Block Busting 492004

Higher Awareness Block Busting Online Course

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Block Busting

A spiritual approach to healing lifes deeper problems

Never fear shadows. They simply mean theres a light shining somewhere nearby. Ruth E. Renkel

Become conscious of the unconscious programs that bring you pain Identify and move through the deeper fears that hold you back Attain new levels of self-acceptance, self-esteem and personal responsibility Let go of resistance, anxiety, stress and worry Master the process of breaking through blocks that limit your growth Open to greater faith and trust that this is a loving universe Find more meaning, purpose and joy in life

Name: ___________________________________

Presented by http://www.higherawareness.com"Make sense of your life journey"

For any comments or problems email John

We highly recommend you request the daily email support. It offers more tips and inspiration to support your completion and success in emotional healing. Click this

link and fill out the form to request your support emails. http://www.higherawareness.com/linksblocks.shtml

2000 2004 Higher Awareness Inc. http://www.higherawareness.com


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Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 What are blocks and why do we have them?........................................................................ 3 1.2 The Aim of our Block Busting Course ................................................................................. 4 1.3 Our Philosophical Foundation .............................................................................................. 5 1.4 A few last pointers before we start: ...................................................................................... 7

2. A PROCESS FOR SPIRITUAL HEALING .............................................................................. 8 2.1 Step 1: Define your problem build a foundation ............................................................... 9 2.2 Step 2: Feel your experience go beyond the mind and defenses ..................................... 12 2.3 Step 3: Explore deeper meaning - connect with the cause.................................................. 15 2.4 Step 4: Take full responsibility for your situation .............................................................. 18 2.5 Step 5: Learn the soul lesson - What is the higher meaning of your block?....................... 20 2.6 Step 6: Heal yourself - through acceptance, forgiveness and surrender ............................. 21 2.7 Step 7: Take action - Anchor your new learning and serve................................................ 27

APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 30 Appendix 1 - 100 Blocks to Growth ......................................................................................... 31 Appendix 2 - 200 Emotions and Feelings................................................................................. 32 Appendix 3 - 50 Defenses......................................................................................................... 34 Appendix 4 - 100 Victim Statements........................................................................................ 36 Appendix 5 - Values, Qualities and Virtues ............................................................................. 40 Appendix 6 - Daily Practices for Spiritual Living.................................................................... 41 Appendix 7 - Tracking Sheet for Block Busting ...................................................................... 43 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 44



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1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 What are blocks and why do we have them? To begin our look at blocks and why we have them, we'd like to ask an even bigger question: "Who am I?" If we are to get beneath the superficial symptoms to heal the deepest wounds that give rise to our life challenges, we need to address this question. So, who am I? Well, we're all human beings. In this course, we relate to two different aspects of our human natures: 1. We have two parts to our minds: a conscious mind and a subconscious mind. Much of our

behavior is governed by our subconscious minds according to our beliefs and habitual patterning and reactions. Unfortunately, we are generally unconscious of the beliefs that most strongly influence our lives. And they are the ones that sabotage the best intentions of the conscious mind. Our need is to make conscious what is now unconscious so we can deal with it appropriately.

2. We also have both a personality governed by our ego and a higher mind or soul. At Higher

Awareness, we understand "soul" to be a unique expression of the divine. We see it as the spiritual/material bridge between our individual physical being and the almighty power or God or however you comprehend God. As human beings, we all have some understanding of our personalities. Most of us, though, have a limited awareness of our souls.

The wisdom of the ages suggests that our challenge as human beings is to become conscious of what is now unconscious in us. Our life journey is to explore those parts of our nature that are presently hidden from us so we may express ourselves more genuinely. We need to become acquainted with our shadow side, the dark and unknown parts of our psyche that we have not yet owned. We also need to meet and own the divine side of our nature. Our ultimate aim is to embrace the opposing forces within us, the "bad" and the "good," and bring them together in wholeness. This is transformation. So what are blocks? In this online course, we approach block busting from a spiritual perspective. Blocks are challenges. Operating in the mental, emotional and physical realms, they block the natural flow of energy through our being, creating stress and pain. They indicate that something within us is out of alignment with the true nature of who we are. Blocks signal that we have unfinished business, or that past and distorted programming is repeating itself. They reflect the character shadows that reside in our subconscious. All blocks hide our true nature, our essence, from us. Our blocks are very related to our character--who we are--and the evolution of that character as it becomes more soul-like. Our personality, our ego, sees blocks as problems, obstacles, limitations, difficulties and hurdles. From the personality's viewpoint, blocks limit our ability to enjoy life, to be the best we can be.



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We want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. They annoy, infuriate and depress us, and generally make our lives miserable. From the spiritual perspective, blocks offer our best and perhaps our only path to growth. Paradoxically, we can only get to the positive through the negative. Like it or not, pain gets our attention. Pain also challenges the ego's perception that it is in complete control of life. If we want to be rid of the pain, we must do the work that leads us to greater consciousness. So there are great blessings in blocks; there is a soul quality inherent in every one. Our troubles come to us for good reasons--to invite us to connect with our souls and to make the unconscious, conscious. And if we deny the pain and strive to avoid it, our problems will grow until our suffering becomes so great we're forced to learn the lesson it brings. Why are we here on Earth? Perhaps breaking through blocks is the purpose of life. Perhaps it is the human journey to evolve to greater consciousness. To experience the gifts of a physical form that feels a wide range of sensations, emotions, thoughts and feelings. To experience the opposing pulls of our world of duality on our way to embracing the unity of all. To open to soul lessons. To push through fear to discover our spiritual, loving essence.

"unless we consciously address the task of personal spirituality, we will remain forever in flight, or denial, or think of ourselves as victims, sour and mean-spirited to ourselves and others." -- James Hollis

1.2 The Aim of our Block Busting Course Author Andrew Schneider says, "Everyone on this planet is increasingly

experiencing the impact of Spirit in their lives, leading to the development of soul consciousness. When this first begins, the effect is always negative. It will continue to create negative effects until people learn the needed lessons."

We want to help you build a more accepting and meaningful relationship with your life. In particular, we want to give you a framework for comprehending and working with the negatives that arise so you may more easily learn their lessons and let them go. From our experience, an understanding of soul consciousness provides a much needed and appreciated context for daily living. We want to support you in becoming more aware, more conscious of the blocks and fears that hide your true essence. We also want to help you open to the spiritual forces that shape our lives. With this, your life will have more meaning and purpose. You'll also claim your power to move through obstacles to realize the rewards they bring. As we achieve greater awareness, we have more and clearer choices. In every moment, we are faced with two options. We may choose stagnation or change, fear or love, resistance or surrender to divine will. The cosmos is perpetually growing. We can participate willingly in this force or we can resist. But resistance always brings suffering.



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Many of us long to realize movement in our lives. Yet most problem-solving methods available today do not produce deeper and lasting change. When we grasp the process of spiritual awakening and healing, we can move through problems and learn lessons more quickly and with less stress. While we are not always able to free ourselves from pain, we can at least give our pain meaning. As we become more conscious, we let go of our struggles, open to our authenticity and become able to truly serve the life we more deeply appreciate. We can't tell you how to break through your blocks. But we can offer you a process that you can work with to draw out your own experiences, your own insights and lessons and strategies. We also offer you a choice of different tools for discovery. This is your journey and no one can direct it for you if you are to reap its bounty.

