Serene Expressions

Opening with Gratitude

2012-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

With modern day life being as fast-paced as it is, we often have a tendency to look at our daily experiences from a negative perspective. With the laundry list of necessary to-do items we must endure, it is certainly easy to follow the path of the complainer. Even if we don't state our irritations to our friends and family, when we focus on the doom and gloom aspect of any given moment, we are simply creating more of the same in our reality. Who needs that? Thankfully, there is an easy solution. It's called gratitude.

Now, I am not talking about the auto-pilot frenzy of thank yous we regurgitate throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, saying thank you for all the niceties in life is a good thing and a wonderful practice to get us into the groove of genuine gratitude. However, the most important aspect of gratitude is actually not the saying of our thanks, but the feeling behind the gratitude. When we allow ourselves to experience the joy of gratitude, that is when the shift in consciousness is made.

Yes, I am thankful when someone passes me the salt, but when I stop and notice where I am in the moment of the salt passing, recognizing the fact that a web of our community is involved with one another, it allows me to have a greater sense of the Divine flowing throughout the Universe. For example, I am not only grateful that someone was kind enough to pass the salt, I am grateful that the salt is such an amazing mineral that flavors my food so that my pallette can enjoy each bite. Additionally, the iodine in the salt helps to maintain my healthy body. Of course, the fact that someone had to harvest the salt so that I could enjoy it; and someone else had to deliver it to the store; while the store itself was able to carry it so that I wouldn't have to go through the harvesting process myself makes my life so much easier. It frankly takes an army of Beings (including the salt itself) to get the salt to me and for that I am grateful. And frankly, these are just a few examples of how I am grateful for the salt. It is when I recognize all these beautiful gifts behind the salt passing where I become aware of my part of the unifying whole of our Universe, and that is when I feel the Light within.

In last night's class, Karen Hager and I explored the idea of Opening through Gratitude. It is in the space of genuine gratitude where we open up to the magical wonders of the Universe that are waiting for us at any given moment. We share exercises, meditations and of course stories to make this telecourse a fun exploration into Self. The good news is that this class was recorded and can be taken at any time. So, if you are feeling called to join in the Gratitude goodness that was shared, please visit my site at http://lisatunney.com/telecourses.php.

Thank you so much for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Dancing with the Flow of Life

2012-01-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

I love watching nature shows. It is an opportunity for me to see animals in their natural habitats. We can see how a gazelle gracefully dances through the plains; a butterfly prances around flowers; and fish swim through waters with ease. Are their movements all in a straight line? Of course not. Rocks get in the way, predators are on the hunt and a whole plethora of reasons exist why their movement is not in one direction alone. When we look at animals we can see that we too are animals. We were never meant to travel in one direction either.

It's funny how as Westerners we pride ourselves for the way we deem order in our lives. We have calendars and smart phones as reminders to keep us on schedule. We demand that everything is "just so". There is only one problem with this way of thinking—life throws us curve balls all the time, from little nuisances to seemingly catastrophic events. Let's face it, we have a choice. We can either get angry or upset at the chaos or we can take a cue from the great humpback whale and simply go with the flow. It may seem to be a daunting task to escape the conditioning most of us have had. Yet, that is why Spirituality is called a practice—we are practicing!

I know in my life I have had my fair share of disorder. Last night while teaching the telecourse Dancing with the Flow of Life with my co-teaching host Karen Hager, I was moving the class through a guided meditation. Right in the middle of my calming words, I could hear screaming children in the next room over. While I am fairly certain the people on the other end of the line did not hear any of the escapade, it was unnerving for me. For the first ten seconds or so, I complained in my mind that this was not how I wanted things to go. I wanted perfection! Then, I took a breath, calmed down and realized that this is perfection. These little quirks are what makes life interesting.

During the break, I could have gone out and screamed at the kids for their behavior, but instead I told them that I loved them and reminded them that I needed it quiet. I asked them to take three breaths and afterwards I wanted them to tell each other that they loved one another. I had to get back to my call before the break was over, but I could hear the kids through the walls tell each other that they loved one another. All was well in the world. So, instead of fighting with what life presented to me, I decided to go with the flow and it was certainly a good thing!

