“Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.”
Alan Watts, American Zen Buddhist
I’ve had a few queries about my meditation CD Sacred Journey lately, so I figured I’d post this interview I did when it came out…
I’ve also made it easier to order the CD or download the digital files, via Bandcamp – it’s cheaper than etsy, and you can play them all through first to see if you like them before buying.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation is known to lower blood pressure, decrease stress and anxiety, ease panic attacks, boost concentration, combat the effects of ageing, improve breathing and sleep quality and induce a state of calm and clarity. It also enriches the soul, stills the mind, focuses your attention inward and develops insight and inner wisdom. It encourages contemplation and spiritual growth, brings you closer to the god and goddess within, and helps you get in touch with your intuition, dreams and desires. It’s been described as the path to enlightenment, and at the very least it provides a quiet space for you to reflect on your emotions and hear the whispers of your own heart and soul.
I also love this explanation by neuroscientist Sam Harris: “There is simply no question that people have transformative experiences as a result of meditation, and there is no question that these experiences shed some light on the nature of the human mind. There is now a growing body of scientific research to suggest that meditation can promote mental and physical wellbeing… And according to the teachings of Buddhism, meditation also produces profound insights into the nature of human subjectivity; insights that can have a direct a bearing upon a person’s ethical life and level of happiness.”
Why did you want to create a meditation CD?
Everyone today is crazy busy, and although we know meditation is good for us, it’s hard to find the time. Several years ago I went to Vipassana, the 10-day silent retreat, because I thought that would force me to learn how to meditate. It did, but although I kept it up for a while, eventually I stopped making time for it. So I wanted to find an easy way to incorporate this powerful practice into my daily life.
I also wanted to combine the things I’d learned while researching my book Seven Sacred Sites, and help people connect with the magic of nature and the elements that make up the universe – air, water, fire, earth, spirit – as well as the masculine and feminine energies that we all have within us. So the CD takes you on a transformational inner journey, connecting you with the enchanted elements and energies of the earth, and the deepest parts of your soul. You’ll feel yourself awakened by air, cleansed by water, purified by fire, grounded by earth and at one with your own spirit and higher self, as it ignites your inner light and brings balance, wisdom and magic to your life.
How does your CD work?
The beautiful healing music combines with the powerful words to activate new energy, wash away pain, soothe and nurture your spirit and ignite your inner fire. The seven meditations will relax you, inspire you and awaken you, and connect you to the healing power of nature and of our planet. The alchemical mix of the five elements – air, water, fire, earth, spirit – with the yin-yang energies of masculine and feminine helps you tap in to your inner wisdom and create magic in your life, unleashing all of your potential and promise and inspiring you to fulfil all your dreams.
The CD has seven meditations of around seven minutes each, so you can do the whole lot, in order, if you have time, or just do one or two. Sometimes you might want to play the whole thing, to energise yourself for the enchanted day ahead or to centre yourself and create a sacred space while preparing for ritual. Or you may prefer to listen to individual tracks, depending on your mood or situation – Air to renew and invigorate you; Water to calm you emotionally; Fire to ignite your creativity before starting a project; Earth to ground you if you’re stressed; the Moon to tap in to your intuition and dreamscapes; the Sun to activate energy and action; or the Stars to align you with your spirit and your self.
You may want to write in your journal after each track, as the meditations are designed to connect you to your own wisdom, access your subconscious and unlock your inner heart. If the sacred music and words trigger ideas, inspiration and answers halfway through a piece, stop and scribble them down, or wait til later. There’s no right or wrong way to use this CD – even if you drift off and think of other things, or fall asleep for a while, the meditations will still benefit you, affecting you on a vibrational level so you feel nurtured, balanced and healed.
“Serene Conneeley’s compassionate nature and deep knowledge shine through this wonderful CD. As I listened and moved through the elements, I felt loved, cleansed, inspired and guided by her sweet voice and clear insights. She is a gentle, loving, wise teacher of wisdoms we can all benefit from, and this CD takes us on a sacred journey not only into the earthly and heavenly elements and realms, but into history, spirituality and self-love. Sacred Journey is a gem to treasure.”
Lucy Cavendish, author and oracle card creator
What are the elements you are working with?
Air ◊ Awakening
Air symbolises the intellect, communication, knowledge, clarity, truth. It helps you think more clearly, inspires you to dream up new ideas, and fills you with a sense of freedom and joy. Air also represents new beginnings and fresh starts, and reminds us that every day the world is born anew, and that you can be too. It’s about moving forward, letting go of regrets and starting again, free of preconceptions and limitations.
Water ◊ Emotional Balance
Water is linked to the emotions, intuition, psychic abilities, dreams and the subconscious. It helps you become attuned to your inner truths and at peace with your inner feelings, and its gentle fluidity has a nurturing, soothing quality. Water is also associated with cleansing and letting go. It washes away emotional hurts, dissolves pain and anger, soothes your heart and soul, and leaves you feeling cleansed physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Fire ◊ Inspiration
Fire represents passion, inspiration, decisiveness, intention. It ignites your creativity, sparks your enthusiasm for new projects, and inflames you with the courage to take chances and risk everything to create the life you want. Fire is also associated with purification, for it can burn away bad habits, regret, fear, anger. It holds the power of transformation within it – if you have the courage to step into its flames and let it consume you.
Earth ◊ Grounding
Earth symbolises security, stability, the family and your home. It is about nurturing and being nurtured, helps you create your own foundation of safety from which to grow, and embodies practicality, perseverance and steady progress. Earth is also associated with grounding and centering, absorbing excess energy so you remain balanced and at peace, and anchoring you in your body and reconnecting you to the physical realm and to the planet.
Moon ◊ Feminine Energy
The moon is linked to the subconscious, to dreams, desires and secret wishes, and to the dark and beautiful power of the night. It can help connect you to your shadow self, to the hidden aspects of your psyche, and to the mystical realms of divination and the inner worlds. It is also symbolic of the feminine energy that runs through the universe and within every person, which is calm, receptive, centered, nurturing and spiritual.
Sun ◊ Masculine Energy
The sun represents strength, confidence, energy and power, doing rather than thinking, and the outward, open wisdom of the daytime. It inspires action and productivity, helps manifest your dreaming into reality, and is of the physical, earthly realm. It’s also symbolic of the masculine energy that runs through the universe and within every person, which is active, outward and external, full of heat, vitality and strength of will and purpose.
Stars ◊ Spirit ◊ Self
The stars represent the outer limits of what we perceive as being possible, the heady potential of the unknown, and the boundless, limitless nature of the universe and of our selves. Their cosmic power is linked to intent and will, to unification and transformation, and to the sense of potentiality and promise. This spirit of self is present in the melding of masculine and feminine energies within you and in the merging of the conscious and the unconscious, the physical and the spiritual, the god and the goddess, and the inner and the outer worlds.
“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, fifth century BCE founder of Buddhism
Sacred Journey: A Meditation to Connect You to the Magic of the Earth
Come on a sacred journey within…
Attune yourself with the sacred elements and energies of the earth to soothe your soul, uplift your spirit and heal your heart. These seven meditations will take you on a deep inner journey, connecting you with the power of the elements – air, water, fire, earth, spirit – and balancing the masculine and feminine energies of your heart and soul to reawaken the divine spark within you.
The beautiful healing music combines with the powerful words to activate new energy, wash away pain, soothe and nurture your spirit and ignite your inner fire. Let the seven tracks on Sacred Journey attune you with the breath and life force of the earth, focus the power of your mind, unleash your creativity and connect you to your intuition, creating magic and joy in every moment.