"... we approach something akin to joy by giving our all to problems that beset us, whatever their outcome." -- Marsha Sinetar

1.3 Our Philosophical Foundation Before we review the process for block busting through spiritual awakening and healing, there are some general principles that serve as a foundation for our work. Please keep these cornerstones in mind always when doing your inner work. Also, we have chosen to use the word "Spirit" when referring to the ultimate force in existence. We perceive this as a neutral term, and trust that it does not offend anyone. If this name doesn't satisfy you, please replace it with your own as you review our materials. We also use the word soul often. As we said earlier, it is the bridge between Spirit and our personality. It is our higher self, our loving and unified individualized connection with the divine. Our healing must address all levels of our being. Although it may seem that our problem

is primarily a physical, mental or emotional issue, we need to consider its connection with all parts of ourselves. True healing of the cause of our distress occurs only with integration of body, mind and soul. When all three aspects of us work together, we achieve successful growth. Reason, feeling and higher principles complement each other. Without cooperation between the three, we experience self-sabotage. So any program of healing must involve tools that serve each of our physical, emotional and mental dimensions, to bring us to greater awareness of our wholeness. In this course, we do not offer many physical exercises. Please make the effort to engage in activities like exercise, nature walks, massage, body work, reiki, etc. to ground your energy and keep you relaxed as you do the inner work.

Our healing must engage our subconscious. Block busting is not easy because the root of

what needs to be changed is most often unconscious. Whatever our challenges are, they reflect beliefs and programs in the subconscious that no longer serve us. Changing programs in the subconscious requires that we work on those programs in at least 4 - 6 different ways. If we can maintain the right intention and take a variety of steps that support it, we will create enough mental tension to force a shift in the subconscious. Only then will we be successful in achieving the change we desire.



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We must be willing to take full responsibility for our healing and our lives. Each of us is

the cause of whatever we think, feel and do. We cannot heal if we give away our power by believing that other people and circumstances have control over our lives. We must completely abandon any tendency to make excuses, to blame and to play the victim. Block busting is inner work. If we have a problem outside, we must go inside to address it. If you don't like what's happening now, then be accountable for choosing differently and for changing your perspectives, your awareness and your life.

We need to accept the polarities of our lives. We live in a world of duality and the great

masters of the past have advised that we embrace it all. Healing comes not when we reject the negative for the positive but when we integrate the two.

We work in the present with what's happening now. We learn from the past, and we can

be optimistic about the future, but we only capture power in the moment. Circumstances are perfect right now to make changes. The new spirituality that's dawning requires us to recognize the essence of Spirit in all things and all forms. Daily life--just as it is right now--is our arena.

We are realistic about the change process. Often, we know what we need to do but the

challenge is to do it. We want miracles. We want the process to be smooth, easy, quick. But there are no magic pills. Personal change requires self-honesty, courage, effort, time, support, sacrifice and discipline. Success only comes when we do the work. Getting it all figured out in our heads is not enough. True knowing only comes through experience.

We understand the role of time. Act now, but be patient. Change can take time or it can

happen in a moment. (Be clear, though, that if change happens in a flash, you've been working up to it for some time, perhaps unconsciously.) Also be aware that we live life in cycles. There are times of preparation, seeding, germination, growth, harvest and rest. Accept the need to move through the different stages.

We understand transition. Whenever we change, we pass through a transition zone. This is

a time of discomfort, the in-between phase when the old patterns are dying away but new ones are not yet in place. It can be scary because we feel the ground shifting beneath us. The blessings of permanent change are worth temporarily suffering the stress of transition. It's worth it to move to a new level of awareness, competence, maturity, satisfaction and inner power.

At times, we need to surrender. While we accept our personal responsibility to make things

happen, there are also times when we must release our need to control. To admit that we do not have the knowledge or power that's required for change. We need to open, accept, forgive, and most of all, trust the higher forces at work in our lives. At times, we need to allow change to happen.



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1.4 A few last pointers before we start:

The pot needs to stay on the stove for the water to boil. Eric Edelmann Know that it has taken decades to get to where you are in your life at present. Throughout our

lives, we have built layer upon layer of defenses to protect ourselves from what we have perceived as dangerous and threatening. We cannot remove this armor overnight--nor would it be wise to do so. There are no magic bullets. We must engage in a continuous process of peeling off layers of defenses. Once we learn the process, we can aim to peel off a layer or two each time through.

You have done the best you could in your life to date with the awareness, character and

patterning you have had. Accept where you are now and be confident that your growing awareness will enable you to move into a happier and more meaningful future, free from some of the limiting programs and fears and wounds that have affected you. Know that all has and is working according to a bigger plan.

It may seem like you are going around and around sometimes, but the process requires being

thorough. It requires that you really bring forward your conscious picture so you can more easily unravel the deeper unconscious picture. It is our objective to help you bring more clarity to your life challenges. You may have to seek other types of external support as well.

Block busting is not an easy fix. We recommend that you schedule at least hour per day to

do the exercises. Or you may want to protect one or two whole days in a mini-retreat at your home or somewhere quiet to allow yourself to go through our process.

Please do not read ahead in the workbook. Proceed through it one step at a time. Do you have a journal? If not, get a 3 ring binder or a scribbler to hold your working notes as

you explore moving through your block. Writing things down can quadruple your results. Even if you already have a journal, you might want to create a book that deals specifically with block busting so that all of your notes will be in one place. It's also great to have a written record of how your consciousness shifts.

Use what works for you! We're all different. Take the information you are given and explore,

experiment, test it out with your own experience. Claim your inner authority. Trust your inner knowing. This is your journey. The basic key is awareness. As you increasingly learn to be present to what is happening around and within you, you will get the feedback you need to move forward in your life.

This online course is designed to help basically healthy people become more aware of what

troubles them, gain meaning from their experiences and release their blocks for greater freedom and contentment. This course is NOT intended for those struggling with serious mental or physical illness. It cannot take the place of fully qualified professional help.

Enjoy the journey! 2000 2004 Higher Awareness Inc. http://www.higherawareness.com


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2. A PROCESS FOR SPIRITUAL HEALING The Fundamental Steps Let's get a bird's eye view of the spiritual energies at work in our lives, and the stages we move through to attain soul consciousness. 1. Unconscious love: When we are born, we exist as pure love but we are unconscious of our

love. 2. Unconscious fear: As we grow, our souls set the stage for our evolution. Unconscious fears

arise that draw experiences to us that wound us. 3. Conscious fear: The pain and suffering we experience as a result of our wounds lead us to

become conscious of our fears. 4. Conscious love: When we've suffered enough pain, and we long to experience its opposite,

we commit to change. We move through our fears to consciously experience the love that supports all.

Our Spiritual Healing Process: In this course, we will first help you build a broad foundation of understanding what challenges you. To do this, we will invite you to explore your personality, weaknesses, problems and goals and how they may interconnect. This will help you define the primary challenge you want to address at this time. Once you have a foundation, we will then show you how you can start to uncover unconscious causes of what's bothering you. You will deepen your understanding and feelings of the situation. With intention, persistence and openness, you will be able to penetrate the block and touch and anchor within you the soul quality that awaits you on the other side. If the approach in this course seems overpowering or scary to you, we recommend you first take one of our other workbooks like Own Your Life or Journaling. They will more gently set the stage for your first ventures into self-exploration. Here are the 7 steps in our process:

1. Define your problem build a foundation 2. Feel your experience go beyond the mind and defenses 3. Explore deeper meaning connect with the cause 4. Take full responsibility for your situation be accountable! 5. Learn the soul lesson what is the higher meaning and essence? 6. Heal yourself through acceptance, forgiveness and surrender 7. Take action anchor the new learning and serve



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2.1 Step 1: Define your problem build a foundation

We are going to ask you to spend a fair amount of time defining the situation, the problem, the shadow, your life challenge. We are doing this for a few reasons:

1. Most people do not have clarity around their challenges. 2. Our own defense mechanisms can keep us unaware of our challenges. 3. We rarely go deep enough into our feelings to clearly identify the underlying problem. 4. As we look at a challenge, we find others that are connected to it and our understanding

of our situation improves. 5. We are going to ask you to put time and effort into busting this block so we want you to

be focusing on what's most important to you. 6. The solution and the soul energy that wants to be expressed is directly linked to the

problem. The more clearly we can define our problem, the more likely it is we will experience the changes we are seeking.