Then this morning rolled around and I heard that the recording from our class cut off after twenty-three minutes. My reaction? My mind conjured up the word, "Bummer." Then it occured to me that either a) there is a backup somewhere, b) we could re-record it or c) I could just let it be and move on. I have decided that however the result ends up, I am simply going to dance with the flow of life and accept however it turns out. Why bother getting all riled up over spilled milk when one has a cloth to wipe up the mess. It all works out in the end.

So, I am not sure if there will be a recording of the class, but if there is, it will be available on my site as a possible class option for you. If you are feeling called to participate in the class at your own leisure, please feel free to visit my telecourses page at www.lisatunney.com/telecourses.php. If it is there than great, and it if it is not, well as the French say, "C'est la vie," or if you prefer English, "Such as life."

Update: Two days later the recording was retrieved. So, it is available. All's well that ends well!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Breathing in Life

2012-01-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

It would seem that breathing would be a no-brainer since, thanks to the limbic or primitive brain, we do it automatically every second of every day usually without paying much thought to it. Unfortunately, when we don't breathe consciously, we end up missing out on a whole lot of good stuff. For one thing, we have a tendency to not use the full capacity of our lungs, when taking in air. Air is the energetic life force that supports our mind, body and Spirit, yet we don't take full advantage of the offering. It's sort of like hitting a home run, but then stopping at first or second base. What good is that? Yes, we might get a little exercise while we're running, but we certainly aren't making any points on the scoreboard. And breathing improperly is pretty much the same thing. While we do get some of the benefits, we are not receiving the whole shebang.

First off, when we don't receive enough air in our lungs, it effects all aspects of our Being. Our blood flow doesn't work to full capacity, which in turn effects the proficiency of all areas of our physical body. Our stress level rises effecting our mental body. And on the Spiritual level, it hinders us from listening to our own innate Inner Wisdom.

Luckily, if you weren't able to make this week's live class from The Inviting Change Series of telecourses taught by myself and my co-host extraordinaire Karen Hager of radio and Fog City Psychic Fame, there is still an opportunity to participate in the class! All of the classes in this series are being recorded so that you can listen to it at your own convenience.

In this class, Breathing in Life, we share stories, various meditations and breathing techniques, in order to get in touch with our True Spirit. Breathing properly helps to shift our perceptions and see things as they truly are as opposed to how our fears erroneously project them to be.

These telecourses are a wonderful way to get in touch with our Spirit without having to leave our homes! Time and distance are no barrier to energy and I am delighted to share any of the classes that are offered, whenever it is the best time for you take them. We are all connected by our intention, not our proximity to each other. So, whether you are being called to take these classes in the past, present or future, you are absolutely welcome into the space.

For more information, please visit http://lisatunney.com/telecourses.php.

Sending many Blessings your way and thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

A Love Letter to my Self

2012-01-10T18:09:00.001-08:00

The genesis of this particular blog entry was actually going to be a note written to two of my friends. As I typed out the words on an email, the story began to take a life of its own. Thoughts poured out of me in only an hour’s time and as I was writing it, I was hearing it in my head like an urban poem. As I practiced it out loud, I decided that the vibration of sound was important for its telling and so I chose to make this my first blog entry with my voice. However, as a writer, who loves the written word, I opted to have the text below it, as well. That way, you can choose to listen to it or read it, or do both or even none at all. So, with that in mind, I share my thoughts to those who are drawn to it.

This work is called:A Love Letter to my Self:

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Once upon a time, there was a little girl who grew up “different” than everyone else. She could see things that others did not. She could feel things that others did not. She understood things that others did not. All of this made this little girl feel like an outsider. She didn’t like having the attention drawn to her and as a result, she remained quiet.

She was known as the good little girl—always excelling in school, always the best patient, always the one that didn’t want to make any waves—and she continued to keep quiet.

