New Leaf Mentoring … new thought. new health. new life.

Dancing To the Beat of A Sacred Drum

February 11, 2011

When I was introduced to Shamanism some 20 years ago some thing in me woke up. I’m not native by blood nor pretend to be, yet that said, my blood resonates with the sap flowing throughout nature. In my soul I am one with all manifestations of nature, the birds and animals, the herbs and trees, the crystals and stones, and the waters and soil, we are intrinsically entrained to each other. We all are. When the Shaman’s Drum beats my heart answers. My head forgets all ideas of separation, individuation and ego, there exists only the steady beating of a sacred heart that connects all life force as one.

I have practiced and studied shamanism, but this dance, this feeling that I speak of here is primal, natural and inherent to all. It is beyond culture or race or borders. It belongs to each of us, to humanity. The earth and us humans belong together  – we breathe one breath, we sing one song, and we pound out the beat together of one heart. This that I am speaking of doesn’t need to be studied – it needs to be felt and experienced. It needs only to be re-awakened.

As I began to wake up to the sacred beat of life there awoke in me also the power of healing. As I awoke to the power of healing in myself I also understood that what I healed in me I healed in the world around me. I further understood that that’s why we are all here at this time, to heal; ourselves, each other and our beloved earth. We are here and now because our consciousness is duty bound to evolve into health. Not to grow beyond the need to be on earth, but rather to celebrate a glorious manifestation of vibrant healthy life – all together. Let me attempt to share what I feel when the drum beats.

The Drum Speaks

The drum beats. Low, steady, monotonous beats. A heart beat. The heart beat of the Earth. Lying on the ground I envision my sacred dance.

My feet firmly planted on the soil as I intentionally attempt to connect with the heart of the Earth. My eyes closed, arms hanging relaxed and head gently falling forward I focus on my core, my center. I intend to connect with the earth as I listen to the beat of the drum. I feel my energy reach toward that heart of the great mother with every drum beat, with every breath I consciously send my energy deeper, deeper into the soil, to the soul of Earth. My intentions however, can only go so far. “Trust your heart to take you to Her”,  I hear the words as clearly as if they were spoken in my ear. My heart meets the drum. My soul reaches to meet with Hers. The drum keeps beating. The beats resonate with the vibration of my heart, with the vibration of the earth mother. It is undeniable. At essence we are one. Her and I. My spine begins to sway, in time with the beat, lost in the rhythm all conscious thought stops, only the rhythm is known now. Only the beat, only the vibration matters, all else fades away. The drum beat changes to match the vibration of my energy and the energy of the earth under my feet. The dance begins.

One Heart

The drums of the whole world come together to beat the same rhythm. All the dancers on the earth begin to dance the same dance. We are one, bound through the dance and our love for earth, bound through the heart of Earth, through our feet. All feet that walk upon this same soil of Earth can feel this rhythm, belong to this same rhythm. We are one, bound through our beating hearts and our beating drums. And as the beat goes on, and my spine sways, I feel my energy swell beyond my body, undulating with the pleasure of having found my homing rhythm. I become empowered as the earth shares her energy and power with me, just  as I have shared all of mine with her. We have transfused each other. We have nourished each other and now we celebrate.  The drum beat changes again.

Now she is pushing, pushing me to recall all that I know about myself and my world. As I hesitate, she pushes harder, until in a flood of emotion I recall another hidden part. More energy surges through me, reaching through up to the heavens. The drum beat is complex, tantalizing, teasing, pushing, pulling, the entire body moving easily with the beat of the drum. No mind. Just feeling, responding, initiating, trying to keep up with the relentless energy of the drum. I rely on the energy of the drum to keep my heart pumping, knowing that it will, always, be in sync with the mother, as she keeps me. The ecstatic moment of realization of Oneness comes and holds fast. All is well. The moment never passes. All of the past catches up instead. All of the future collapses into here and now.  Nothing is lost, everything is gained. And the drum changes again.

It slows to match the heart of earth. We have discovered a new understanding. A mutual evolution. There is a stronger bond now than before and as the drum beat slows once again to a heart beat . The Earth and I  and all the dancers of the earth send  prayers of gratitude for each other as we hold each other in sacred space until our next dance.

In this way does the drum speak to me. So profoundly. Each dance changes me, each one more memorable than the last. Invariably there comes emotional releasing and then emotional relief. The pent-up anxieties that have been niggling and bothering me are gone, the body feels freer, more able to be of health and vitality. Yes definitely more vital. More in tune, attuned to Life Energy as it surrounds me, there comes a greater ability to stand outside the chaos and see more accurately within the soul of life. The oneness of life between us all touches me deeper than ever before. The chaotic separateness of individual struggle is further removed. And with that come peace and with that the ability to be of service to a fellow traveller.

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Healing

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Keeping it Real This Bleak Mid-Winter

February 7, 2011

We’ve entered the deep freeze phase of winter. It’s a very surreal kind of time; everything is covered in snow, sounds are muffled and quiet, even the colours are muted. The earth  – at least in our hemisphere – is deeply frozen in sleep.

