Cycles in Nature

By Megan Ballantyne

You are nature, and nature works in cycles that are endlessly self-sustaining and self-regulating, perfectly imperfect. Within these cycles, there are times of growth and abundance, and there are times of decline and decay – of regeneration.  We have daily cycles, weekly cycles and annual cycles – such as the seasons. As part of the cosmos, we also follow astronomical ones such as solar, lunar and planetary.  Whether you consciously choose to or not, your body is following these cycles. Knowing this, it seems quite obvious then that working with them can be a powerful (and free) gift! What this also means is that you either cycle up or down. So, you have a choice to change forwards and upwards (evolve), or backwards and downwards. Nothing in our universe stays the same.

We are currently in a very interesting power month of cycles. It’s a bit like March Madness, as we experience the space between Eclipses, whilst drawing closer to the Spring/Autumn Equinox and Astrological New Year on 20^th March, and the Solar Eclipse on the 29^th March. To have an Equinox during Eclipse Season adds a powerful layer of emotional complexity and spiritual depth to our experience, and the theme of endings and beginnings is strongly empathised. It’s really a time to think about what no longer serves you and whether or not you are ready to let it go. Try to prioritise time alone, and to meditate on this – you have a powerful window right now that will support your intentions. (If you don’t know how to meditate, check out the article on Meditation).

Our organs also have a very specific 24-hour cycle which is helpful when crafting your day, your week, or picking up on imbalances within the body. This diagram below is from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which is increasingly being accepted as scientifically accurate. If you often wake up at the same time, you can see which organ corresponds to that time and perhaps begin to address any imbalances or challenges with it.

If you start to take note of your moods, cravings, emotions and patterns over each day and the lunar cycle, you might be surprised at how you are then able to proactively anticipate and manage them, perhaps even positively evolving them.  Here are some apps that could help you fit this into your lifestyle:

• https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-moon-calendar-moon-phases/id1077455978
• https://www.makeuseof.com/apps-track-well-being-lunar-cycle/

Meditation

Meditation can be done at any time of day and has powerful benefits. I started meditating to the sound of rain on a treadmill and counting my breath in the taxi to work. It is the simple practice of sitting quietly and observing what thoughts come up. Over a short period of time, you will progress to less and less thoughts surfacing and, perhaps, entering deeply relaxed or aware/altered states. Meditation combined with breathwork will accelerate the process immensely. What is actually happening in meditation, is the Vagus nerve entering an optimal state with neural pathways being toned or shaved away, leading to clarity, focus and better discernment. It’s hard to believe something so basic is so powerful – but it is. Start with just a few minutes at a time of day that works best for you, or as part of your rituals. I love to meditate after my sunrise practice as I feel this time of day is most powerful for my energetic body. I also meditate on flights, long drives or in waiting rooms. Meditation has many styles and levels, and I highly recommend repeating the meditations in your Angelic Reiki manuals. I love the Feeling Body meditation (Level 1&2), as well as the Cosmic Angelic Ray meditation (Level 3&4). You can record yourself saying them and then play them back which is quite fun as you become accustomed to hearing your voice. It’s also worth finding an advanced teacher to guide you into specific meditations to address specific needs.

Steps for Beginners:

• Sit in a quiet place, in a comfortable position, one that works for you. Aim to sit with your spine straight by sitting on a pillow, or with the wall behind you. Make sure you can enjoy this seated position.
• Close your mouth and your eyes and relax the back of your eyes. Relax your jaw and scan the body for any tension. Try to release that tension as you sit still.
• Start to notice your breath. Maybe place your right hand over your stomach and your left hand over heart centre or sit with your hands resting gently on your knees.
• As thoughts surface, observe them as clouds drifting in a blue sky, and let them float by. Keep repeating this. If you’re struggling to release your thoughts you may find it helpful to count your breath: 4-6 seconds inhale, 6-8 seconds exhale, maybe one day you will reach 20 seconds.
• Another option is to begin by staring at the flame of a candle and focusing all of your energy on the flame, for as long as possible.
• Gradually you will be able to sit for longer periods of time, despite the pins and needles!

Ideally, you want to practice meditation after some form of gentle exercise such as yoga, Chi Kung or even a walk, and after doing several minutes of calming breathwork. Square or Box Breathing is a steady four-part breath cycle that can be used at any time, and especially when experiencing stress and/or anxiety. You simply follow the sides of the box: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold the inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold the exhale out for 4 seconds. Gradually you will be able to build to 6 seconds, then to 8, and one day to 40! Give it a try, I promise it will only help and serve you.