When the little girl was thirteen, she decided it was best to save every single penny that she had earned over the course of the year so that she could buy a whole new wardrobe for herself when she reached high school. She wanted to be cool and the clothes surely would have made her so. During that year, as she saved her money, she went out with friends to the mall and to the rolling rink, pretending to be outgoing. The shy girl wanted people to like her, so she put up a front that was not really her at all. She became an actor in her own life.

Eventually, this extroverted attitude she had developed became a natural part of her. She no longer had to work at it. She no longer had to act. Yet, she still was hiding. She was hiding her Truth. The ubiquitous amount of words coming from her mouth, never really said anything that was meaningful. She didn’t want to rock the proverbial boat or step out of line. She still didn’t want anyone to think she was weird. So, she said nothing of consequence.

As this teenager grew into womanhood, she brought with her the amiable and outgoing traits along for the ride. Because of them, she excelled at sales. Once, during an initial meeting for a potential job, she was asked to “sell” a pencil to the interviewer…She got the job. It didn’t matter if this woman was selling clothes or hundred thousand dollar events, she had learned to be outgoing and she could sell it all.

In her private life, she had men, lots of men. She likened herself to be a female “Fonzerelli”. The Fonz, from the show Happy Days, could get any woman at any time of day, simply by snapping his fingers. This was not too far off from what this woman could do. She erroneously assumed that her ability to “have” any of these men made her feel loved or at least appreciated somehow.

And so, even though she could sell any product and she could get as many notches on her lust belt that she demanded, she remained quiet. Words still flew out in every direction, but she hid behind the image that she had successfully created, never speaking about what was really going on inside her.

Because of this, this woman sought out pleasure from a bottle, but what she was really doing was burying her emotions, while keeping the voice of Spirit at bay. Free will allowed her egoic self to be at center stage. Because of this she was the life of the party, but inside she was in pain.

Then one day, the Universe decided to take away every “thing” that this woman had built up around her—destroying the accouterments of this faux sense of self that she had created. She had to learn to move within. She slowly began to recognize her True Gifts and each day, she shed another old belief and another old way of doing things, making room for all the good stuff to come in. She learned with Grace what her mission on Earth was all about.

Through this process, she built up a new business celebrating Spirit. She methodically learned and as she learned she shared with others. She opened her doors to share for the first time her True Self with those who were inspired to join her. It was during this time of quiet contemplation and joyful sharing of Self, which gave her the opportunity to feel genuine happiness for the first time. But still, without realizing it, she kept part of herself hidden. She didn’t want to appear to be strange.

During one of her group gatherings, another woman named Alexe boldly stated that this woman needed to allow herself to be vulnerable. She, of course, knew this to be true, but she was not ready yet. However, these words were a Spiritual flag post, enabling this woman to begin to recognize the importance of vulnerability. The seed had been planted to sprout on another date, and all the while the thought was always somewhere on the surface, so that the woman could refer to it whenever she needed to.

The woman continued on her path of Self discovery—still learning and still sharing and still creating. She was on the verge of changing her website to something that spoke to her in that moment. She had been working on the mock-up images for months. Yet, it never seemed quite right and besides which the money was not available to implement the changes anyway. Then one day, her friend Elizabeth told her that it might be time to change her company name. The woman had been toying with releasing this company name for some time. However, she didn’t want to make any waves. She didn’t want to make any changes. She was still scared.

In the recent past, when she had kept her Spirit Self open to those who were open to it, she still hid behind the wall of shame she had built up around her to everyone else. However, something happened to her on that day that her friend suggested to release the name. She meditated on the idea and decided that it was time after all. In one fell swoop, that wall of shame now came crumbling down. And as she realized that the old company identity was a metaphor for this shield, she knew in her heart it was time to come out from behind it. It was time to shine BRIGHTLY to herself and to the Universe at large. This representation of the shield no longer served her. She thanked it for playing with her for awhile, for it had been good to her. She then allowed it to move on its own journey, perhaps helping someone else on their path.