Exercise 1-1: Commit to make the time and take the time To fully define your blocks and put them in perspective is not a simple task. You may very well have to explore this in stages and it could easily be a life-long project. Take as much time as necessary to dig deeply into your experience and build a foundation for change. Mark on your planner or calendar the hours or weekends you are going to commit to change your life. Use a highlighter. Make it your highest priority as it will give you high returns.

Exercise 1-2: Identifying blocks Answer the Smart Questions below on one sheet of paper. Create 3 equally spaced columns and 3 equally spaced rows on the one sheet. Number each box and answer one question in each box. Work through this exercise quickly. This is an information gathering process. Just put down the key word or short version of the answers that come to you. You don't need to go into deep analysis. Trust that what needs to be addressed will come through. If you get stuck on a question, move on to the next. You are after quantity of blocks, not quality that comes later.

1. What blocks, problems, weaknesses and life challenges do you have? 2. What are your pet peeves? What pushes your buttons? 3. What really gets you stressed, upset and angry? 4. What is not working for you in your life? 5. What or who do you dislike or hate? Why? 6. What are you afraid of? 7. What do you feel down or sad or depressed about? 8. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you in your life? 9. How do you feel your parents could have done better in raising you?



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As you consider your answers, please be open to the fact that what you see in others is really in you. For example, if you get upset when someone is greedy, consider that greed is an unconscious program within yourself. Especially look at how your partner, family and children irritate and upset you. These incidents signal that YOU have issues to address. Review your answers and circle the top 3 or 5 challenges you would like to heal. Write them down on a new page.

Exercise 1-3: Recognizing more blocks Often we are so close to our problems that we have difficulty identifying them. Also, we do not have the vocabulary to really distinguish them. We can, however, recognize our problems when we see them. In this exercise, we invite you to scan a list of blocks and a list of emotions in Appendix 1 and 2. Review the words quickly, without really thinking about each one. Allow your intuition to signal which words may be an issue for you. Mark any words that catch your attention. When you've completed the lists, carefully review the words you marked. Do they bring any insights? For example, my attention was caught by the word "compromise." After thinking about it for a while, I realized just how much I have compromised what matters to me. I saw that one of my blocks is fear of authority. If any of these words spark awareness of new issues for you, add the issues to your list of blocks. Now go scan the list of blocks and emotions in Appendix 1 and 2. Review your list of blocks and challenges from exercises 1-2 and 1-3 carefully and consider the following: Are some of your blocks connected to each other? Can you group them according to a common theme? Can you identify a root problem or fear that may be the source of a number of your blocks? Study your list and redefine your blocks if necessary to clarify the areas you most want to focus on and grow through at this time. Identify the top 3 issues you would like to address. Write a few sentences about each of them. Exercise 1-4: Watch for your defense mechanisms In doing the above exercises, you may have identified some of your defense mechanisms as blocks. They may come up to shield you from feeling the pain of your block. Part of your personality may be actively resisting your decision to heal because the act of healing will take you out of your comfort zone and into unknown territory. You may find yourself saying something like I don't have to do this. These are stupid questions! It's not my fault--it's my partner's/parent's/child's/boss's. Why waste my time? Why bother? It's



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not going to help anyway. My situation's hopeless. Your defenses will lead you to deny or avoid the task of looking honestly at your problem. If you find you are getting anxious, fearful, angry, frustrated, dismissive or unmotivated, then take a few deep breaths and center your awareness in your body. When you are feeling grounded and unemotional, make a list of the ways you may be trying to avoid addressing this task. In your journal write out a list of My Defense Mechanisms. Do this before you read on. Again our process is to have you do your own thinking and then we will show you a checklist so you can see if there are other defenses you have missed. Check out our list of 50 Defense Mechanisms in Appendix 3 and pick the ones you use to insulate yourself from going deeper into your feelings. Once you are aware of defense mechanisms in action, you can consciously push through them. Now prioritize your defense mechanisms and for each ask this question and write down your answers. What is this defense mechanism protecting me from? Answer this question for each defense mechanism. We tend to protect and justify our own limitations too easily and automatically. So if you have even the slightest sense that there is some truth to a new block, write it down. Add your newfound blocks to your list. Exercise 1-5: Going deeper Why? Why? Why? This exercise requires some quality time and silence. Its purpose is to help you understand the underlying causes of your challenges. Go through each of your top 3 blocks one at a time and ask the following question: Why am I .? Listen closely for the answer that surfaces in your mind. Write the new challenge or insight that comes up, and again ask yourself Why am I .(new challenge)? Continue with this process until you believe you have reached the true source of your problem. The WHY question probes more deeply into our psyche. Here is an example around shyness. Why am I shy? Because I am afraid. Why am I afraid? Because I might say something foolish. Why am I afraid of saying something foolish? People will think I am stupid or ignorant. Why am I afraid of looking stupid? They will not like me or love me. I now see how my fear of not being loved creates my need for perfection and the shyness. *** As a result of working through your top 3 blocks, identify the one block you most want to work on at this time for the remaining exercises. Re-write a description of this one block, if necessary, to clarify your focus. *** Exercise 1-6: My motivators With respect to the challenge you described as your highest priority for attention, ask yourself the following questions and write down your answers:

1. What do you want less of? 2. What do you want more of?



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3. How would releasing this block make you feel? 4. What would you be, do and have if this block were gone? 5. Why do you want to change? 6. What would be different in your life if you released this block? 7. How will you know you have shifted?

From these answers, summarize your top 3 motivators--the top benefits--for releasing this block. Exercise 1-7: Check-in This is a check-in. Rate each question below on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being low and 10 high. 1. How satisfied are you that you have clearly defined the block you have chosen to work on? If

you answered less than 7, go back and work through the exercises again until you feel confident that your focus is set. It's quite normal to be unsure on your first time through. Just redo the exercises and clarity will come. Once again, we encourage you to go as deeply as you can in identifying your block. Maybe take a break for a few days and let it percolate and integrate.

2. How motivated are you to clear this block and change your life? 3. How committed are you to spend 15 to 30 minutes per day or 3 to 4 hours once per week to

work on change? If you aren't willing to commit time and effort to this process and your motivation is low, then don't waste your time. Abandon it now. 2.2 Step 2: Feel your experience go beyond the mind and defenses The next few exercises are very important. We are inviting you to truly experience your feelings concerning your block. Although you may have struggled with this block for years or decades, it may be the first time you truly connect with your emotions and feelings around it. Most of us either live so much in our heads that we intellectualize our emotions or we live in our reactive emotions that are part of our defense systems. Our defense mechanisms can be so strong and entrenched that we rarely allow ourselves to really feel the source of our distress. For example, we may feel the agony of depression or frustration without connecting to the source feelings of hurt or anger. We are often afraid to feel, but if we allow ourselves to do so, we discover the pathway to freedom. Exercise 2-1: Feel your distress Please read all of the instructions before you start the exercise so you will achieve the most benefit from it.



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Be sure you have at least 20 minutes in a quiet spot where you won't be interrupted. Sitting comfortably erect, begin to breathe deeply allowing your abdomen to expand with each inhalation. Feel yourself relax and release tension with each out-breath. Exhale twice as long as you inhale but don't force your breathing. Be aware of the spaces at the end of the exhalation and inhalation. Just focus your mind on your breathing, on relaxing and on letting go of tension. When you feel relaxed, bring to mind a situation that represents being in your block. Let your imagination make this experience real for you. Your task is to simply feel this experience in your body. Stay with it instead of fleeing from it or fighting it or distracting yourself from it. The following points are very important:

Get out of your head and into your body sensations. If you find yourself thinking or

analyzing, gently release your thoughts and move your attention down into your body. Connect once again with your breathing.

You must completely banish your judge, your internal critic. Do not reject, justify or condemn your thoughts or feelings. Accept whatever feelings come up as your own reality. Everything is okay. Accept yourself totally. You are okay just as you are. Give yourself permission to feel and just be with the experience. Allow the feelings to speak to you. Honor the experience as an inner authentic communication of who you are.

If you feel like crying, then cry. If you feel like screaming, then scream. Clench your fists and get angry if you need to. Allow your feelings to express themselves fully--providing you do not endanger yourself or others. Don't judge yourself. Stay with your feelings by breathing into them. Imagine that with every breath you are washing away any resistance to feeling more deeply.

The purpose of this exercise is to invite you to explore and experience your emotions and feelings, so we want your attention to be focused predominantly in your body. At the same time, as you immerse yourself in sensations, a part of you will be watching the experience. This is not your critic! This is an objective observer. Ask your watcher to note what it is that you are feeling. It may be anger, sadness, jealousy, whatever--remember, no judgments! Just have your watcher note the experience. Do your feelings shift as you experience them? For example, what may start out as anger may subtly shift into anxiety, fear, hurt or sadness. Don't get into mental analysis here, but allow the watcher in you to be aware if you move to different levels of experience. You will find that when you allow an experience to be fully felt, the feelings will then dissolve. They simply need to be recognized and honored and then they will release. As you keep attention on the tension, the tension melts and shows a deeper and more meaningful energy. Understanding usually comes from simply being present. So allow your feelings to be, without judgment. See them as your teacher. Know that you are safe, that your soul is supervising this process. Go deeper into your pain. There is gold in your shadow. Go through it. Learn to feel and honor your feelings at all times, though you may need to exercise some judgment over when and how you express them. 2000 2004 Higher Awareness Inc. http://www.higherawareness.com


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Again, be aware of defense mechanisms that stop you from fully feeling the pain of your experience. When defenses are operating, they only allow the unconscious thought or feeling to be expressed indirectly in a disguised form. And when defenses are operating, we have no opportunity to recognize and release our true, deeper feelings.

When you have completed this exercise, write down your experience. It may take a few times to hold the emotions and to be with them.

Exercise 2-2: Becoming aware of emotional distinctions The aim of this next exercise is to bring greater awareness to your experience of your emotions and feelings. The process will follow the exercise above, but from a different perspective. First, study closely the pairs of qualities listed below. The first quality keeps you locked in your block. The second opens the doorway to healing. There are a number of ways you can do this exercise. One option is to take one of the pairs into your mind, then close your eyes and imagine and experience the distress of your block. Gently become aware of which quality of the pair is present. Bring your awareness to the second perspective. Repeat this process with the other pairs. A second option is to get an overall sense of the qualities represented by the different pairs, and bring that awareness to your experience of your distress. Or you can pick just a few of the pairs and experience them one by one. If you find yourself experiencing the resistance represented by the qualities on the left, can you imagine yourself feeling the release and openness represented by those on the right? Can you shift your experience by shifting your perspective? attachment, detachment reaction, watchfulness resistance, flow rejection, acceptance head, heart victim mentality, responsibility judgment, tolerance push from it, embrace it avoidance, endurance fight it, surrender to it superficial approach, go deeper into it insecurity, security express it, let it be be the effects, see the cause project it, own it fear, love

The qualities that keep us blocked are qualities of the personality, the ego. The ones that release us are aspects of our soul. When we give our full attention to our feelings, our body wisdom will lead us to an understanding of what lies at the root of our pain. At the end of our journey through



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our feelings, we will uncover a deeper wound or event. The blessing is that we will now be consciously aware of what the problem is. We can't solve a problem we haven't identified. We can begin to solve something we now consciously understand.

With awareness and with acceptance of the reality of our situation, we can choose to change if we wish. Awareness also allows us to open to the deeper loving soul energy that is trying to come through. Our experience will shift from resistance and fear to more of awareness and compassion.

After you have completed this exercise, write about your experiences in your journal. You may also feel like drawing or painting representations of your feelings or memories that surfaced for you.

Once again, you may have to do this process a few times to develop your new awareness and sensitivity. 2.3 Step 3: Explore deeper meaning - connect with the cause We trust that your work so far has given you some insights into the deeper nature of your block. Now that you've honored and experienced your feelings, we invite you to bring your mind actively back into the picture. In fact, in the next few exercises, you're going to use your conscious mind to plumb the depths of your subconscious mind, to get more insights into the deeper problems that plague you. Exercise 3-1: Stream of Consciousness Julia Cameron in The Artists Way highly recommends the Stream of Consciousness journaling tool. She calls it Morning Pages. Stream of Consciousness lets us do a mind dump. Getting thoughts onto paper is like a release, like emptying our heads. It slows down the repetitive worry routines in our minds. Once we have let out the chatter and predominant thinking and worries, we get to see what is underneath. The subconscious mind sends up new thoughts, ideas, symbols and messages. With the previous exercises, we have taken the lid off of the emotions and we have stirred the pot. Now you have a tool to examine your emotions more deeply and possibly make sense of them. Call to mind your block and your experiences with the preceding steps. Using the Stream of Consciousness tool, write whatever comes to mind around your experiences. "I hear, I remember, I see." The important thing is to keep writing. If you blank out on thoughts around your block, write down any other thoughts that come in. "Is the stove on? This is a stupid exercise. I hope I am doing it right. What if I do not have a thought? My desk sure is messy. You may even write and re-write a question focusing on your block until new information comes through. Repetition is okay. It also helps to write more quickly than you normally do. After a while you may find yourself asking questions and answering them. Whatever happens, just keep writing! *** Whatever comes to mind, quickly write it down, even if you cannot make sense of it. ***



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Once you complete a good 10-minute dump of your mind, review it. What do you notice about your thoughts and self-talk? What common themes have surfaced? Any insights? Any surprises? Did you get more deeply into your emotions? Make a few more notes in your journal. This may bring up more topics for journaling. Write these new topics in your journal for future sessions. Exercise 3-2: Journaling Dialogue This is one of the most popular and powerful journaling tools. In a Journaling Dialogue, you carry on a conversation, making up both parts. Your dialogue partner can be any of the following a person (living or dead), a family member, a problem, a body part, a thing (e.g. a car), an event or incident, your soul or God anything. There may be an individual or an event that plays a key role in your specific challenge, or you may choose to have your conscious mind engage with your higher mind. Or you may talk directly with your challenge and ask it any questions you want. The choice of a dialogue partner is yours.

Alternatively, you might invite your higher mind to pick your dialogue partner for you. If you want to explore this, do a short entrance meditation before you start to journal. Relax and see yourself walking up a beautiful path in nature. Take your time and connect with the beauty of your surroundings. Then see your dialogue partner come towards you along the path. Trust that it is the right partner. It may not be who or what you expect. Greet your partner and ask a question and then, when you are ready, write out the conversation. First write ME: and write your question for your dialogue partner. Then write down the name of who or what you are conversing with and his/her/its response. Then ask another question. You make up the response. You do both parts of the dialogue. Your partner can also ask you questions. Trust the process. Use your imagination. Make it up. As you get into the dialogue, ask questions like: Is there anything else? Is this the truth? Is there more you can tell me, so I have full understanding? What is the meaning of this situation? Why did this happen? What should I do next? This is a good exercise to do for 10 to 30 minutes. When you have completed, read over the dialogue and write a short summary.



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Exercise 3-3: Own and accept the underlying fear.

"If pain is to be meaningful it must serve some greater purpose. That purpose is the liberation of the soul from the armor of self-protection that is created out of fear." -- Andrew Schneider

You have probably discovered that the root of your block lies in a fear of some kind. This should not surprise us. If we believe that we are a soul on a human journey, our aim will be to experience/return to the unity underlying this world of duality. Love is the energy of attraction, of unity, while its opposite--fear--is the energy of separation. With every wounding, with every block, there is a fear.

Some fears lie at the root of all other fears:

1. Fear of death 2. Fear of pain 3. Fear of lack/loss (not enough, diminishment, decline) 4. Fear of separation (abandonment, rejection, isolation, loneliness, being unloved) 5. Fear of valuelessness (being ignorant, incapable, useless) 6. Fear of meaninglessness

Daphne Rose Kingma, in her book The Nine Types of Lovers, has identified the following deep emotional wounds and the ways used by people to cope with those wounds:

Emotional Wound Coping Response

Profound lack of love need to do something to attain it or be worthy of it Living in emotional chaos conscious or unconscious fears Sorrow denial of emotions Profound betrayal in love lack of trust (e.g. skeptic) Abandonment keep moving to avoid feeling (e.g. workaholic) Profound lack of safety become hyper-responsible (e.g. perfectionist) Deception fantasizing Undermined power controlling, aggression or passive-aggression Deep sense of unworthiness acting to get approval and validation from others

Do any of the above fears or wounds speak strongly to you? Fear has been defined as False Evidence Appearing Real. Our fears arise from belief systems in our subconscious that are out of alignment with the truth. Our need is to discover the false beliefs that are bringing us suffering and replace them with the truth.

Journal on the following Smart Questions. What fears do you relate to your block? Write about them. How do you relate to the coping responses listed above for that fear or wound? What beliefs and attitudes are operating that are giving rise to your fear(s)? 2000 2004 Higher Awareness Inc. http://www.higherawareness.com


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Other tools you are encouraged to use:

Discussions with a counselor or trusted partner or friend. Discussions with family members and friends about connections with your past. Watch closely and record your dreams. Many new and vivid dreams are signs you are

stirring the unconscious mind. Read books that focus on your particular challenge (e.g. anger, low self esteem,

depression, control, perfectionism), noting information that catches your attention. Journal on topics that seem relevant to you. If the books offer exercises, commit to doing them--not just reading them--because they will be invaluable in helping you to reach new levels of experience.

Use divination tools (e.g. pendulum, sacred cards, Transformation Game) for guidance. Take care that your questions and/or intentions in using the tools are clear, unbiased and well focused.

2.4 Step 4: Take full responsibility for your situation Our very first step in block busting must be to acknowledge that our block exists and that it is ours. We cannot hope to get free of a block or problem if we refuse to face it and take responsibility for it. You will only succeed at block busting if you are accountable for your life exactly as it is. Whatever the problem may be in your life, it is your own creation.

Taking responsibility means refusing to see yourself as a victim. Refuse to blame other people or circumstances for your situation. Remember: our worlds mirror our beliefs back to us. Each of us projects our unconscious fears, wounding and life challenges onto other people and things. If you get angry at something outside of you, look inside for the source. Stay grounded. Stay aware. Stay detached. Stay accountable. If you have problems with something on the outside, they are YOUR problems, and you are the one who needs to resolve them. Be willing to accept others as they are. They are doing the best they can. So release all resentment. You need to know that you created who you are today by your past actions and thoughts and feelings, and with that knowledge, claim your power.

Taking responsibility for your situation means that you are willing to do something about it. Victims are passive, expecting something or someone outside of them to wield the power and bring about change. With self-responsibility, you claim your own power through the choices you make. You recognize that if you want something done, you have to set the wheels in motion. Your approach is action-oriented; you actively seek solutions to your problems.

Exercise 4-1: How do you see yourself as a victim? Where are you not taking responsibility in your life? Make a list of people or things you blame: government, taxes, health, your boss, your company, parents, children, money, sex, pollution, weather, accidents, dishonesty, disrespect, violence, nature, your looks, age, I.Q., schooling, body shape, culture, skin color, sex, size of your nose, etc. Make a complete list. 2000 2004 Higher Awareness Inc. http://www.higherawareness.com


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Now review your list and know that these are all energy leaks. This is where you give away your power. Resolve to reclaim your power now. Consider that everything is okay just as it is. There are no accidents. Accepting this will make a major difference in your life. Exercise 4-2: Exploring victim positions from lists Need help in recognizing when you are playing the victim? See our resource list of Victim Statements in Appendix 4. Quickly scan the list and mark those that reflect your thinking. Now go through your two victim lists. Do you see any common themes? What beliefs lie below this behavior? Write about them in your journal. Now ACCEPT each situation face the reality of what's happening in your life without judgment. Write a statement about each situation. Exercise 4-3: Responsibility creed Whenever you become aware of yourself thinking or talking like a victim, STOP and say, "I am responsible for all aspects of my life." Better yet, create your own creed of responsibility. (The personal coach emails contain a sample creed.) Affirm it to yourself whenever you find that you've slipped into a victim mentality. Once you've completed your creed, share it with others you trust. Email or mail it to others, or even better, read it to others. It's powerful to vocalize your intentions. Make your stand. Hold your own power. Type your creed on a nice piece of paper in a large font so it fills the page. Put it in plastic and put a few around the house. Be proud of the new you.

Exercise 4-4: Sentence completion exercise on responsibility In The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Nathaniel Branden offers wonderful sentence completion exercises on self-responsibility. We have included some examples below. Every morning and evening for the next five days, complete the following sentences in writing.

At the thought of being responsible for my own existence If I accepted responsibility for my own existence, that would mean When I avoid responsibility for my own existence I make myself helpless when I If my life belongs to me If no one is coming to rescue me

Once you have completed the above sentences twice daily for five days, write 10 responses to the summary statement, "If any of what I have written is true, it would be helpful if I ." Exercise 4-5: Appreciation list Still having a problem fully owning yourself and your situations in life? Here is a great way to boost your sense of self-worth and inner power. Create a list of 25 things you like about yourself. Do not stop writing until you have 25 things. Also ask a few people you know well to create lists



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of what they like and respect about you. Own the information on those lists. Whenever you feel helpless and incompetent, pull out your list and focus on your strengths. Exercise 4-6: Responsibility Smart Questions

Are you willing to let go of your drama?

"People never awaken until they tire of their drama." -- James Thornton Do you really want to change? Some people are very attached to their suffering. It gives their life meaning. And there's no need for us to judge this. If you're not ready to let go of your personal drama--and that's okay--then admit this to yourself. Recognize your love of your drama and enjoy it. But don't pretend that you want to resolve your challenges. If you see yourself here, don't bother doing any more of the workbook because you won't achieve any results. Own your decision to stay stuck--at least for the time being.

Answer these Smart Questions in your journal: How is your identity tied into your suffering? How do your suffering and defenses get you the attention and benefits you crave? What or who could stop you from succeeding? What are you willing to do to transform your block? How far will you go? 2.5 Step 5: Learn the soul lesson - What is the higher meaning of your block?

"It is the degree of contact with universality that releases us from suffering. Universality is always some aspect of unity, beauty, truth or goodness." -- Andrew Schneider

In this step, we want to discover how the block/wound serves us as a key to our growth. When we can find meaning and purpose in a painful experience, it enables us to shift our perspective of the experience and to open to and accept the gift of the challenge. Meaning is always related to something greater. Joyce Irvine, a gifted teacher and counselor, always taught that there is a blessing and a curse in every situation. When we come to know the truth of this, it helps us accept life as it is, and to stop labeling things "good" and "bad." When our minds let go of analyzing every situation, we are more able to open to the beauty and spaciousness of the present moment. We can experience the steady flow of the life force without getting bounced around in the turmoil brought on by continual rejection and attraction.



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Exercise 5-1: Identify the gold behind the shadow Make a list of at least 7 qualities, virtues and values that you can experience as a result of

working through your block. What are your lessons? What are you to learn? Do not stop until you have 7.

Now scan the list of 100 Values or Soul Qualities in Appendix 5, and note any that relate to your block that were not on your original list. Add them to your list.

Examine the qualities closely and pick the ones you consider to be the most universal, loving and spiritual.

Now pick your top three and prioritize them. Look at the top quality you have identified. Do you think your soul may have brought this

block to you to invite you to learn more about this quality? How is it doing this? Write about this in your journal.

Exercise 5-2: Soul energy Smart Questions Answer these Smart Questions in your journal: Why are the top soul qualities you have selected important to you? How are you being asked to open your heart and mind in a new way? Soul values can be grouped into three areas a trinity of love, will (power) and intelligence.

Does your block (and your lesson arising from it) relate to one or two of these areas? Journal on your insights.

2.6 Step 6: Heal yourself - through acceptance, forgiveness and surrender Healing through acceptance:

"When we fight a block it grows stronger. When we acknowledge, experience, and accept it, it begins to melt because its continued existence requires opposition." -- Nathaniel Branden

And so, to break through your block, to heal, you must accept your situation. You must also accept yourself in that situation. As Branden says, resistance just makes the block grow stronger.

In his book, The Six Pillars of Self Esteem, Nathaniel Branden clearly explains what is meant by acceptance. Basically, it means we are willing to face and experience the reality of who we are and of what's happening in our lives without self-judgment and guilt. He says, "It is our willingness to experience rather than to disown whatever may be the facts of our being at a particular moment--to think our thoughts, own our feelings, be present to the reality of our behavior." Please understand: acceptance does not mean that you necessarily like or approve of or condone whatever the reality may be for you. It does mean that you acknowledge at a feeling 2000 2004 Higher Awareness Inc. http://www.higherawareness.com


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level where you are now. You are then in a position to change that reality if you so choose. If you deny the existence of a problem, you will never be able to change it. And Branden notes that you must do more than think about your reality--you need to actively experience it. We all have releasing to do, around parents, addictions, conflict, bankruptcy, divorce, death--whatever. Let go of some of these chains that are holding you back. Exercise 6-1: Accept your emotions Build greater self-acceptance by being willing to fully experience emotions that you typically seek to avoid, like anger, embarrassment, fear and insecurity. When emotions surface, give yourself the space to really feel the experience. Allow the feeling to be there, and let go of resistance by breathing into it. Affirm to yourself, "I am now feeling (the emotion) and I accept it fully." Make a list of emotions, fears, defences and events you have identified from the above exercises. After each item write an acceptance statement in your own words. Exercise 6-2: Shifting perspectives Changing our perspective can totally shift our experience of pain in our lives. We can stand back and be more objective, more detached from the pain and the memory. We can put meaning and love and humour into the situation. We can feel better about who we are. You can stay stuck in a memory or you can pull yourself free and watch your life rise to a new level. In this exercise, you are going to consider your block from four different perspectives. This exercise is very effective if you do it verbally with a trusted friend and have them write notes for you as you talk. Alternatively, you can simply write the exercise in your journal. Do only one exercise before reading the next. To begin, bring to mind a specific event that represents for you the challenge or block in your life.

1. Describe (in writing or verbally) your personal experience of the details and the emotions and pain of the event. Revisit the situation in depth from your perspective. Feel again the emotions you felt at the time.

2. Now retell or rewrite the situation from the perspective of a neutral observer, another person who was watching everything unfold. Write down only the facts of the event as a reporter might have done.

3. Next, consider the situation from the perspective of God. What is the divine view? What spiritual lessons were the participants being invited to learn? What spiritual qualities were present?

4. Lastly, create a sit-com around this event. Put humour around it. Create a story you can stand back and laugh at.

Once you have completed the four different perspectives, write a summary of your experience, noting your insights.



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Exercise 6-3: Clearing blocks using the language of the subconscious If we are seeking to change negative programming in our subconscious, we need to use our imagination. We must imagine what we want in order to change our old hardened, limiting perspectives into more accepting, loving ones that open our lives to new possibilities. The subconscious has its own language. It works well with senses and symbols. Take a few minutes to relax and then bring to mind your challenge or block. Connect with any pain or emotion that is still with you. Ask yourself these questions regarding your pain/block. Let your imagination tell you the answers, then write them down. Pick the first image that comes to your mind.

1. What color is your pain or block? 2. What shape is it? 3. What texture is it as you touch it? 4. What does it smell like? 5. What does it sound like? 6. What is its taste? 7. What emotion(s) do you sense? 8. What symbol represents it?

Now release your experience of your block and regain a feeling of being centered before doing the next step. Bring to mind a solution to your challenge that you consider ideal. Connect with this solution. Imagine yourself having it, in all its perfection. Now ask the above questions again and write down your answers. Notice how much better you feel.

In the future, whenever you become upset by memories of this block, bring to mind the images and senses that represent your ideal solution. See the old symbol merging into the new symbol. This exercise can produce great results. Enjoy it.

"The soul never thinks without a picture." -- Aristotle

Healing through forgiveness: "Forgiveness will never fail to free you." -- Jerrold Mundis Where and how do you hold resentment in your life? Resentment is toxic to our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being because we carry it with us always. It's anger that lives on and on and on, surfacing in our tendency to blame others, desire revenge or pity ourselves. Although we direct our resentment towards another--the "guilty" party--the truth is that the very act of resenting causes us harm. The negativity damages our systems and stops us from feeling the good things in life like contentment, peace and joy.

And once we understand how projections work--how our own issues are reflected back to us through others, we also understand that our resentment is misdirected. The problem actually lies



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with us, not the other. We keep a carbon copy of all of our judgments. The subconscious mind is impersonal and therefore as you project onto another, you are projecting onto yourself.

We can free ourselves from resentment and guilt through forgiveness. Our greatest challenge is to forgive ourselves. Once we have truly done that, forgiving others becomes easy.

*** Make forgiveness a daily process. *** It's nearly impossible to be completely free of judgment, blame and guilt. Release that load daily. With regular attention to forgiveness (which is an aspect of love) you will see a new accountable and accepting you emerge.

Exercise 6-4: Unsent Release Letter

If your challenge is directly connected with another individual, you can hand-write a letter to release the souls and subconscious minds of both you and the other party. You do not have to dwell on the situation in depth in the letter. *** Do not send this letter. *** A Sample Release Letter:

Address Date

Dear Soul of , I request the release of (fear, anger, pain, frustration, etc) regarding.

I give my subconscious mind and my soul permission to carry out the release of the above misunderstandings and emotions whether they reside in my conscious mind or my subconscious mind.

Thank you for the experiences. I have gained understanding from them and now I let them go for positive transformation. I forgive (name) and I release him/her to his/her highest good. I forgive myself and I free myself to realize my highest good, freedom, fulfillment of inner dreams, clarity, love, peace, joy, expression and prosperity. Thank you. Sincerely with love, Name and signature

Remember: do not send this letter.



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Exercise 6-5: Evening ritual

If your grievance with an individual or a block of any kind is deep, you may want to engage in a longer-term practice that accomplishes the same goal as the release letter. Jerrold Mundis offers two powerful ways to achieve forgiveness through bedtime rituals.

Here's the first. Every night, before going to sleep, relax and become calm. Then, using the name of who or whatever you feel resentment towards, say silently to yourself, with as much sincerity as you can:

"[Name], I fully and freely forgive you. I completely let you go. I do not wish to hurt you. I wish you no harm. So far as I am concerned, this trouble between us is over forever. You are free, and I am free, and all is well again between us."

For Mundis's second exercise, again relax fully after you get into bed for the night. When your mind is quiet, picture the face of the person you want to forgive, and imagine yourself giving them everything that you would like for yourself.

These may not be easy exercises for you to do, if your anger is well anchored. But muster as much sincerity as you can each night. Your heart will gradually open and you will be freed.

Exercise 6-6: Heart connection meditation

This is a guided meditation. Protect a 10-minute period. Get into a relaxed state and bring to mind a person you want to forgive or relate to with more love. In your mind, see both of you standing about 5 feet apart. Now visualize a beam of light connecting your heart to their heart. Notice the connection, but do not react to it. Just be with it. Then see a miniature version of yourself walking out of your heart onto the beam of light to meet a miniature of the other person who has emerged from their heart. Have these two little people talk to each other. Listen to their conversation--you will be making it up. When the conversation is complete, have the little people return to their hearts and dissolve the beam of light connection. Thank the other person and let them go. Then write some notes in your journal. Healing through surrender: We have spoken at length of the need to assume responsibility for our lives. We need to be proactive in owning our thoughts, our feelings and our behavior. At the same time, healing requires faith and trust. It requires a knowing with the heart that an all-wise and all-loving power lies within all reality and serves our highest good. With faith and trust we can release resistance. We can be receptive and open to there being a purpose for our pain and our lives.

"Suffering ought to take us to a point of not knowing, or ignorance, where we say truthfully, 'I don't know.' This admission is then an opening in the personality to reach out to soul in a heartfelt aspiration to fill that ignorance with the next step toward truth." -- Andrew Schneider



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There are times, then, when we need to let go of our efforts to create change. Times when we need to surrender to the divine force to lead us on the next step on our journey. Exercise 6-7: Control and trust questions

Consider your need to control. You control when you do not trust, when you do not love. When we trust enough to give up our need to control, we can open to love. We are happier and more fulfilled.

Write answers in your journal to the following Smart Questions: What do you try to control in your life and how do you do it? Who do you trust? What do you trust? How do you trust in yourself? How do you not trust in yourself? How is the world, the universe a friendly place? How is the world, the universe an unfriendly place? How do you trust in yourself to make you happy? (No one but ourselves can make us

happy.) What do you feel you must control to be able to function well? When you are caught in struggle of any kind, where is your faith? Write a summary statement or two from the above exercise.

Exercise 6-8: Meditate on the bigger picture

Healing always involves a transformation from what has been to what can be, from limitation to greater wholeness. We exchange the narrow-minded vision of the personality for an expanded view of the soul that is more universal. In a meditative state, view your situation from a greater perspective. Expand your consciousness by contemplating the spectrum that ties together the soul qualities you identified in Step 5 with the negative characteristics associated with your block. See how they are all part of the whole, that one is meaningless without the other. See a bigger picture of your life. See you fitting in perfectly. Recognize the hand of Spirit in everything. Embrace the paradox that the soul quality and the negative quality can exist together. This opens the door for creativity, mystery, grace and integration. This honors the opposites. Moving from contradictory opposites to the spiritual oneness of paradox creates shifts in consciousness.



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Other things you can do: Regular, reverent use of divination tools helps build faith, as we continually see higher

wisdom reflected back to us through the tools in answer to our questions. Share experiences with others on the path. In particular, discuss "surrender" with

someone. Read inspirational books.

"Ultimately, we must learn to trust ourselves. When we do this intimately and intelligently, the world opens full of meaning before us. We find that we ourselves are the doorway to a fathomless understanding of the source of life itself. We need only to learn to walk through it." -- James Thornton

2.7 Step 7: Take action - Anchor your new learning and serve

"There is nothing mysterious about what opens the heart. Acceptance does. There is nothing mysterious about what closes the heart. Judgment does."

-- Paul Ferrini We trust that in working through the previous steps, you have understood your challenge in terms of the spiritual quality that wants to be realized in you. In this last step, we accept and anchor that quality more deeply. The actions that will finally release your block and integrate your healing necessarily involve both giving and receiving. With our awakened soul perspective, we shift from the self-centered demands of the personality based on a perception of separation, to an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, of unity. With our faith, our trust, our gratitude, we can surrender, glimpsing the truth that everything is okay as it is. Peace, happiness and joy come with accepting whatever comes up as grist for the mill. If you want to open your heart, be willing to serve your world. The greatest gift you can give another is to be truly present to them, to be with them in non-judgment and appreciation. To offer support without any expectations of receiving anything in return. And if we wish to give, we need also to be willing to receive. It's all about openness and flow. Exercise 7-1: Breathing and giving Practice focusing your attention on exhaling, which corresponds to giving. Learn to exhale with ease and from the deepest levels of your being. Practice breathing consciously every day. Here is a great 4-minute meditation that is very powerful for focusing and sharing. Sit in a quiet place and take a few deep breaths and relax. You are going to offer a 4-minute outflow of love and energy and intention to all around you and to as far as you can project it. No thoughts of self at all. Just giving for four concentrated minutes.



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Start with seeing yourself as whole and complete and energized. See yourself as an infinite source of light and love and energy and intention. Then see this light going out from you to your house, family, to the needy, community, city, county, state/province, country, continent, planet, solar system, galaxy, to infinity, God.... Progressively see your intention and energy going out, giving, loving, healing, sharing, touching and expanding the lives of everyone and everything. Send out only. This 4 minutes of concentration is powerful. You are unlimited in your inner power. How far can you spread your energy? Be aware of this. Know that you are an infinite force and put out the intent to infinity if you can. Once the four minutes is complete, just be with yourself and experience yourself. Write a few notes in your journal. Do this exercise a few times each week. Exercise 7-2: Contemplation Meditate on the spiritual quality that has arisen within you. Let your meditation go wherever this quality takes you. Surrender to the guidance of higher unifying forces. Open to truth, beauty, goodness and unity. At the end of the meditation, ask to receive a symbol that will represent this newfound quality now at home in your nature. Record the insights you received in this meditation in your journal. Make copies of this symbol and place them as reminders around your home and place of work. When fear or symptoms of your block arise, call to mind your symbol and focus on it intently, to invite your soul to be present. Where soul exists, fear cannot. Exercise 7-3: Ways I can serve The Soul is:

"- Source of one's greatest contribution in service - one's true vocation - Source of one's selflessness and altruism - Source of one's true conscience - Source of one's most joyous activity - Source of one's greatest sense of meaningfulness - Source of one's sense of the sacred - Source of one's 'heart's desire.' " -- Michael Robbins

The soul is naturally giving and serving and loving. Make a list of ways you can serve others. How can you give more? How can you show your love more?

Your body brings the energy needed for moving forward. Energy comes when we're attracted to something. Set goals with passion, vision and heart that will inspire you, and you will inspire others. Move into action that reflects your new understanding. Also, be aware that if you set an intention to do something, you need to honor it. Our words have great power. Use them wisely.