In times long gone by, the people, mindful of working in harmony with nature, would rest during this time, but alas, in our modern world we tend not to afford ourselves this luxury. If possible we try to escape the cold and head somewhere warm and sunny for a few days to get our vitamin D fix for the remaining winter weeks ahead but if not possible, we continue to slough it out at the same pace and rhythm of the rest of the year.

The energies of mid-winter support our need to hunker down, stay low, and rest. But as life tends to carry on and we can’t just slip into hibernation as some species do, we need to try to stay balanced by doing the things that will cause us the least resistance and difficulty. When we work in resistance we create unrest and imbalance in our body systems which will inevitably lead to colds, flus, broken limbs, accidents, and over exertion which in turn can develop into full blown disease. When we work in harmony with the seasonal opportunities however, we will find that we can move through winter easily and peacefully. Winter is peaceful, in fact it is almost monochromatic, showing us the beauty of simplicity and the joy in rest not just the need for it.

In Touch with Sacred Me

Winter is the ideal time to get in touch with our sacred self. Consciously moving our attention inwards to our core will help us get and stay grounded. The earth still beats out her heart rhythm and we are still engaged with her though the signals may seem quietly muted. There are things we can do to remind ourselves of our deep connection to the Earth and universe.

i) practice non-attachment: Since winter is already a hard time to keep things flowing, in order to  prevent life from freezing up on us it is important to lighten our loads. By this I mean that it is time to start letting go of ideas, attachments and clutter that no longer serve our highest good. For many aboriginal tribes this is the time of purification. By releasing our attachments to things we encourage subtle energies to keep flowing allowing new possibility to trickle in. Clean out, dust off and smudge stagnant energy.

ii) breathe, ground and meditate: This is a time of restructuring and coming into a new harmony for possible growth ahead. This is quiet and invisible work, it can only be realized in quiet contemplation. Just as the roots of a great tree reach deeply into the soil, through the frozen layer into the still warm earth beneath, so is it time to reach into our core to allow the warmth of our soul to maintain our vitality. Our soul, always connected to our divine blueprint will keep us moving through these months with guided purpose. Deep breathing exercises and longer meditations will keep providing us with focus and clarity.

iii) get outside: It’s cold, so bundle up and go for a walk anyway. Walking in nature in the winter can be a deeply spiritual exercise. It’ll clear your head, clear your lungs, and open your eyes. Winter walking is slower and more mindful than in the summer. Watch every step, breathe deeply and keep your eyes peeled for animals. They appear vibrantly in winter and have much to teach us. Cardinal for example teaches us of our sacred selves, the value of being grounded through the root chakra and in the same breath inspired to the loftiest goals. It’s clear song teaches us of speaking truthfully and sweetly, its colour teaches us of our vibrancy and passion and reminds us that while all may seem dormant today will revive in full power in Spring.

Spring is only a couple months away. In a few short weeks you will be feeling compelled to be moving at a much faster pace and chomping at the bit to get going, but for now rest…plan…meditate…and spend some time truly getting to know yourself and your relationships to all people and all things. Your ability to manifest yourself this spring will depend entirely on how real you can be with yourself now.

Category:

Healing, Metaphysics

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Reiki; A System of Mastery

January 21, 2011

Just for Today,

do not worry,

do not anger,

respect your parents, teachers and elders,

earn your living honestly,

show gratitude for all living things.

– Mikao Usui; founder of Reiki

Mastery; a foreign concept in our western way of thinking. It’s a word that is hardly relevant to our understanding of how the western world functions today. In our new world we assess achievement with diplomas, certificates and degrees and aggressively climbing the ladder to success. In the old world, however achievement was determined by mastery and degrees of mastery of skill sets. The education process, whether through apprenticeship or formal education was evaluated by a system that considered and challenged an individuals’ determination and willingness to accomplish a high personal moral and ethical standard in relationship to their work and social position.

Today we are less accountable to our professional and personal acquaintances for our belief systems but that’s not really the problem. The real problem is that we are significantly less accountable to ourselves to conduct ourselves with integrity and truth. More and more we put forth a minimum of effort, content to slip unnoticed through the cracks, and do the least of what is required in friendships and work. Sadly our own ambition, self-satisfaction and eventually happiness wanes in the fog of mediocrity.

Reiki; A System of Mastery

Reiki is a system of Mastery. The knowledge of Reiki is delivered to the student through levels of information that must be practiced, integrated and experienced before moving on to the next level of knowledge. Each level must be embodied before one can move on to the next. In fact it is only through that embodiment that Reiki can be understood. Only through embodiment can the knowledge and practice of Reiki be mastered. Only through mastery can the teacher effectively attune another to the knowledge of Reiki.

There are real things to learn and practice in Reiki. Time is needed before one can even get the feeling of energy consistently in their hands. But more than this, there is an esoteric quality to the knowledge of Reiki. This knowledge of Reiki is fiercely intimate. When a student has embodied the teachings of Reiki it is realized by others. Reiki affects the student on a cellular level. Students and clients will sense a resonance and even a vibration in their core when introduced to Reiki during an attunement or a healing session. Reiki will stimulate a long-lasting passion that is felt beyond anything words can adequately explain.