Not only that, she changed the original mock-up for her new website. Everything flowed together and the new designs were ready in only a weekend. She had been working on the other design for nearly six months and this flowed easily to her…and in only a few hours. As she looked at the new site with its shades of blues and greens, she realized that the old purple site represented her connecting with the voice of Spirit and the new blues and greens were a symbol for her ability to communicate her Truth clearly, concisely and from the Heart.

As everything was in its process of manifesting, she changed all the URLs for all her social networking sites to reflect the new name of her company—the name she had been given at birth. She morphed the signature on her emails to reflect the person she was now allowing to come forward...and as she did so she re-discovered that she was happy—not just while she was celebrating Spirit, but all the time—for it all is a celebration of Spirit.

And as she opened herself up, the sweet tears streamed down her cheeks, because she realized that for the first time in her life, she was allowing herself to be vulnerable—and amazingly, she discovered it felt good.

This woman, who of course is me, feels at the core level of her Being, the immense shift in Consciousness that has been offered to her…I thank Alexe and I thank Elizabeth, who inadvertently became two powerful messengers for my journey…I thank the Universe for helping me to see my Light and I thank my Higher Self… for it has always…been there…with me.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

The Solstice Begins

2011-12-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

As the Earth moves through the heavens, the axial tilt of the North Pole reaches its farthest point from the sun at 10:30 pm PST on Wednesday, December 21st (which means depending on where you are in the world it might be tomorrow). This signifies the winter solstice for those in the Northern Hemisphere.

As we approach this pivotal moment, the dawning of a new season is upon us and as such it is time to honor the needs of this part of our cycle. Unfortunately, in the modern world, we have been trained to forget this alignment our bodies have to the cyclical aspect of our Being. With this in mind, it is not surprising that our bodies scream at us to go to bed prior to what we have deemed as normal and when the alarm goes off in the morning, we find it more challenging to awaken. We were never meant to be forced to stay awake. We have a symbiotic relationship with our planet and in the heart of winter we require a mini-hibernation each evening.

Metaphorically speaking, winter is the time for introspection—a time for clearing out what no longer serves us, making way for what we truly desire. The cycle of death and rebirth are apparent in the symbolic meaning of this shortest day that is overcome by the longest night only to see the rebirth of the sun again tomorrow. Each day will then begin to get a little longer until the pinnacle of the summer solstice is reached.

For those of you are in the Southern Hemisphere, then the summer solstice begins, meaning this is the longest day of the year and the shortest night and the days will be getting shorter starting tomorrow. For you, it is the time of passion and creativity.

So, no matter where you are in the world, it is my hope that you take a moment to look within and send blessings to the new cycle. As for me, I send to you many blessings on this sacred day.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Being Present through Illness

2011-12-08T17:53:00.001-08:00

I thought I had escapedit. My family had been sick for twoweeks, but I alone remained healthy. Taking my Echinacea and drinking my herbal tea every day, kept my energyup and I felt quite lucky. Then onemorning, I woke up with an angry sore throat along with a raging fever to goalong with it. When the heat in thehouse was turned on, it felt like an air conditioner was blowing on my body and Ihad to bundle up—my body was that hot. Then as the air turned off, perspiration flooded every inch of my skinand I had to tear every blanket off of me. This oscillation between hot and cold lasted a couple of days. After the fever took its leave of me, thephlegm decided to make its presence known. My waste basket is now filled with a never ending sea of tissue that Ihave to empty out every day. Yep, I havethe same cold everyone else in the house has.

While being sick iscertainly not my favorite place to be in, I am trying to take it all instride. When illness takes a hold of us,the Universe is giving us the opportunity to have our body release the oldtoxins representing old beliefs that are no longer serving us, making way forall the good stuff to come in—and that is certainly a good thing.

