Need a sudden burst of insight? Seeking some guidance outside yourself?

This time of year is perfect for it. We've all had our holiday fun and are now a few days into resolution time. Maybe you've started to make some big changes, or maybe you haven't. Either way, time keeps marching on.

On Monday, January 6th, Christians recognize the holy day of Epiphany. This holiday celebrates the time when the three wise men were said to visit baby Jesus.

Though I'm not a strongly religious person, my personal spirituality is influenced by what I interpret as the symbolic meaning of certain holidays. One of my favorite holidays is Epiphany.

Outside of a religious framework, I like to define an epiphany as a sudden realization. It is often interpreted as something that occurs outside of ourselves and comes on without forewarning.

We can not prepare for an epiphany ... Or can we?

Well, you tell me.

Here are 3 steps that can help you invoke an epiphany within yourself:

Unplug - Start to disengage from the things that distract you. Turn off the phone (or if you can't do that, just turn it over so that you can’t see the screen). Close a door—if you have that option. Take three deep breaths in, and see if you can let go of anything that’s asking for your attention.
Focus - The mind LOVES to be useful, and if you don't give it something to do, it will find some thought stream to follow. Try watching your breath move in and out, counting your breath, or any other mindfulness exercise you like. If you need help, join my email list and receive a free audio meditation.
Receive - Once you've spent a few minutes focusing your mind, create some space within, and just listen to what emerges. You might ask yourself a question like, "What do I need to know right now?" Trust what you hear within your mind (or perhaps more accurately, your heart).

Though some of us are blessed with those out-of-nowhere kinds of realizations, we can also engage in several practices that can potentially help bring them on. I don't know about you, but I can't help but feel that the knowledge and wisdom we need are coming at us all the time. It just takes practice to make ourselves open and aware enough to see them.

Instead of coming out of nowhere, they actually come out of now-here—a.k.a., this moment, this place, as you are right now. We often trick ourselves into believing that we aren't already enough, but you are my friend. Maybe that's all the realization you need.

Have you ever had an experience that you’d call an epiphany? What was the realization and how did it happen? What changed for you after that? Let me know how epiphanies happen for you in the comments below.

IF YOU WANT MORE:

This month in the Inner Sanctum Membership, I created a meditation to go along with Frankincense essential oil. This aromatic has been used for thousands of years for both spiritual and physical healing. It is said to be one of the gifts that the three wise men brought to the newborn king.

The aroma of Frankincense also works so well in helping us align with our higher selves and reconnect with our courses of wisdom within. Even if you don't have Frankincense essential oil, you can enjoy the visualization part. But if you're looking to get your hands on the essential oil (or the resin itself!), I've got some in the Upward Spiral store.

What’s more is that you can join me for a journey inward in-person this Sunday. I'll be sharing an extended version of my Frankincense-Epiphany Meditation at Tea + Meditation at 11am. Then you can immerse yourself in the wisdom of Frankincense and learn how to use it safely in your life for health and well-being at the Plant Medicine Circle to follow. Find out more and register here.

Either way, don't forget to take some time out for yourself and rest the way you like to. That's also a sure-fire way to clear the path within, so you won't miss any insights when they pass through you.

This year is calling for a lot more clarity of vision. (It’s 20/20!)

Don't forget that it begins within and that you can start (or continue) at absolutely any moment.