Awakening to Our Essential Self
Reiki also seems to commonly create a feeling of familiarity; a deep sense of ‘knowing’ is awakened. And this, in a nutshell, is wherein the healing power of Reiki resides; in its ability to awaken the innate knowing of divine health and perfect order within us. As you can imagine, it may take some time to become fully awakened to that perfect potential. After all, after having been asleep for a great deal of our lives we tend to be a bit groggy when our eyes first open to this new possibility. Just like waking from a dream, it can be difficult initially to know just what exactly is real and what is not. Fortunately we don’t have to think about it too much. We just have to learn to get out of the way.

The level of mastery of a Reiki practitioner depends on his/her ability and willingness to develop the skills required to work effectively with the tools of his trade in all aspects of his life. In Reiki these tools include the 5 precepts, and the symbols. The Reiki practitioner must learn to communicate effectively with energy, emotion, thought patterns and physical manifestation. A skilled Reiki practitioner has learned patience, stillness, and compassion. A Reiki practitioner achieving mastery learns to let go fear and expectation and has faith in the divine perfection of our universe – always. This is work for a lifetime. The game of life teaches us until the day we die lessons of fear, faith, love, respect, authenticity, and gratitude (the precepts of Reiki). It is unrealistic to believe that these lessons must be mastered to be a master of Reiki, there is needed only the loving willingness to be awaken to the divine life force within you within the teachings of Reiki the modality.

Is Reiki the only way?

No. Reiki just provides us an exceptional framework in which to work and measure ourselves. There aren’t many systems that are equally as effective in dealing with the whole body mind complex as Reiki is. There are fewer still that are available for training the self to accept health and well-being. But mastery in all aspects of life will improve the quality of life in general.

Reiki – as in Universal Life Force Energy –  teaches us that health is not something to seek nor to achieve so much as it is a way to be. The pain, disease and failure that we experience in our lives is largely a result of our expectations, our point of focus. Where attention goes energy flows. When our point of focus shifts towards space, de-congestion, stillness and non-attachment, we will find ourselves freed from pain, with peace and happiness close behind. Mastery is the key. Mastery of self, not of Reiki is what is needed.

Mastery is the Freedom of Mind
Mastery became distorted in our collective minds through the event of slavery, the idea that someone other than our self had the power and right to be Master over our own destiny. When we surrendered to the belief that we were to submit to a power greater than ourselves we lost. It’s a long climb back to the top when you’ve fallen to the bottom of the abyss. Mastery is to claim back the power of self from something that controls you.

If you are reading this you are probably not one of the millions of people on our planet who are still truly enslaved to another’s power and dominance. You are lucky. You have choice. You have the right to choose the quality of your life. So do you? Do you choose freedom of thought and excellence in the pursuit of your heart’s desire? Or do you stay enslaved by fear, by money, by jealousy, by loneliness, by boredom, etc? The things that can enslave you are endless, but as hard as this is to hear; it’s your choice. Choose to be free. Choose Mastery. Make a commitment to yourself to live passionately, honestly and authentically from your core. Release your enslavement and replace them with your power. Dedicate yourself to your highest possibility.

We are amazing manifestations of vibrating energy radiating light. When we are enslaved to a negative belief system, or a substance, or to another we diminish our natural ability to shine brightly. Take back your light, learn to be masterful in anything you choose.

Andrea is preparing to teach a !st Degree Reiki Class in Campbellford, ON and in Hamilton, ON in February. She is holding a Free Introduction to Reiki Gathering in Campbellford, ON on January 30, 2011 to answer questions, give sessions and provide information. This gathering is suitable for anyone interested is self-healing and discovery, learning Reiki for friends and family, or just trying it out. There is absolutely no obligation in attending. For more information see Upcoming Events at the top of this page.

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Healing, Reiki

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Shadows of Sadness – Foundations for Joy!

January 18, 2011

As we pledge ourselves promises of resolution for the year ahead we are too often focusing purely on our own perceived shortcomings and failings; things we want to correct. Even without dwelling on it we can gently witness the sadness that sits back in the shadows of ourselves. Our true sadness is built on our intimate losses, our perceptions of pain and suffering, and feelings of not being enough. As we move toward the end of the month we are already aware of our patterns and whether or not we are going to be able to set ourselves free this year.

We live in a world of opposites, a dualistic expression of possibility. Yin – yang, negative – positive, light – dark, hard – soft, on and on; there are as many polar pairs as you can imagine. Everything is related on one scale. Everything also belongs to the one whole. And in this way everything is one. Everything is an aspect of its opposite and everything is relative to the whole. This is life on earth, these are the rules of our play ground. Unfortunately we are prone to judgment and for what ever reason – sadness is bad, joy is good.