There is little doubtthat I have made a giant leap in awareness in the last couple of weeks. There is so much change occurring in everydirection and I am allowing it all to flow through me. As I became sick, I thanked the Universe forbringing me this opportunity to shift into a new level of consciousness. One thing that I try do during this process is to remainpresent. When I cough or have to blow mynose, I pay attention to how each part of my body feels as I am experiencingit. I also observe my surroundings by seeing how the garbage growswith each passing tissue that I drop into it. I notice how differently I feel in the morning, afternoon andnight. Whether better or worse, when I observemyself from an objective viewpoint, illness can be seen as quite a fascinatingexperience. Our bodies endure so muchand yet they can keep going. It’samazing! So, this illness is triggeringthe reminder button in me to be mindful. What a great teacher!

For the moment, I amsending my body the healing energy of reiki. I continue my Echinacea and tea regiment and I make certain to drink mydaily glass of orange juice. The illnessseems to be moving me through at spitfire rapidity compared to everyone else inthe house that has gone through the same thing—and for that I am counting mylucky stars and recognize the blessings being bestowed upon me.

So, keep in mind ifillness opens its doors to you this season, that we are being offered an endingto the old, which of course opens a new door to new beginnings. Sit and be present and allow the process totake place without argument. And remember that this day shall pass, bringingforth a new one and that it is all good!

Thank you for reading andNamaste! (The Light in me recognizes theLight in you!)

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving

2011-11-19T20:16:00.001-08:00

Since we are in the season ofgiving thanks, I am reminded how in my twenties when my then-husband and Ijoined our friends one year for the Thanksgiving feast. Each of us provided a dish and we set up thelong table in our friend’s living room and began the usual process of gorgingon the ubiquitous amount of food, wine and good cheer. Our merriment was obviated by the laughterthat we all shared, when it donned on me that this annual holiday, wasn’t justabout getting a day off. It wasn’t justabout having football in the background—and it wasn’t about stuffing our faceswith everything in sight until we got sick.

I circumnavigated the table withmy eyes and I looked upon every single person I was sharing space with when Irealized that there was a reason why they call this holiday “Thanks”“Giving”. It was about giving thanks foreverything we are grateful for. Ourforefathers had endured great hardship, but with the help of their NativeAmerican brethren, they made it through their rough patch. In celebration of their triumph, they held agreat feast.

I decided it was time to takeaction. I tapped the glass with my silverware asking for the otherparticipants’ attention and reminded each of them about the true meaning of theholiday. I asked if they would indulgeme by going around the table and sharing what in the last year each of them wasthankful for. I listened intently toevery person’s response. Some wereimpressed with new toys they had acquired. Some were elated for new marriages. But, all of us were grateful for the friendship that we shared, as wellas the abundance of food that we had prepared together. The following year, I took this gratitudeexercise and brought it to my own family’s table. It has since become a tradition that I lookforward to every year.

I have learned over the yearsthat even when I am preparing a simple meal, I express my thanks to each of theindividual ingredients for allowing their presence to nourish me. I celebrate all the colors of the rainbowthat each item offers and I notice how the colors I am eating reflect the colors of the various chakras in my energetic being: the reds of thestrawberries match my first chakra, the orange from the juice correlates to the 2nd, the yellow of the zucchini are aligned with the third, the greenfrom the lettuce. 4th, the blue from the blueberries, the fifth, the purple from the eggplantthe sixth/seventh and also all the beiges from oatmeal, whole wheat bread and mushrooms thatrepresent Mother Earth as she shares her bounty with me. And every year on the third Thursday inNovember, I acknowledge the gift of the turkey. Its symbolism, especially for the American iconography, represents thebounty, the abundance that every person on the planet is entitled to.

We are all part of the DivineForce and I offer my gratitude to you all for listening to my story.

...and let me say that I thank YOU for reading myarticle today.

Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light inyou!)

GRATITUDE WITH GUSTO

2011-11-13T06:14:00.001-08:00

Gratitude holds the key to unlocking so many doors, yet most of us are unaware of the powerful role it plays in our daily lives. In all honesty it would take me four decades to understand the energetic connection between Gratitude and my well being. I made the shift while I had been living in Paris, France. I had been there for three months and things were not going so well for me. I was broke. I was sick and I was not happy. I had spent a lifetime wanting to be there and it wasn’t turning out the way I had imagined it would.

