First things first! What is meditation?

 A form of prayer, meditation is a respecter of all religions and an integral part of most.  It is a form of communication with a Higher Power that does not restrict itself to a particular faith or religion. 

            Yet meditation does not require the one who meditates to be affiliated with a religion.

            I refer to the wisdom of the ancients. We are taught that Jesus said, “Go into your closet and pray.” Buddha said, “Hear the sound of one hand clapping.”   Elevated psychological insights of meditation can give birth to dviekus meaning Cleaving to God, particularly in Jewish mysticism. 

When meditating, using a mantra such as ‘Om’ has a deep spiritual significance.  It is representative of the conscious, unconscious and dream states of the human mind as well as symbolizing creation and the nature of ‘Brahma’, the Hindu creator-God.  

At its highest level, meditation is the searcher’s way of saying, “Speak Lord, thy servant heareth.”

When one meditates the practitioner attempts to get beyond the “thinking mind” into a deeper state of awareness.   Meditation has been practiced since antiquity and is a component of many religions but it is also practiced outside of religious traditions.  Your goal may be one of many possibilities. Through meditation one can achieve a higher state of consciousness or enlightenment; develop increasing compassion and loving kindness; receive spiritual inspiration or guidance from God.  You may wish to achieve greater focus, creativity or self-awareness.  Another goal of meditation may be to simply cultivate a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind.

            Traditional prayer in the western world is our way of speaking to God.

            Meditation is our way of listening to God. It is also our way of connecting with the divine aspect within; our highest, best selves.

Why do we meditate?

            Now that you have some explanation as to what meditation is,  I will discuss why you may want to introduce this experience into your life and make it an implicit part of your lifestyle?

            We must consider the power of prayer to answer the second question which is why do we meditate?

We are most accustomed to traditional prayer in the western world however both forms of prayer are powerful. It has been said that a good communicator will speak without offending and listen without defending.  Meditation is one way of listening to your highest, most wise self and it is an enlightening way of listening to God.

            Meditation is this and much more. It feeds the spirit. It nourishes body and mind. We are each comprised of body, mind and spirit. We yearn to be one, whole and complete.

            Emotional blocks can get in the way and prevent us from achieving this goal and if these emotional issues are not dealt with they can manifest in physical blocks.  These physical blocks or dis-ease can lead an individual to what is sometimes labeled a spiritual by-pass.

            Perhaps you have heard the saying, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  Meditation, in and of itself, will not heal emotional and physical blocks however it will assist you in identifying these blockages.  And once you have made this identification you will find yourself at a cross-road where you gain a keen awareness and a knowing that you have choice.

              Most of us are well aware of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the self.  Too often, we feel the separation between these aspects.  We can learn that this separation is not only unnecessary but unhealthy.  A new door will open and allow you to be unified in body, mind and spirit; whole and complete.

When you meditate you can observe your breath, your life force which is sometimes called prana.  Breathe in relaxation and breathe out the stress and worries of the day as though they had never existed. This exercise is the foundation of all meditation.  Practicing chaotic breathing will enhance insight and increase self-awareness; God awareness.   Entering a doorway to conscious living; you will be able to bring the subconscious into the realm of consciousness.

It is good to be in touch with your body; to be able to hear the body’s cry for relaxation, stress reduction and peace.  It is possible, through meditation, to realize that you have choice. You can choose to take the steps required to meet these urgent needs.

Meditation is also a way to observe your inner self; a way to discover that you are on your way to a miracle and that, wonder of wonders, the miracle is you.  Doors are opened that you may have thought were closed to you.  And through these open doors you discover repressed creativity you didn’t know was yours. New problem-solving abilities; enhanced insight as well as increased perception and performance are some of the gifts that will come your way.

Working with light and dark, you are given the opportunity to shine a light on those aspects of self that lurk in the shadows of your being.  Your fears and losses find avenues of expression.  A safe way is discovered to acknowledge and honour the grief, hurt, guilt and anger feelings that have been long repressed in the dark basement of the soul. 

