The Be Your Own Guru Planning Method
Exercise Details
Duration = at least 15 minutes.
Difficulty = 50/100.
This exercise developed by
Life Coach Cougar Brenneman.
Inspired by Karen McChrystal, Barbara A. Brennan, Judith Orloff, Linda Keren, and others.
Step 1
Select and describe what you're calling upon your to help you to plan. For example, you could use it for:
- Organizing your day
- Creating a healthy food menu for the week
- Planning an important letter or other writing project
- Planning a meeting
- Organizing a complex project
You'll be making a traditional planning list in Step 2b (like a to-do list). Your will add to that list in Step 5b.
Write your answer in the box above, and click the above button. Everything you write stays on your computer alone. Nothing is transmitted to us.
In this exercise, several steps have several parts.
Step Number buttons (such as the Step 2 button below) only appear when you need them.
Step 2A, B, & C
- How do you normally feel about this type of plan?
- What would you normally leave out of your list?
- How hard do you expect this to be?
- What challenges do you expect?
Click the "This Is a Normal List Item" button after every task or item to add it to your list. Click "I'm Done Listing Items" when you're finished.
When you click this button, the Step 3 button will appear below.
In the next step, you'll still your mind by focusing on at least four or more slow, tranquil breaths. Seek to achieve inner stillness or inner silence.
Be honest with yourself. If it takes 200 breaths to completely let go of your reactions, then it’s worth it to take 200 breaths to completely release such deep-seated pain.
Seek to attain a state that some Buddhists call "bare attention"—one in which you are paying attention to the animation so completely that you no longer notice the meaning of the words. To the degree possible, just be mindful of the shapes of the letters—without even thinking about their phonetic sound. This will allow you to synchronize your breathing with the app without being distracted by concepts.
Move on to the next step after you have completely let go of your reactions.
Ready? Click the Step 3 button to begin.
Inner Silence.
Be still.
Peace.
Quiet mind.
Release reactions.
Let it go.
Thoughts dissolve.
Concerns evaporate.
Relax spirit.
Step 3
Let go of the topic completely. If your mind is in problem-solving mode, worry mode, reading-the-computer-screen mode, rushing-around mode, creativity mode, or any other kind of "mode," you haven't reached inner silence. Inner silence means bare attention—mindfulness without thought or reaction.
Trust the process.
Move on to Step 4 after you have completely let go of your reactions.
Step 4
Tune in to your confidently. You can find this part of yourself by simply seeking it. Visualize your goal and notice what details your may have put into the visualization as clues.Ask your for guidance about what to do. How can you best accomplish your goals or how can you best handle your resistance?
Focus on your question without words for several breaths, and send energy to your .
Wait for specific words or images. If your impressions are unclear, ask for clarification.
Close your eyes to enhance your focus.
Step 5A, B, & C
What does your want you to do?Click the "This Item's a Real Priority" button after every task or item that you type to add it to your list. Repeat until you're finished.
When your no longer suggests any new items for your list, click "I'm Done."
If You're Not Satisfied, Click HERE to Return to Step 3 & Ask for Help
Click the above button if you feel any resistance at all to what your recommends or if you're not satisfied in any way. For instance, click the button whenever you simply want more depth.
Continue until you feel jazzed about following your guidance—without any inner conflict. Go on to Step 6 when you're certain that you're fully enrolled in your new plan.
Step 6 begins with energy breathing.
Step 6A, B, & C
Draw in light from the universe through your pores.
Draw in light from the universe through your pores.
Draw in light from the universe through your pores.
Draw in light from the universe through your pores.
Draw in white Yang energy from the sun through your crown down your spine.
Draw in white Yang energy from the sun down your spine.
Draw in white Yang energy from the sun down your spine.
Draw in white Yang energy from the sun down your spine.
Draw in energy from everywhere.
Draw in energy from everywhere.
Draw in energy from everywhere.
Draw in energy from everywhere.
Expel negative energy through your pores as a dark cloud.
Expel negative energy through your pores.
Expel negative energy through your pores.
Expel negative energy through your pores.
Draw in blue Yin energy from the earth through your base up your spine.
Draw in blue Yin energy from the earth up your spine.
Draw in blue Yin energy from the earth up your spine.
Draw in blue Yin energy from the earth up your spine.
Send this energy to your
Send this energy to your
Send this energy to your
Send this energy to your
Part A: For several breath cycles, inhale energy and send some of it to your .
Continue for one breath cycle of twelve breaths.
Repeat if you wish to deepen your connection with your further.
Part B: Do you have any impressions to record?
Part C: Breathe in more energy and send it to your for a while. As you flood it with energy, stay open to hear guidance about what else you might need, and what else you might do. As these new messages continue to flow into you, offer more energy with a sense of gratitude. When you're done, record your request.
Step 7
Express gratitude toward yourself and your until you feel good about yourself and your connection to your inner wisdom. Click the "Self Gratitude" button after every acknowledgment.
Recommended: Cycle through both acknowledgments in this step at least three times before going on to Step 8.
Step 8
Finish by expressing gratitude toward others and the Universe. Fill in the name of the person to whom you're feeling grateful.
Click the "Gratitude to Others and the Universe" button after every acknowledgment.
(Inner Silence)
Future Enhancements that Apply to All Exercises
I have developed 315 more practices which are part of the same curriculum. This number will eventually grow to 3,000 or 30,000, depending on what the users (you) decide to do with this curriculum. Each practice targets different goals and different problems, depending on what you need.
For a tour of the full curriculum, use the following blog as a guide: Take the Tour: Explore the Joyful Wisdom Journey Curriculum. This blog is a illustrated guide to clicking the button at the bottom of this page that's labeled "Coming Soon: What's Next? Your Next Move." You can click the button without the blog, but the UI is not very intuitive.
This prototype lacks certain features that will help you to use it. Eventually, you'll have a blog that automatically receives all of your written responses to any exercise. No more copying and pasting.
All pages will have have:
- Feedback features that allow you to suggest changes.
- Links to user blogs where you can see how other people have used the exercise or meditation and what they've learned from it.
- A way to suggest alternative wording for each step in every exercise—including wording in other languages.
- A way to set your preferences for which wording you like, including your preferred language.
- Animation, audio, and video to guide you through steps that require them.
- Links to Joyful Wisdom Community resources for learning or practicing each method in the community of others, rather than in isolation.
I've planned many other enhancements, but this gives a flavor of what's coming.
For a brief description of future programming plans, read the following blog: Plans for the Computer Programming Needed for the Joyful Wisdom Journey.
CLICK Step 1 below to use this exercise
Click the "Step 1," "Step 2," etc. button in the footer section of the screen at the left to advance from step to step EXCEPT at Step 5.
Return from Step 5 to Step 3 for more insight by clicking the Step 3 button—which will appear when you need it.
Give Your a Voice Whenever You Plan
When you're making plans, your is as smart as your head—or even smarter. Treat your with respect, and it will guide you true. Honor your every day, and it'll change the direction of your entire life.
If you resist what your tells you, it will almost always be to your detriment. During this exercise, if you feel yourself resisting what your tells you or if you're not satisfied with the results, take the time to loop back from Step 5 to Step 3 at least once. The loop-back button gives you the power to go as deep as you need to go to get the results that you ultimately want.
Preferences: This exercise uses language that works for you. Set your preference for how this exercise refers to your source of intuition. Every chakra has its own consciousness. Give each a voice to enhance your relationship with it. Our Chakra list progresses numerically from Chakra 1 (Foundational Chakra) through Chakra 9 (Transpersonal Chakra).