One day, I did have a few extra bucks and I felt well enough to go outside for a few hours. My energy was still low, but I was able to manage. I took myself to a quintessential Parisian café and ordered my meal while sitting at one of the many outdoor tables that are simply everywhere in Paris. As far as the eye can see, there is a river of small round tables calling out to passerbys to be used. The French certainly take their leisure time seriously and I decided to join in too.

After taking my seat, I pulled out a book from my backpack I had been reading by Dr. Wayne Dyer. For some strange reason, I had previously stopped in the middle of the chapter instead of finishing it like I normally would have. I removed the book mark and I began to read. This section of the book that I was soon to cover was about expressing gratitude. I read those two or three pages dedicated to giving thanks a couple of times as I sat there. I suppose the Universe wanted me to wait until I was ready to read it—and now that I was ready I wanted it to seep in.

I had read by umpteen Spirituality teachers that gratitude is an important practice in the ebb and flow of life. I have heard it all before. I read it all before and I even consciously bought into it on an intellectual level. However, this time something was different. I was going much deeper than that. I was having my “a-ha” moment and I understood it on the Spiritual level and it was now a visceral reality for me. Dr. Dyer had written that even in our worst of times there is always something to be grateful for—and I took the message to heart.

After soaking in his prose, I felt inclined to recite in my mind everything that I appreciated. It didn’t matter how small or how large it was. I included it all. I started out by looking down at what the server had brought to me. I was grateful to the cow and the vegetables who gave their life to feed me. I thanked the farmers who nurtured and eventually picked the food. I thanked the driver who brought it all to the store. I thanked the store for selling it to the restaurant. I thanked the staff who prepared it and I thanked the server who brought it to me.

I next thanked the fork, the knife, the spoon, the plate, the glass, the water and everyone who ever had anything to do with bringing those items to me. I did not have to use my hands and that was a beautiful thing! I thanked all the ingredients it took to make the table and chair where I was seated for it enabled me to sit and relax as I enjoyed my meal. As the server brought the bill, I thanked the Universe for providing me with enough money to pay it—and to leave a tip.

As I practiced this exercise, I began to notice the difference in how I looked upon the world. I had been cranky for several months. I was only allowing myself to see the dark and gloomy aspect of my reality instead of honoring the blessings that surrounded me. I felt lighter—maybe because I was allowing my innate Spiritual Light to shine through. As I moved through this process, I didn’t want it to end.

I got up from the table and began to walk the glorious Parisian streets that I had coveted my entire life. I admired the buildings and I expressed gratitude for their makers. The French have a keen eye for creating beautiful window displays and as I passed each creation that emulated a fantastic work of art, I expressed my gratitude to the Universe for bringing beauty into my life.

I thanked the color green. I thanked the color blue and I thanked my favorite color purple. In fact, I thanked all the colors even the ones that were not my favorite, for they all allowed each of us to show our unique qualities by expressing our own different tastes in color.

I thanked the old cobblestone road that held the history of so many footprints that graced its path. In fact, I thanked everything I could think of. For three hours my brain created a never ending list that kept me busy.

As I walked the famous streets, something else began to happen that was easier to recognize in this physical reality. As I continued on my journey of gratitude, men, I mean really good looking men, started appearing out of the wood works—and they were all noticing me. I heard whistles from workers from above. I had many offers to have an afternoon intrigue. “Bonjour, mademoiselle.” “Un café avec moi, s’il vous plait?” The offers kept pouring in.

It was interesting, because for the previous three months since I had arrived not one single man noticed me at all. I grew up having a lot of attention and now there was nothing. I simply had chalked it up to the fact that I was now in my forties and that part of my life was over, but now I was seeing things from a different Light.