Choosing the Middle Road – A Road of Grace

As we move into the energies of the Aquarian Age it is time to choose the middle road. It’s time to choose grace. On the middle road, we acknowledge our emotions and feel our feelings but don’t allow them to dominate the whole of our being. We don’t swing madly from one extreme to the other indulging in toxic patterns. The middle road offers sanity and well-being. It means we lighten up, cut ourselves some slack, and issue a bit of compassion toward ourselves and others. It means we allow our highest truth to govern us and not the biased truth of a moment’s perception.

Sadness can be found in a laugh, in a smile, or in the split second clinging of a boisterous hug. I have nothing against sadness – it doesn’t scare me to look into the face of it. It’s real. Sadness often reveals a genuine hurt a soul has endured. I feel great empathy for the sadness in people. It’s a quiet soulful awareness of tender caring and of having felt life fully and deeply. It is an honourable emotion.

I’m not talking about the noisy poor me, woe is me, can’t catch a break kind of sadness that is worn on the sleeve and ambushes anyone within earshot from time to time. The sadness I’m talking about is quiet, obscure and discreet. It is humble and tender. It sits as a ghost in the shadows, almost undefinable, and while it depends on its obscurity to stay hidden it flits in and out of daily life all the same. 

Hiding in the Light

Sadness can hide in any face in a million ways, just beneath a twinkle in the eye, deep in the structure of a laugh line, in the set of a jaw or a certain thoughtful furrow in the brow. It adds depth and dimension to the personality. It adds character. In other words, it is constructive.

Sadness is on the same sliding scale as joy. Ironically, very often, the people with the deepest sadness are the ones we recognize and depend on to be happy, proactive people. Because of the huge spectrum of authenticity of emotion these people hold within they often become the ones we trust intuitively. We know they’ve been where we’ve been. We know that they too have experienced the depth of the emotional ocean blocking the light of the sun. But they are walking proof that you can and indeed will rise to the surface again into the light to breathe a fresh breath of life. In the light of awareness sadness can be used to transform the most terrible of human suffering into freedom, strength and joy!

Out of the Shadows

Acknowledged sadness adds a type of high-octane fuel to living a good life.

Sadness has the ability to temper the soul with benevolence and compassion. With the intimate personal knowledge of sadness we are better equipped to be present to our fellow-man. Having already come through the sadness we know more of what we are capable of and the challenges we can survive. This torch that we carry lights the way for others. It is your responsibility to be a constant reminder to others, not of the sadness that may linger as a barbed thread still connected to a painful memory but of ultimate faith in the tenacity of Spirit flowing.

Before you add your broken resolutions to your list of sadness, spend a little time getting to know the sad part of you. Acknowledge the broken-hearted part of you that fears and wavers in the light of exposure. Your sadness has made you stronger than you realize. Dare to see the same sadness reflected in the face of others and smile to it. We are able to be joyful beyond measure when we embrace this. Your sadness offers you a great reservoir of strength and resource with which you can serve yourself  and others faithfully. Walk with grace. Sadness is great, joy is great!

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Cleaning the Windows to Your Soul

January 10, 2011

January is all about the growing light. It makes us feel like doing more, taking charge, and making changes. Creating a fresh new start in life is like cleaning up your house. It’s time to clear out, dust off, and sort through the junk we’ve accumulated over the past year or so. Being unable to manifest new starts in life is largely governed by how much stuff we hold on to and allow to take up essential living space. The longer this stuff that we believe in sits undisturbed the more dead space we create in our lives. Clutter takes up valuable living space and energy. It’s time to revive the vitality in your home, body and soul. We start by cleaning the windows so the light can get in. Our intention is to create a greater bond, a soulful connection to the light, inside to outside.

Our truest expression is only possible when we are able to access our creativity. When we fall into habits of mundane routine we aren’t giving our truest nature permission to be, and when we aren’t expressing it we are depressing it. Any depression is rooted in a perceived inability to express our truest light and nature for all the world to see. Creativity sits at the most elemental aspect of ourselves as physical human beings. It is our innate nature to want to procreate, recreate, and be creative. Every cell in our body is designed to recreate itself with purpose and clarity.

As time goes by however, we add layers and layers of dust and grime that only taint the beauty of the thing within and prevents its’ light from shining outward. Just as we have to clean the windows of our house, we should regularly try to clean the windows of our soul. I’m referring to the windows of our chakra system which allow us to engage with the energy of the world. Both sides of the windows have to be cleaned, leaving either side dirty leaves them hard to see through. Inside grime relates to our attachments to the things we believe in and covet, outside grime to the belief systems of others that we don’t necessarily adopt but entertain all the same. Each chakra pertains to specific aspects of creativity and thus your manifestation.

Cleaning The Chakra Windows

To clean the windows of the chakra system you need only to honestly awaken to the film that covers them. Your ability to connect with the life force of the universe is inherent, it is only your belief in the limitations that inhibits you from living a self actualized creative life.