  There are no good or bad emotions.  There are simply emotions desiring recognition, gratitude, transformation and release in a manner which will enhance the student’s life.  Meditation is a pathway leading to a desire for emotional, spiritual and physical healing.

Through meditation, as a willing student, you will meet your wounded inner child; that aspect of your being that survived childhood but still bears the scars and burdens of not being seen, not being heard and not being honoured for the wonderful person you truly are. A willing meditation practitioner will begin to understand that the outward manifestation of poor physical health can be transformed through understanding the spiritual, emotional blockages that were formed as necessary defenses in childhood.

There are many reasons to make meditation a part of your lifestyle. Support, wisdom and love are there in a heartbeat and through meditation you will learn that you are never alone. Having said all this, I remind myself to keep it simple.  Meditation is a pathway to an overall sense of well-being; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

***
   ♥

Available exclusively on Amazon.    https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

Ellen and The Hummingtree

If someone you care about has Alzheimer Disease then Ellen and The Hummingtree is a book you want to read.

Available exclusively on Amazon.   Thanks for visiting my author's page at https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin 

Books do make great Christmas gifts!

Because I have written so many books, I find promotion very difficult.  Do I choose one book to focus on its characters, on its storyline, its format, its reviews, or maybe on its cover?

Do I choose half a dozen and share with you their differences and similarities?

Or do I select one book and share its merits with the reader?

Do I put the focus on my new audio books or would I be wiser to focus on the fact that all my books are available in paperback and kindle formats?

Do I tell you about myself?   Or keep the focus on the stories?

What I should do is hire a promoter .... and I would if I could afford to do so.   I am a writer; not a promoter.

It's still early in the year.  Hallowe'en is not until next week so it is early to be talking about Christmas.   But I, personally, have already bought 2 Christmas gifts and I have ideas for more.  If I don't start early I know I will be caught in the insanity of last minute Christmas shopping.

Books make great gifts.   My paperback books make great, affordable gifts.

Available exclusively on all Amazon sites, I have books for all ages.

Thanks for checking out my author's page at https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin 

You will find my books on all Amazon sites.  My author's page is found at https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

Books make great Christmas gifts!

Books make great Christmas gifts!

My audio books are available on Amazon, Audibles, and Itunes.

These audiobooks are also available exclusively on Amazon in paperback format.  Check out my author's page at  https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin 

My audiobooks

The very talented Falon Echo is narrator of my first audio book, Sara, a Canadian Saga, available now on  Amazon, Audibles, and Itunes.                                 

  

The very talented Earl Sewell is narrator of my second audiobook, When God Gives Us Spring, available now on Amazon, Audibles, and Itunes.

My third audio book titled Moose Road, a Canadian Tragedy  is in production now with narrator/producer, John Aimone, and will be available spring 2019 on Amazon, Audibles, and Itunes.

Books make great Christmas gifts.  These three books are also available in paperback format exclusively with Amazon.

Check out my author's page at https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

John Carter Aimone

Moose Road, a Canadian Tragedy is currently available in both Paperback and Kindle formats exclusively on Amazon.

In the spring of 2019 Moose Road, a Canadian Tragedy will be transformed by narrator, John Carter Aimone, into an audio book which will be available on Amazon, Audibles, and Itunes.

John Carter Aimone is a Wyoming native and a former student of the crack English department at Utah State University. When he is not narrating novels and screenplays, he is writing and editing others.

  

                                           

As the author of Moose Road, a Canadian Tragedy, I love to create characters who tell their own stories, and something tells me that John Carter Aimone, as narrator of this story, is going to do a brilliant job of bringing alive all the characters who are resident on Moose Road.

Watch for the audio book release in the spring of 2019.

Have a happy & safe Thanksgiving weekend. :-)

Audio Books -- a new adventure

I am traveling a new path in the audio book world.   My first novel, Sara, a Canadian Saga, has been beautifully narrated by Falon Echo and is my first audio book available on Amazon, Audibles, and Itunes.

My historical novella, When God Gives Us Spring, is also transformed into an audio book narrated by the talented Earl Sewell and is available on Amazon, Audibles, and Itunes.

Both books are also available exclusively on Amazon in paperback and kindle formats.

Check them out at https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin