SHADES OF PURPLE: MY FIRST DEEP MEDITATION EXPERIENCE (AMMMMAZING!!)

Hi ladies!

Ughhh telling this story seems so surreal and makes me super giddy at the same time. I sort of explained it on Instagram the other day and some of you responded by telling me similar stories that you have experienced and others gave me book recommendations!

I am just in awe that I had the chance to experience this and got to connect with other women who have also had the chance to have a DEEP meditation so I wanted to share my experience on here just in case there's anyone else that want's to share what happened to them!

Okay, so it was a day, just like any other....

Haha. Just kidding. 

I was actually really tired. I worked a late night and had to be at this new studio I was trying out where the ONLY focus in MEDITATION. No yoga, just meditation. I figured I would try it out because honestly...I have classpass and I haven't been able to use any of my classes because I've been sick haha. So I was like, perfect, I guess I'll just go TRY to meditate with other people. 

I've tried meditating before and although it's been a while, I figured I had a really good idea of what is was, how it felt, and why it was so important. 

I've read about a million benefits that meditation has and I've read so many articles of celebrities who swear by meditation so for a minute like 6 months ago I would meditate for 15 minutes every morning and I always felt more relaxed and at peace afterwards but that was about it. 

No life changing experiences, nothing really out of the ordinary. Just a little feel good vibe from letting my mind be as silent as I could get it. 

So when I went to The Den (the meditation studio in Studio City, LA) the other day, I clearly had LOW expectations. Honestly I kinda just wanted to go back to sleep, my eyes we're like burning out of my face haha I definitely needed rest, BUT looking back on it, I have a feeling that going into my meditation already relaxed and sleepy allowed me to have the experience I had. 

The class was a guided FOCUS meditation for 30 minutes and I was one of 5 people in the room. I picked the pillow chair on the end, wrapped a grey fuzzy blanket over my feet all the way up to my shoulders, and shut my eyes. 

The instructor was still explaining to us what we would be focusing on in class but I was just so excited to close my eyes that I just kept them shut from the time I sat down, all the way until the end. 

Okay, let's get to the juicy stuff. 

After maybbbe 15 minutes of my eyes being closed and me QUICKLY coming in and out of consciousness (like you know those 5 second naps that feel like forever, like when you start falling asleep while watching a movie?) over and over again, I heard the instructor tell us to start focusing on taking deeper breaths. 

I did that and kept just seeing the inside of my eyelids. From previous times when I would meditate for a while, the most I ever felt like I would see was what looks like space. 

It just looks like a million tiny sparkly stars are flying by me and twisting and turning. It's almost too fast sometimes but it's fun and I feel like somewhere else. 

So in this moment I said in my head, "Take me to space".

And INSTANTLY it was like a door opened and I just fell into space. (If any of you right now are thinking, this bitch is crazy...it's about to get a lot more weird/epicccc).

This time though it was slower, and I was able to stay there for longer. At one point I unzipped a black wall and poked my head in and it was just like poking my head into space which was cool. It was like a new perspective. 

I have no idea how long this went on for but I was having so much fun. The music around me in the room had faded at some point and whether or not my instructor was talking or not, I have no idea. 

AND THEN YOU GUYS. AND THENNNN. 

I legit FELT a shift. Something was different and I knew I had gone into deep meditation. 

Mind you, this is coming from someone who basssically never mediated and all I knew were the HEALTH benefits of meditating, nothing about the experience, because I didn't even know these experiences were an option. 

I feel like I remember smiling at myself.

I started seeing bright purple and violet colors taking over all my vision. It looked like I was going down a slide somewhat slowly and the all the empty space around me was a mix of these different shades of purple. 

Then it looked like flowers were passing me on the left and right, but just big shapes of flowers, one after the other. 

I remember having so much fun for maybe a minute? I have no idea. And then my logical mind kicked in and I started thinking to myself...

OHH. They must put on moody lights during this part of the session here at the studio, and maybe they just have different shapes dancing around the room through lights while we do this. 

I was bummed when I "realized" that this had to be the case but still I didn't open my eyes because it was so magical. 

And then..for a brief moment...believe me or don't, i thought about leaving this part out but fugg it..

I was still in my meditation but it was just me in the room and a man, kind of translucent sitting next to me with his back to me. Even typing this I know it sounds insane but it happened. 

Shorty after that I started to hear the instructor come back and tell us to start moving our fingers and toes and I was back. 

Just like that. 

I walked out of the room and went up the the manager. I was feeling AMMMAZING and I just asked her, "Do you guys turn on different lights in the studio while we're meditating?"

No she said, with a smile. "Why?"

"wow. Well because while I was sitting there I saw bright purple lights and shapes and I just figured that you guys must have turned something on."

At this point she just smiled and told me how rare that is, to see the color purple during meditation, and she told me that I should go look into that immediately. So that's exactly what I did and it led me into this whole other world of meditation that I didn't even know existed.

You guys started sending me stories and pictures of your experiences and I was just in awe that this potential was always there, just waiting to be tapped. 

I am now reading a book that was recommended by a reader called "Many Lives, Many Masters" and it is opening my eyes to a whole new worlllld right now. I'm in love with it!

Since then I've only been back to the den once, and it wasn't the same. I'm sure for a lot of reasons. The focus of class was ENERGY rather than FOCUS for starters, and I wasn't sleepy during this session which like I said, I think made things easier when diving into meditation the first time. 

I also of course knew more about the instructor and the class time and structure so when he would say something I would think to myself, "shit there's only like 10 minutes left. hurry take me to space, take me to space...!" Haha. I was trying to force it and recreate what I experienced the first time and the truth is, you just can't do that. Maybe there's something entirely new to see!

I will keep you guys updated on my next sessions but in the mean time, thank you so much for letting me be open and share this with you guys! 

If you have a story of your own please share it below!

X

6 HEALTH BENEFITS OF AN OIL MASSAGE - GUEST POST

Massage oil can be defined as an oil that is suitable for body massage. It is believed that the body which is accustomed to regular oil massage is strong enough to fight chronic diseases, accidental injuries, or fatigue routine.

A regular use of oil massage makes you feel good about yourself and gives your personality more of a pleasing and charming look. The oil massage is also termed as Abhayangam. Some of the health benefits of oil massage can be enlisted as follows:

1. Keeps you young and healthy:

The strokes of oil massage, when done properly, leads to the activation of certain secretory glands that help in the efficient working of the body parts. Certain points in our body have direct connection to our heart, for example, the right palm and sole have the reflex center of the heart.

A deep kneading massage with proper pressure can improve the beating and functioning of your heart. The proper functioning of heart will ensure the other determinants of good health.

However the foot massage should not be ignored at all. Equal pressure should be applied on foot using the fingers, thumb, and hand. This results in overall stress reduction and enhances the body healing power.

2. Cleanse the skin from dirt:

The oil massage is more of an external therapy to make the individual feel at peace. There are specific areas of the body such as navel, behind the years and knees where dirt accumulates easily and is harder to remove. The strokes of oil massage at such areas works as a cleanser to aid the body in getting rid of dirt and dead skin.

Oil massage helps you to keep your body clean and prevent it against any infections. The oil therapy can be proved beneficial for the women who are much concerned about their skin health. Regular oil massage helps in the brightening of skin by providing sufficient flow of oxygen to the tanned areas.

3. Healthy digestive system:

The oil massage of the stomach overall helps in enhancing the working of the digestive system. The strokes of oil massage run deep down the large intestine, liver, and spleen.

The rubbing phenomena with oil help in relieving of toxic gas ensure proper secretion of gastric juices and the efficient working of liver and spleen in the discharge of waste products and help the body get rid of waste product from the body at regular intervals.

The discharge of waste product leads to a healthy digestive system which prevents the body from infection or any stone production in the liver or kidney.

Lastly, if you regularly suffer from constipation, then oil massage is the best solution to get rid of this condition. All you need to do is focus more on the abdomen that will ensure regular elimination of stools.

4. Incredibly Improve eye sight and helps get rid of dark circles:

The fourth most incredible health benefit of oil massage can be stated regarding its power to enhance eyesight and remove the dark circles that are the product of long working hours on desktop or computer.

The oil therapy in the facial zone helps in getting rid of headaches and eyestrains that might hinder your effective working. Therefore if you have had a long day staring at a computer screen, then this kind of massage is perfect for you to help you get rid of a headache and eye strain that might occur because of using the laptop for long hours.

