Stone Medicine

Meditation

Happy Spring! The buds are popping, the flowers blooming, the birds singing. After a rainy winter, aren't you ready to get out and play?

While you are making plans to go outside and enjoy the warming weather, don’t forget to go inside—inside of yourself. “Going inside yourself” can be done with meditation, journeying, trance work, prayer or yoga, but I will refer to it as meditation throughout this article. Whichever vehicle you choose for going inside, it is as important for your health and well-being as fresh air and sunshine.

With the world around us in turmoil—the weather doing strange things, the economy unraveling, and politicians continuing their struggle for power—meditation is wonderful tool. Meditation helps us face our lives more calmly and clearly. It helps us cope with stress. When done in the morning, it prepares us to face the challenges of day. When done at the end of the day, it helps us clear our mind of the day’s hectic energy. Meditating outside, by a tree, at the ocean, or under the moon, helps us feel more connected to the earth and can be quite powerful.

Meditation deepens our connection to the Divine / Spirit / Goddess / God. It also deepens our connection to ourselves. Connecting more deeply with our inner self makes us better able to face life crises as well as daily grinds. It helps us know more clearly what we truly want and need, allowing us to make more confident decisions. Being more connected also helps us live healthier by giving us a better understanding of our bodies. And being healthier, happier, and more confident helps improve our personal and professional relationships.

This year, I realized my dream of launching my teaching practice, the core of which is meditation. My classes are for anyone who wants to enhance their meditation practice, from beginners to those with years of experience. I work with students on a variety of skills, including visualization, breaking through concentration issues and incorporating stone medicine energy into meditation. The classes are taught in small-group sessions. For those who desire more intense experience, I also offer one-on-one individualized instruction.

I have found teaching to be profound and enlightening. I helped one woman break through a huge block that prevented her from having longer and deeper meditations, an outcome that was immensely satisfying for both of us.

Here's what some students have to say:
“Taking Renee's Stone Medicine Meditation class was a wonderful way to learn how to more intimately interact with crystals and stones. The chakra meditations she led were very in-depth and felt so nice —purifying, rejuvenating and incredibly soothing. Learning how to explore and receive the energy of the stones was especially enjoyable and introduced me into a whole new world, something I look forward to exploring more.” ~ Aondrea.

"Being a complete beginner to meditation, I must admit that I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to stay focused and I thought I may be self conscious in a group class. Let's just say I was wrong on both accounts. I absolutely loved the class! I was able to focus with the fantastic direction by Renee, and it was great to hear everyone else's experiences. Renee made it very interesting, easy, and comfortable, and she passed along a lot of great information all the way through the class . After the class, I felt very calm and relaxed yet rejuvenated. I'm definitely looking forward to the next class!" ~ Cindy

My Current Class Offerings:

Monthly
Stone and Chakra Meditation Class in San Francisco
Learn meditation techniques to begin or enhance your practice. Topics covered include grounding and centering, chakra clearing and charging, stone journey and healing.
Next class is April 26th, time TBD. The session will be 3 hours. Email to sign up; space is limited

By Appointment
Individual lessons on Meditation Techniques
Work one-on-one with me to enhance your meditation practice. Topics covered include grounding techniques, visualization, and pattern releasing, as well as individual instruction to meet your needs.

Quarterly
Stone Medicine Class Level 1
A group session. Topic areas to be covered include matching stone with chakras, learning to choose stones, meditating with stones into each chakra, and learning to cleanse and care for stones.
Next class is May, date and time TBD

No matter whether you take a class from me, another class, or begin on your own, meditating on a daily basis will enrich your life. It’s a great way to take care of yourself, body and soul. So get outside and soak up Spring! And don’t forget to go inside, too.

Blessing and Peace
Renee Bastet
Stone Priestess

		Stone of the Month
Amazonite! Warrior Stone Amazonite is a lovely blue-green stone that empowers us to be more fully present and gives us strength. This stone turns victims into warriors by encouraging self-determination. Amazonite helps us speak and hear higher truth. It is especially useful problem solving and conflict resolution. It’s great for teachers, especially those who teach children. I work with Amazonite in the element of Water. My goal is creating safety for expression, always good intention and healthy boundaries. Amazonite is wonderful for the heart chakra and throat chakras. It helps move emotions from the heart and into our speech. It also helps us move from fear to achievement with ease. Physically Amazonite is a wonderful aid for healing after surgery, trauma or illness. It helps the body rejuvenate. Enjoy Amazonite.

Exciting News!

New book

We wish Charles much success on this very important venture. More information

Please visit www.bastetjewelry.com. Renee Bastet has been creating jewelry since 1991. She thrives on working individually with people to create custom pieces that put magick in their lives.

Copyright 2008. Bastet Jewelry
Copy Editor: Karen Michels