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Exercise 7-4: Give yourself a gift You have shown courage and persistence in working through this block busting process. Applaud your efforts and reward yourself with a tangible gift to yourself that has true meaning for you. Your heart will know what you want. Make it special. And don't neglect this step. It's important for anchoring your learning. Exercise 7-5: Immerse yourself in your own divinity More each day, start living within the higher principles of Spirit. Appendix 6 has tips on daily spiritual practices. Enjoy them. Congratulations! You're done, for now Block busting can never be a "one shot deal." Just when we think we have one problem solved, another will surface, or we will find ourselves facing deeper layers of our original struggle. We hope you will return to this process again and again as new issues arise for you. Our real challenge, then, is to give up the dream of living a problem-free life. For liberation, we need not change our circumstances at all, just our perspective. As we said in the Introduction, blocks are gifts for our spiritual evolution. Every moment of every day offers an opportunity to become more connected with our souls. In Appendix 7, we have included a tracking sheet so you can keep an eye on the bigger picture as your life unfolds. Each time through this online course, make a summary on the tracking sheet and watch yourself grow in spiritual awareness. Remember the steps to spiritual healing:

1. Define your problem build a foundation 2. Feel your experience go beyond the mind and defenses 3. Explore deeper meaning connect with the cause 4. Take full responsibility for your situation be accountable! 5. Learn the soul lesson what is the higher meaning and essence? 6. Heal yourself - through acceptance, forgiveness and surrender 7. Take action anchor your new learning and serve

Sincerely, John and Patrice Robson http://www.higherawareness.com



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APPENDICES

1. 100 Blocks (wounds, fears, challenges, problems) 2. 200 Emotions and Feelings 3. 50 Defense Mechanisms 4. 100 Victim Statements 5. 100 Values, Qualities and Virtues 6. Daily Practices for Spiritual Living 7. Tracking Sheet for Block Busting Bibliography



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Appendix 1 - 100 Blocks to Growth Resource lists are intuitive tools to help us get feedback from the subconscious about what is important for us. Scan the list below quickly, noting which blocks catch your attention. From the items you checked off, pick the top five and explore these in your journaling. addictions aggression anger anxiety arrogance attachment being judgmental being opinionated being reactive being scattered being too emotional being too intellectual being ungrounded blind devotion boredom carelessness complaining compromising compulsion conflict confusion cowardice criticism cruelty defensiveness denial dependence depression dishonesty disorder dominance doubt egotism envy fear feeling needy frustration futility future thinking greed guilt hate

hopelessness humorlessness ignorance illusion impatience impulsiveness indecision indifference inertia insecurity insensitivity intolerance isolation jealousy lack of confidence lack of creativity lack of discipline lack of purpose lack of trust laziness living in the past loneliness low energy malnutrition manipulation materialism mediocrity moodiness needing to please others negativity no fun obsessions pain perfectionism poor health poor self-esteem possessiveness poverty mentality prejudice pride procrastination rationalization

repression resentment resistance ridicule self pity self sabotage selfishness shame shyness stress stubbornness suffering timidity unexpressed emotions vanity withdrawal



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Appendix 2 - 200 Emotions and Feelings How well can you identify your emotions, your feelings? Go through this list and underline what best describes how you feel now. If you like, you can then highlight the qualities to which you aspire. If you do not know the definition of a word, look it up so you will gain new awareness of the possibilities open to you. How/what do you feel? aborted, absorbed abusive accepting accommodating accomplished adaptable adversarial aggressive agreeable alert altruistic analytical angry annoyed antagonistic anxious approved of arrogant ashamed authentic balanced beautiful battered, belligerent bereft bitter bored brave broken down bullied calm chaotic cheerful bushed careworn cold commanding

compassionate competitive complaining conceited condemned confident conflicted confused conservative content controlled controlling cooperative courageous cowardly creative critical cruel curious defeated debilitated deluded demanding dependent depressed desperate destitute destructive detached dignified disconnected discouraged disgusted disempowered, disrespected, dominated dominating eccentric ecstatic

egocentric egotistical empathy empowered enervated enraged, envious erratic excited expressive extroverted fair faithful fearful frightened frustrated glad good grateful exhausted fatigued furious, greedy grief guilt happy harmonizing hatred helpful helpless hesitant hopeless idealistic heart broken, ignorant impatient important impoverished impulsive



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in service interested intolerant introspective invulnerable irresponsible irritated indifferent individualistic inert insecure insensitive inspired invigorated isolated jealous joyful jaded judged judgmental lazy likable lively lonely lost loved loving mad manipulated manipulative mediating miserable mistrusting moody moral negative noble obsessed open panicked NEW ONES optimistic paranoid passionate passive

peaceful perfectionism pitiful pleased poor pessimistic possessive powerful practical preoccupied procrastination proud punished punishing purposeful rage reactionary reclusive rejected rejoicing repressed putdown, resentful resigned resistant responsible ridiculous righteous ruthless sad sadistic secretive selfish self-accepting self-condemning self-defeating self-destructive self-hatred self-obsessed self-pity self-sabotaging sensitive serene shamed shut-down

shy sorry stable stimulated stricken strung-out stubborn superior tantrums timid tolerant unconcerned understanding unforgiving unhappy unresponsive untrusting vane vengeance smashed, tortured, unnurtured, unappreciated, unsupported, vicious victimized violent visionary well-meaning wise withdrawn worthy



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Appendix 3 - 50 Defenses Defense strategies hide from us how we really feel. While they reduce our anxiety, they also distort our perception of reality. We lose touch with our own authenticity, and that blocks our pathway to soul consciousness. Resource lists are intuitive tools to help us get feedback from the subconscious about our own issues. Scan the list below quickly, noting which entries catch your attention. From the items you checked off, pick the top five and explore these in your journaling. accusing acting out - giving expression to forbidden desires without concern for negative

consequences. aggression arguing analysing - a belief that since we understand and can interpret defense strategies, we have

cleared our repressed feelings and do not need to work through them. arguing assertion avoidance blaming challenging cockiness compensation - hiding a weakness in one area by excelling or being rewarded in another. compliance complaining compromise confusion control criticism deception defiance denial - refusing to acknowledge the thought or feeling devaluation discounting displacement - channelling thoughts or feelings to a neutral or weaker person or object.. dissociation distrust emotional insulation - withdrawing into inaction so one doesn't get hurt. explaining externalisation - pinpointing outside forces as the cause of one's behavior so one doesn't

have to accept personal responsibility for their actions. fantasizing - not paying attention or using daydreams to escape an uncomfortable

situation. humour



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identification - identifying oneself with a prestigious individual or institution to build one's sense of self-worth.

intellectualisation - coming up with highly intellectual reasons or convincing arguments to justify the situation and keep attention away from feelings.

introjection - adopting external values and standards as one's own to ensure those standards are not used against him/her.

isolation - separating feelings and thoughts that are connected isolation of affect - "thinking" feelings rather than actually experiencing them judging justifying laughing it off lying manipulation minimizing - writing off problematic events and behaviors as being too minor to worry

about. passive aggression - indirect and unassertive expression of aggression towards another. projection - perceiving that another has our thoughts or feelings so we don't have to own

them. rationalization - thinking up reasons to justify what's happening while ignoring one's

feelings. reaction formation - unconsciously thinking, feeling and acting in ways that are opposite

to how we really think and feel. regression - slipping back into old, often immature, ways of behaving to release the

feelings. repression - burying thoughts and feelings in our unconscious so we no longer have

memory of them. ridicule seeking approval self-deception shouting silence smiling sublimation - channelling socially unacceptable feelings into a socially productive

activity. suppression - some awareness of a thought or feeling, but we try to hide it. threatening undoing - doing the opposite of how one feels to try to negate the feelings. violence withdrawing



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Appendix 4 - 100 Victim Statements

Resource lists are intuitive tools to help us get feedback from the subconscious about what is important for us. Scan the list below quickly, noting which statements catch your attention. From the items you checked off, pick the top five and explore these in your journaling. Look what you made me do. You hurt my feelings. Its not my fault. Can you believe what she did to me? If you straightened up your act, we could get along. I want an apology. I want her to acknowledge that what she did to me was wrong. I am sick and tired of . I dont appreciate that. I dont have enough time. When you do that, it just drives me nuts. I cant help it--its just the way I am. If only he/she would/wouldnt Its all his/her fault. I was just minding my own business when. I am always so busy. I never have time for myself. Im that way because of my terrible childhood. I dont love myself enough yet, and, until I do. Can you believe it? That man/woman cut right in fro

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