Moreover, the strokes of oil applied in the facial zone can do more wonders such as removing pimple and overcoming the dryness. It also prevents the skin from wrinkles and protect it against ultraviolet rays coming from the sun

5. Boost the autonomic nervous system activity:

The oil massage therapy, through slow stroking movements, creates a sedating effect due to which the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. It is popularly known that oil massage therapy works by stimulating the nerve fibers and underlying tissues that are involved in carryingthe message along the spinal cord.

6. Helps you get rid of anxieties:

The sixth health benefit of oil massage can be stated regarding its ability in the provision of emotional stability. As you get accustomed to the regular use of oil massage, you may witness that it is not only beneficial for your skin but will make you feel at peace with your present state of life. It helps in the replacement of anxiety and depression with contentment.

The oil massage therapy penetrates deep into the body to the nerve endings soothing the stressed tissues and muscles and enables the body to get stable and enjoy peace of mind and heart.

Author Bio:

Laura Martel is a mother of two and a geek at heart. She loves reading books and spending time with her family. She regularly blogs at www.MassageTut.com

CBD OIL (& NO, IT DOESN'T GET YOU HIGH).

I walked into Kreation stressed, high anxiety, running late for work AND had a ridiculously painful situation going on with one of my floating ribs...(google it).

I think I was originally going in to get their "Enhance" Maca root drink that I love to buy when I feel like treating myself but that day when I walked in there I saw that they had a water drink with CDB oil.

I didn't really know what CBD oil was but there was a picture of Marijuana on it and it said that it relieves pain and anxiety so it wasn't hard to figure out. I grabbed one, (FOR 14 EFFING DOLLARS) and went on my way to work. 

I had one sip, it kinda smelled like weed, taste wasn't bad though, and figured it probably wasn't going to really do anything. 

I think I finished it like an hour later and hadn't really been paying attention to the way I was feeling until I found myself in a SUPER chill mode. It seemed like everyone around me was stressed and running around and I was just kind of floating through my shift, light hearted, good mood, far from having any stress or anxiety. 

AND my back wasn't bothering me as bad. I wouldn't say the pain totally went away but it wasn't aching anymore. 

That was basically all it took and I was hooked!

I got one the next day and wanted to slap myself for spending another ridiculous amount on a DRINK but I was in a 'spending money phase' and kindaaaa didn't totally care.

Once again, I felt amazing and I knew I had to find a way to get this oil. 

It's only sold at dispensaries and I don't smoke so I don't have my card but luckily I work with someone who does and I asked her to check her spot next time to see if they had this CBD oil. Sure enough the next day she came in with this little gem for a total of 35 bucks. WAY better deal compared to my Kreation purchases. 

Okay so let's talk about what CBD oil actually is for a second.

It's one of the compounds found in Marijuana aside from THC which is the main compound that gives you the feeling of being high. But apparently the CBD oil is the part that holds a lot of the actual benefits of Marijuana. 

You can get the oil the way that I got it or you can buy creams depending on what you're using it for. The cremes have been used to help with acne and fibromyalgia by applying it to the problem area and I've heard AMAZING things about these products.

Apparently when my friend had the worst cramps ever, she applied the cream to her lower back and within 5 minutes she felt insanely better. I haven't tried this for myself but I think it might be the next trick for helping me with all my back pain. 

The oil has also been shown to help people reduce the amount of cigarettes they smoke, and it helps people from suffering from post traumatic stress disorder by reducing their stress and anxiety but also giving them mental clarity. 

Other benefits include helping with insomnia, Crohn's Disease, schizophrenia and mad cow disease. 

For me personally, I just have it handy in case I need a little help falling asleep, need to RRELAX or if I'm having some muscle soreness. 

I've noticed that this one I have now makes me a little sleepy but apparently you can buy different strains of CBD. Some will be more useful for knocking out than others so it's definitely something to keep in mind when you're looking!

I also don't need to take the entire serving which is one full dropper. I have about 5 drops under my tongue and notice that I start chillin out within 30 minutes or so. 

I've also heard that you can go get massages with CBD oil which just sounds like a dream come true so I'm the look out for that here in LA, if you know of a spot let me know!