Remember yourself to be a sacred divine expression of light. As light you are limitless and free to learn, share, love, heal, grow and nurture as you please. As a sacred being of light you deserve being worthy of your own love and praise, reverence and respect. See yourself as a beautiful stained glass window worthy of your awe, for you are awesome, in design and beauty. When the light of the universe can shine through you to others, without the distortion of faulty belief systems you will be able to inspire and support the glorious revelation of others through your own clarity of divine purpose. Genuine acknowledgment and acceptance of yourself as a divine expression of purpose will automatically begin the cleaning process. In the light of truth the distortions have no place.

  • Sit down in meditation,
  • Breathe gently, deeply and fully.
  • Gently bring your attention to each chakra,
  • Listen, observe and witness the voices, the messages, and the belief systems you privately hold.
  • In relationship with each chakra ask yourself what inhibits your right to create yourself fully and freely from that chakra’s perspective.
  • Don’t edit yourself.

As the stories are told and are accepted as true the light will shine brighter and brighter. Hold faith in your soul’s inherent right for expression.  Be patient and kind with yourself; your soul’s purpose will stay hidden until you are willing to protect its’ right to shine brightly.


Category:

Healing, Metaphysics

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A Jewel for the 2011 Heart

January 8, 2011

While browsing the internet this morning I stumbled on an amazing blog by Aryz Eden Sky.

It is on her site that I found this poster. I don’t know it’s origin. But I wish I could find a full size version for my wall. The mantra on it simply sums it up! The welfare of the planet is in our hands, NOW!

It’s all we have to do folks. For ourselves, for each other, for our planet…All the good we can!

Maintain an attitude of awareness that all that you do has bearing on everything else, and that eventually all that you think, and all that you are will join with other like minds and bring about the changes we desire. What is truly in your heart will be made manifest.

The earth and all her species, our environment, human consciousness, world economies and governments, health, you, me and our children are all going through the same changes. We are currently all more dead than alive. Everything sits in a precarious, vulnerable state, waiting for something to lead us forward. But we’re it! We are what we are waiting for. Within each of us glows the only answer that is needed. It’s time for  us to serve each other with goodness, kindness,  and compassion.

You only have to go to your own heart for the inspiration that will guide you. Our most precious jewel, that warm glowing transmitter/receiver sitting in the centre of your own chest is attuned to the green jewel that is earth. As you love yourselves and one another, and endeavor to demand respect for yourselves so will the earth be respected. All outer change will start within you. As Gandhi said ” Be the change you want to see” and never before has this been as needed as now. The evolution of human consciousness demands it.

In 2011, live as though you are the keeper of the most sacred jewel ever discovered, for in truth you are. Your heart has the unparalleled power to generate vast amounts of life-giving energy. Be brave enough, kind enough and generous enough to share the energy in any and every way possible. Hold nothing back and watch the bounty flow throughout all of creation!

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Metaphysics

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Joyfully Counting Forgotten Blessings

January 6, 2011

I’ve been reviewing the past year as I believe most people have been doing. It’s what we tend to do at the beginning of each new year. I’ve been counting my blessings as well as taking stock of all the pros and cons of my life as it stands today. Then my thinking made a radical shift.

I was thinking of the changes I would like to make in my life, which had begun to sound eerily much the same as last year when I spontaneously remembered an event that had happened in my life this year which had had a profound affect on me. I realized in that moment that there were many such events that had come dangerously close to being put on the back burner; out of sight and out of mind. I quickly flipped to a fresh clean page in my journal and began listing all the new things, events and relationships I have experienced this past year. I was amazed to witness right there in black and white written in my own hand, how much new had actually happened! This was exciting! Turns out that 2010 wasn’t at all the same as any other year after all.

I attended meetings, gatherings and symposiums that were important to my personal and business development, I have met a ton of brilliant kind-hearted people who stimulate my heart and my brain, I have rekindled a very lovely dear friendship after too much time had passed, I’ve re-connected in a meaningful way to each of my siblings, I have developed new adult relationships with all 5 of our kids, I have written countless articles and have been published by some of the best e-zines out there on the web, I have had the extreme pleasure of caring for 20 cats this year – (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!) I opened a Facebook account, I started this blog, I did my website – MYSELF!, and it goes on and on…

These were all things that I hadn’t planned, that I didn’t list in my intentional goals for 2010, but they were far and away the most important. No my kitchen isn’t renovated yet, and I don’t have new living room furniture, my book isn’t published – but I’m getting closer, and I haven’t found homes for all my cats but in light of all that has happened, well, it’s all good!

I am excited now about the many unknown, unplanned for things that I will encounter this year. I did remember too, making a promise to myself to seize new opportunities and to embrace fresh starts  – to say YES to more, and because it worked  I will promise this to myself again this year!

Before I stumbled on my almost forgotten blessing I was sitting in my left brain, being very serious, planning strategy for the year to come. Although my brain was fully engage my heart wasn’t. My heart jumped to attention when I began remembering the spontaneous accomplishments of the last year.   Rest assured of the bounty that sits within our grasp when we give ourselves enough slack to reach out and grab it! The new opportunities, of which you are not yet aware, may well offer you the missing links to your dreams come true. It would be a shame to miss them because you were busy focused on a plan!