Megan Ballantyne
Angelic Reiki Master Teacher, Greece

How Habits Actually Form (And Why We Should Always Check the Facts)

By Sara Neves de Sousa

I’m a curious person and when something crosses my path, I always try to find support for the information that arises. This happened a few weeks back and that is why I am writing this article. This article is related to habit formation, but it’s much more than that if we want to follow through everything that we are taught. But, for now, let’s talk about habits.

So, a few weeks back I heard something about habit formation and it hit me, who started it, why is it this way and why do we all accept it without question? So, I will try to answer this questions in this article.

I hope you read it until the end and maybe it will have you question other things, like it did me.

We’ve all heard the claim: “It takes 21 days to form a habit.” Sounds great—simple, easy to remember, and just long enough to be a challenge but not overwhelming. The problem? It’s not exactly true.

James Clear, in his article “How to Start a New Habit”, lays out a structured approach to habit formation, emphasizing cues, cravings, responses, and rewards. His advice is practical, but when it comes to how long it actually takes to build a habit, things get murky. That’s where real scientific research comes in.

A study by Phillippa Lally and her team at University College London looked at habit formation in the real world, not just in theory. Their findings? The process is far from the neat, one-size-fits-all answer we’d like. On average, it took participants 66 days to solidify a habit, but for some, it took as long as 254 days! And missing a day didn’t completely derail progress, contradicting the common belief that consistency must be flawless.

The Danger of Accepting Things at Face Value 

The “21-day habit rule” spread because it was easy to digest, but it originated from observations made in the 1950s by a plastic surgeon, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, who noticed that his patients took about 21 days to adjust to their new appearance. That’s a far cry from a universal law of habit formation.

This is why fact-checking matters. When we blindly accept catchy phrases, we risk setting ourselves up for failure. If you expect a habit to stick in 21 days and it doesn’t, you might think you’ve failed and give up. But if you know that habits take an average of two months or more, you can set realistic expectations and stay the course.

The Science-Backed Way to Build a Habit 

1. Start Small & Be Consistent – Lally’s research confirms that repetition in a consistent context is key. Clear echoes this, recommending habits that are easy to stick with (e.g., one push-up a day instead of committing to an hour at the gym).
2. Understand That Progress is Gradual – The study found that habits build over time and follow an asymptotic curve, meaning the biggest changes happen early, but true automaticity takes patience.
3. Don’t Fear Missed Days – Unlike what some motivational quotes suggest, missing a day doesn’t mean you’ve lost all progress. The science says a single slip won’t ruin habit formation.

Final Thought 

James Clear provides solid, actionable advice, but science gives us the real picture. If you’re trying to build a habit, remember: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. And the next time you hear a catchy self-improvement fact, take a step back and ask—is this really true?

Because in the end, the best habit you can form might just be fact-checking what you believe.

I’m going to finish with something that supposedely is from Buddha (but, you never know)!

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” ― Buddha

I hope this article helps you in the future with all the information that you come across.

Love Blessings

Sara

Sara Neves de Sousa
Angelic Reiki Master Teacher, New Shamballa Master Teacher and Golden Heart
Merkabah of Creation Master Teacher

Some Zen Wisdom
Abraxas continues its exploration of posts from Kevin Core’s blog, which he started in January 2008 and focuses on a book by Tim Freke called Zen Wisdom.

Below you will find a quote selected from Tim’s book which is followed by Kevin’s explanation.

You may also like to visit Kevin’s blog at shamballazen.blogspot.co.uk

Shamballa Zen

25th January

There is in Zen nothing to explain, nothing to teach, that will add to your knowledge. Unless it grows out of yourself no knowledge is really yours, it is only a borrowed plumage.
D.T. Suzuki.

To search for knowledge in books is flawed. They will only reflect to you your own perception that you are lacking in knowledge. Knowledge arises within. It is the gradual realisation of your own nature. No book can teach you this.

30th January

Student: “All these natural wonders – the trees, mountains, and earth – where do they come from?”
Master: “Where does your question come from?”

The Master shows the student that all of nature arises and returns to the same source, therefore to ask the question, “Who is asking the question and where does it come from?” leads the student to his own self-nature which is the Buddha-nature of all.

13th February

A special transmission outside the scriptures;
No dependence upon words and letters;
Direct pointing to the heart of man;
Seeing into one’s own nature.
The message of Bodhidharma.

All that is required to embrace one’s own self, one’s own Buddha-nature.

22nd February

When you boil rice,
know that the water is your own life.
Zen saying.

Your daily existence here is the rice. See how we constantly boil it?

Thank you

We hope you’ve enjoyed the newsletter and we’ll be back for the winter solstice edition.
In the meantime, to get in touch about any of the articles or share any AR experiences, please contact Sara who will love to hear from you.

Previous issues of Abraxas can be found here