So it's something to look into! 

Have you guys tried it? Let me know how it helps you!

THE ASICS EVENT EXPOSED.

Ah finally time for some details on this past weekend.

I couldn't wait to share this with you guys because it was probably the coolest even I've ever been to. The production and the planning behind it all was INSANE. 

They said that they spent over 6 months planning for our first run! That doesn't even include finding influencers to invite, finding the hotel, the lunch, dinner and after party locations and so on. 

Basically the event was put on my Asics to promote their new shoe that is coming out in just a few weeks! But they also teamed up with SMSB to promote the WELLNESS that comes along with running. 

They wanted to remind us that running is supposed to be FUN. You're allowed to enjoy yourself and you don't have to be so uptight when you hit the pavement. 

#RUN4ADVENTURE was the hashtag of the weekend and that is definitely the kind of running that we did. 

So to start off the adventure, ASICS had a driver come swoop me up from the Valley and take me to the ACE HOTEL in DTLA. 

I came to found out that I was SUPER lucky for being able to arrive at the event the day of when I was later meeting girls from South Korea and Germany who were saying that they had to get the event a few days before hand so that they could try to adjust to the time change!

I checked in and fell in and immediately fell in LOVE with my hotel room. My boyfriend and I actually decided that we want the layout of our room at our new apartment to be very similar so WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES. 

Not to mention, I'm a verrrrry big fan of working and chillin at hotels. So once I got there I settled right in. I organized the room with all of MY shit, put on the rob, opened the windows, and got to blogging and taking pictures. 

UHHHH I NEED LIKE A BILLION OF THESE, ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHERE TO GET ONE?

I posted up here for a while and wrote my last blog about maca root powder which you definitely need to check out if you haven't already. 

I've been putting it in my iced coffee in the morning with almond milk and the energy I get is UNREAL.

Around 5:00 pm there was about 40 of us plus staff that were lining up to get on four different buses that would each drop us off somewhere different in Downtown LA. 

This is kind of where we found out that this run wasn't any normal old boring run. 

We we're basically on a hunt, and who we thought were random people strolling the city, were actually in on it. It seemed like every corner we turned there was a random person that would rush us off the sidewalk, down a flight of stairs and into an abandoned underground building. 

(The whole time I was just wondering how the marketing team at Asics was able to even contact the people that owned these buildings, they seriously seemed ancient!).

We were being chased out of buildings, up stairs, up hills and were basically forced to get in a solid 5 mile run. 

Every detail was insanity. They had a woman who was like our next "pit stop" that was dressed up in clothes from the 20's sitting on an old school car, at our next pit stop they had a woman on stilts, then they had a tap dancer in an ally, plus magicians and "gangsters" underground just waiting for us to arrive. 

I just felt like it showed a lot about Asics as a brand and the amount of work that they are willing to put into something to make sure they we had an adventure while running. They made sure that we had fun and the amount of work they put into a 1 hour run for us definitely didn't go unnoticed. 

The rest of the days spent there included one more run, beautiful views from Perch in Downtown LA then of course lots of delicious food and drinks. This gave us downtime from the activities just time to really get to know these people that came together from all over the nation. 

THESE STRAWBERRIES WERE MY DINNER. HA, I LEGIT COULD NOT STOP.

On my last morning there, my boyfriend met up with me and of course we did what any normal person would do in a hotel on a sunday morning. 

We ordered breakfast, I ate in bed in my robe and enjoyed my latte then we took some pictures and bolted out of there for a last minute apartment appointment in the valley. 

(We're getting ready to move in March soooo pray for us! Haha, it's our first place together and I'm SOO excited!). 

Overall, the event was incredible. It reminded me that it's fun to get outside and to stop stressing over working out. Make an effort to sweat daily and you're good. You don't have to kill yourself every time you exercise and you don't have to get down on yourself for missing a day. 

ALSO - I was happy to hear that they were stressing the importance of meditation and yoga even if you only consider yourself to be a runner.

Whatever your thing may be, it is important to take those few minutes to yourself first thing in the morning and clear your mind. 

Well, I'm off to yoga then I'm spending the rest of the day organizing and looking for apartments!!

Leave your comments below !

XX