Before you focus on creating a new plan review the old year, list the new opportunities you enjoyed, the new people you met, the new books and authors you discovered, the accomplishments you forgot about – did they come by good planning or by good fortune? We tend to forget about the things we didn’t organize through our ego mind.

The synchronicity, the coincidences, the out of the blue opportunities and the random wrong turns are where the real magic of life happens so rather than creating an iron clad plan of attack for 2011 try following your heart and see what the meandering garden path has to offer.

Wishing you all a happy, wondrous New Year filled with joy, health and peace. And by the way, if you are reading this, YOU are one of my many blessings – Thank You!

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Healing

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Praise Be! Conquer Those Blues With the Spirit of Gratitude!

October 6, 2010

Praise Be! I’m giving thanks today. For Everything!

I try to live with a spirit of gratitude every day, but today I’m going to try to be particularly mindful of giving thanks at every opportunity. I woke this morning with a heaviness in my heart, the early morning was gloomy and dark, and my senses felt stuffy and dull. I was just feeling off kilter in general, the kind of day where you feel like you have a cold coming on. Well to hell with that…something had to be done!

I’m a preemptive kind of person, and I’ve learned to listen to the little quiet whispers of warning, so rather than cancel all my plans for the day and stay safely ensconced in my home drinking herbal tea, I will face the day with light filled praise and a smiley face. If nothing else my sunny countenance will annoy the crap out of anything that wants to bring me down today!

I have learned that the easiest way to shift any negative situation is to give it praise and be grateful. The vibration of gratitude immediately discharges the negative charge and neutralizes the situation.

Living By Design not By Accident!

To give praise and gratitude are powerful affirmations of blessings received. Immediately the gap between wishing for something and having something is closed. Immediately we free ourselves from being distant from the qualities of life we desire. When we focus on the distance we get more distance.If it is important to you to create and live your life by design rather than by accident praise the moment. If you want to live in co-operation with the opportunity that is present in every moment you have to be open to it and you open that door by being grateful for it.  See it done – see it now.
Praise and gratitude are acknowledgments of positive life force flowing through your life. By expressing gratitude we recognize that there is an intelligent principle in the universe that exists omnipotently and of which we are innately part and parcel. As we give praise we simultaneously receive it and our own consciousness is uplifted. Once we understand that blessings are already received our psyche strives toward and resonates with that specific outcome because it knows no other way. Everything that exists is part of everything we are. We are not separate from anything. It is only our focus and our ideas of separation that determine how far away from something we are, and what other obstacles stand in the way. What ever we give the power to to limit us and prohibit our success will have it as long as it takes us to take it back.

The Nature of Praise…
i)    What you praise increases: Everything you give your attention to multiplies whether it is negative or positive. Bad becomes worse, good becomes great. If you expect to be lucky and blessed – you will be. If you expect the worst – you will have it. Be careful in what you wish for and affirm as the truth of your life. If you think one day your ship will come in then you will wait perpetually for ‘one day’. Decide that today’s the day. Praise this day as the day your ship came in!
ii)    Praise liberates and releases stagnant life force energy. By activating energy and freeing it up as available energy to your overall system of organs, muscles, and cells, the body gets to experience a surge of vitality and increased energy. A hopeful feeling washes flows through the system and so begins a process of restoration and regeneration and renewed health.
iii)    Thanks – giving neutralizes stress and un-does dis-ease. By realizing blessings received we instantly release ourselves from disease generating attitudes of worry, guilt, fear, criticism, condemnation, deprivation, hate and ingratitude. You can not be grateful and resentful at the same time. Choose your point of focus before you get sick.

In times of trouble:

Praise your difficulties.

Any experience that gives you new learning or a chance to see something differently is worth praising. The attitude of gratitude changes the dynamic charge of the experience from negative to positive. You instantly diffuse the negative charge, disabling its ability to mushroom into other areas of your life. Even if you are unable to see anything good from your current perspective there exists a possibility in every situation. Give praise, look for the lesson/teaching/value of the situation. If you can’t find it, just expect there to be a ‘blessing in disguise’ somewhere. Let go and let God! These are the lessons of blind faith. Don’t give up now! These are the toughest times. Remember that it is easy to have faith when everything is going great, but faith really doesn’t matter unless you need it.

“I praise the life I have! I AM grateful for the strength I have!

I glory in the life I have! Praise Be!

There is always something to praise. Look for it if you don’t see it! There is a solution to every problem. There is an answer to every question. Sometimes our greatest teachings lie in the vulnerability of not knowing, then when we finally surrender enough the answer is revealed and made clear, giving us another opportunity to be grateful.

Thanksgiving is always a special time of year for me. I love the autumn, the leaves, the pumpkins, the apples, the coolness of the days, all of it. Every year at Thanksgiving I make a list of all the people I know and I find a thing in them  – no matter how difficult – to be grateful for. I especially do this with my family. I don’t necessarily reveal the pieces but I have found that just holding that knowledge in my heart helps bridge any differences or conflicts we may have. And I AM intensely grateful for ALL my family, near and far, close or distant, blood or water! Have a blessed Thanksgiving celebration where ever you are!

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Metaphysics

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Who’s Driving as You’re Cruisin’ Through Life?

October 4, 2010

I think I got my driver’s license the same minute I turned 16. I had already been driving everything anyone would let me get behind the wheel of  but even so getting my license to drive on the road legally was and still is a cherished, thrilling privilege. It represents a powerful freedom for me and one I protect. To be able to drive means I have the power to choose where and go when the spirit moves me. As I’ve watched each of my kids get their drivers licenses I saw the same independence and autonomy instantly begin to flourish in them. Within moments of getting their permits each of them were transformed with an evident awareness of their newly expanded power and personal authority. Learning to manage that power and authority of course came next but that’s where we all face our challenges. While personal examination, growth and development are relatively new concepts in our culture, drivers have used cars for decades to access and play out their personal dramas and perspectives albeit unconsciously at times but accurately nonetheless.

From over 30 years of having them, repairing them, and driving them, I have come to regard cars and all that they entail as very effective workable metaphors for our lives. Consider your car to be the vehicle of your expression and the way you operate your car to be the way you navigate through and manage your life . The idea is that your car, as an extension of you, shows the world what you either think of yourself or what you want the the world to believe you think of yourself as you travel through life. As the vehicle of your expression it reflects to you and shows others your sense of self power.  Many people use their car to create an illusion of the personality they want to be understood as. By understanding what our car, maintenance issues and personal driving habits are we can come to understand a lot of how we function in the world and why. Often times just by using this metaphor we are able to understand things that we wouldn’t otherwise realize.

Get behind the Wheel

To work with this metaphor you actually have to see yourself as the one in control of the car. Ultimately the one at the wheel steers the car. The driver is the one in power. If it isn’t you then you are willing to sit and wait patiently until ‘they’  – whom  ever they are – decide what’s best for them and their charges. You can grumble and complain and sit there with your arms fold stubbornly across your chest oozing your displeasure – but unless you learn to take the wheel in your own hands you are left staring out the passenger window! Whole separate issue!

The power to change your life rests on the acceptance of one simple fact: you must assume full responsibility for the life you lead. If you don’t accept responsibility for the life you have, and instead choose to believe that someone or something else determines your fate, then you will never feel you have the right to change it and thus you become destined to keep repeating the same drama. The power to change the course will remain with the one you assign the power to make the decisions. Believe this, if you don’t make your choices for yourself someone else will. If you don’t stand up for what you want you will have to go along. And if you don’t speak up someone will speak for you. If you don’t choose to get behind the wheel you will have to sit somewhere else and if you’re not driving, you’re hitching a ride.

It’s OK to just go along to get along as they say, as long as it’s what you want to be doing. And of course, there are times when we simply don’t want to be driving and are perfectly content being the passenger. There are times in fact, when it is essential to surrender to the plans of others and to learn how to be peacefully acquiescent and quiet in the passenger seat. Sometimes we need to learn how to be an effective co-pilot. Just don’t go along and then constantly complain that it’s against your will. Make your peace with the decision before you live it. Can you sit quietly as a passenger, or are you a back seat driver always coaching from the side lines? Harassing the driver but never taking control yourself.

How Do You Handle Your Vehicle?

Good driving skills demand that we become good defensive drivers, on the look out at all times with a proactive approach. We must learn to  look ahead,  be prepared to take evasive action and hopefully be able to avoid possible problems. All to often however, people drive full force into a traffic jam, head on into oncoming traffic and fall asleep at the wheel. They drive too fast for the conditions, they ignore the challenges of their fellow drivers, and they recklessly bully and endanger others. So ask yourself: are you stuck? Are you on an imminent collision course with another driver? Are you driving a bumper car, steering like crazy, being jostled about and going nowhere? Do you run into road blocks, detours, or other obstacles that prohibit you from reaching your destination? Are you disrespectful of others rights and opinions? Are you being a bully? Are you asleep at the wheel with your eyes wide open? Is someone else always at fault?

Car Maintenance

Every vehicle needs consistent and regular maintenance. Our cars need oil, water, fuel, air, etc., just like us.

So…What do you drive? What shape is it in? What service issues is it plagued with? Each issue uncannily reflects a condition that is evident in your own physical body. For example is your car overheating – how’s your personal rage, are you hydrated? Are you constantly running out of gas, or do you have a fuel leak – what about your own ‘fuel’ requirements, what are you eating? Does your food intake support your energy requirements? Are you putting up with broken wipers – why are you comfortable not seeing things clearly? Etc.

Review your crazy car stories; accidents, adventures, calamities, and near misses. What do the stories have in common? Are there any recurring themes or issues with your cars? How do you relate to your car, how do you relate to yourself? To others? What is your dream car like? This is an interesting relationship worth exploring as a metaphor for your own life.

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Metaphysics

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Becoming Butterflies of a Different Kind

September 24, 2010

I know that you’re probably already familiar with butterfly analogies. I realize that butterfly references flit and flutter rampantly throughout the new age movement of thought. And I get that you get that butterfly is symbolic of transformation and metamorphosis. But I’m going to go through it again all the same; in detail, slowly, because although people talk the talk there is hardly a more potent set of images available to us mere humans than through the magical  synergy of the butterfly story. The real magic however lies in what is not often talked about. We usually talk about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly; from humble beginnings to exquisite soaring potential. As humans we tend to like happy endings and butterfly wings are just plain happy making! But the real message of hope lies in the frenetic, arduous, and determined journey of the lowly Caterpillar.

4 Stages of Development:

1. The Egg (Conception): You are conceived, from fertilized egg you come into being. You enter into this life’s experience with a bevy of information that will all contribute to the path you must walk in this lifetime. From the moment of your conception you are immersed in this matrix of information that will metabolize into your own being, forming your own unique life’s expression. You grow, develop, and become the miniature form that will execute your life’s journey this time around. The concept of you is created out of karmic lessons, genetic opportunity, parental influence, environmental conditioning, and knowledge. When you are ready you will emerge through a  challenging experience of birth. Your first real experience of fighting for your life,  you break through the barrier that has kept you safely protected, to move toward an independent expression of your self. And this is where the real fun starts!

2. The Caterpillar: From the moment he breaks away from his egg, the caterpillar begins to hunt for and devour huge amounts of food. His physical rate of growth is fantastic. Four separate times he literally grows out of his skin. 4 times he must shed his old skin and live into his new potential.  4 times his skin splits, dries up and 4 times he must wriggle free of it, leaving it behind if he intends to survive; which is of course, all that motivates him.

Likewise there are four times in a human life that we change our skin, dramatically yet without realizing it from a daily perspective; infancy, adolescence, adulthood, seniority. But at each stage, before we can rightfully embody the next stage of life we must learn the value of letting go of the ideas, dependencies, perspectives and belief systems that have been relevant to life to date. Some of these experiences are emotionally devastating, earth shattering, heartbreaking. Although we think that we would be happy to leave these behind us, often these times of life are the ones we allow to define us and to influence how we move forward in life. Our ultimate success will be determined by how well we let go of our most challenging attachments, forgive and move forward toward the next stage. The caterpillar grows larger and expands with each stage right up until his ‘death’ time as the pupa. Human tendency, however is to slow down our growth once we move into middle age. Half way through our life span we tend to stop taking in new ideas, we indulge in routine, cultivate patterns of sameness, and reject thoughts of new possibility. We approach our death time with low energy, little creativity, and resignation to the inevitable.

As human beings we also have 4 aspects that must be simultaneously developed as we grow; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It seems an immutable fact that we are destined to grow, our choices in reference to each of these aspects will determine how well and gracefully we progress. Each aspect supports the others and encourages the others to stretch and reach for a higher opportunity at all times.

3. The Pupa (Transformation): When the caterpillar enters the pupa stage a profound cellular transformation occurs that will eventually allow the caterpillar to experience life from an entirely different, more lofty perspective than he had previously known. It is during this stage of human development that many of us choose to rest, believing that life has reached its climax and now there is nothing but a steady decline in vitality ahead. Transitioning from mature adult into senior is an enormously difficult shift in physicality, mentality, emotionality and spirituality for most people. Many people choose to spend this part of their development being ill, tired, listless, lifeless, uninspired and mournful. As fully mature adults we too begin to change chemically. The pharmaceutical companies must love this stage of development as they seem to provide more and more prescription drugs that cater to aging bodies and metabolisms to say nothing of hormonal deficiencies  and other chemical imbalances that happen with aging. It’s an all out effort to keep the population from believing what they see happening in the mirror. There is a time of retreat, isolation, and reconstitution that has to happen to allow the shift forward into a beautiful seniority. Mankind must learn to surrender to his maturity and allow the alchemical transformation to happen so that he too may emerge in a splendid possibility and symbol for hope.

4. The Butterfly(Seniority): The caterpillar instinctively follows his biological clock and surrenders himself willingly to the pupa stage of growth; man not so much. We fight it every step of the way. Every where we look we see seniors trying to recapture their youth. It is not however, the seniors that are trying to look and act young that capture our hearts, it’s the ones that joyfully and exuberantly embrace their age, their knowledge and their wisdom. The seniors that we adore and respect are the ones who have gracefully allowed themselves to embody the fullest culmination of their lives. When our elders joyously express their enthusiasm for life with flair and panache we see the human butterfly emerging. They have surrendered to their transition and have gratefully, with humility and profound wisdom accepted and embodied the journey of the butterfly. They have miraculously surrendered to the divine order of life to experience without fear or worry the fullest expression possible. The human butterfly has learned to leave the worries of growing, building and survival behind him and lives out the remainder of his life dancing with the breezes, enjoying the nectar of the beauty of life and living for the moments that remain. Butterfly nurtures the spirit of others around him, giving hope and inspiring the next generation to live their fullest life possible.

Category:

Healing, Metaphysics

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