It really amused me. I mean, I hadn’t suddenly had facial reconstruction, changed my make-up or started working out at a gym. I didn’t physically look any differently than I had an hour before. However, during this first season I had been abroad, I had been permitting myself to experience only pain. I was mad at the world for my misfortune and I was mad at myself for allowing it to happen—and as I stayed in this place of negativity I was shunning anyone from wanting to be around me. Yet as I shifted my perspective, I made room for me to recognize the Divine flowing through me—and as I did so, I began to attract men in their forties, in their thirties and even in their twenties.

Furthermore, when I arrived home that afternoon and checked my emails, I also had an offer for a job. This experience enabled me to not only get some attention from men; it helped me to manifest some much needed income. It was all a good thing!

While I didn’t accept the invitations for any of the dalliances being offered, I did accept the lesson that the potential paramours were all helping me to realize. Spirit was showing me that we create our realities and when we genuinely feel the Divinely inspired gratitude that is a part of us, more of the good stuff manifests in our life.

It is my hope that every single person reflects on what they are grateful for. Spend fifteen minutes a day just rattling off in your mind everything you can think of. We each have the opportunity to experience Grace through Gratitude. Even in our darkest hour, we can celebrate the magnificence of the trees, the sky, the air in our lungs, the legs that get us from place to place, our families, our friends and of course ourselves. When we view the world as a great masterpiece, we will shift our realities for the better.

...and let me say that I thank YOU for reading my article today.

Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Gratitude for Divine Inspiration

2011-11-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

Fromthe time that I was a child, I remember my beloved grandfather reciting thesame prayer at every meal time. “Blessus, oh Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thybounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.” I must admit that even at an early age, I didn’t get it. Oh, I understood the words, but I didn’tunderstand why we had to repeat a memorizedprayer to offer thanks. Did it reallyhave anything to do with how I genuinelyfelt? Not really. I mean, I don’t talkthat way. I am far more casual thenthat. I wouldn’t put it pass me to saysomething like, “Hi God—thank you so much for this beautiful food that I am soexcited to eat…woo hoo…You rock…and Blessings to all!” That is what is from my heart and it is what speaks to me. God created fun andhumor after all and my versioncertainly is about fun and humor—but, because I loved and honored mygrandfather, I went along with his version for his sake. And frankly, I think that is how we sort of learnabout gratitude—from this viewpoint of repetition without giving much thoughtto what we are actually saying.

So,often we are on automatic pilot when we say thanks and we do it because we are supposed to. I learned as a child that Imust say thank you when someone gives me a gift, or passes me the salt or holdsthe door open for me. So, it is a giventhat I will do so. Through learnedrepetition I have said the words of gratitude, and I even felt them to someextent, but only at the surface of my Being. For years, it never occurred to me to dig deeply into my core as I saidthank you.

In fact, as I grew into early adulthood, I still said thank you for the commoncourtesies, but my ego got a little bigger than my breeches. In college, as I sat in a meeting with mythesis advisor who was admonishing me for my lack of enthusiasm for doing anywork, I explained rather matter-of-factly, that nothing in the course was beinggraded except for the final documentation. So, I did not feel the necessity of doing any extra work—and as mythesis was already in my head, I just needed to put pen to paper to get it outthere. Needless to say, my professor didnot like hearing my genuine thoughts on his class. And as per usual, I waited until the lastminute to get my work done. I typed it…twenty pages on a typewriter no less, the night before Ihad my oral presentation. I ended upgetting an A on it (though he decided to give me a B in the class for myattitude). Regardless, instead of givingthanks for the ease at the writing process for me, I smirked that I was brilliant.

It would take twenty years before I would realize that the writing process wasn’tjust about me. In reality, when I writeI am connecting to Source energy andallowing all the information that needs to be written to flow. It happens naturally. It happens easily—and now when things come tome, I share my thanks. As though I amtalking to an old confidante, I say in my mind the words of gratitude I havesaid so many times before, except this time I am not in recitation mode. Now I say, “THANK YOU,” to the Universe,allowing my enthusiasm to seep through every nuance of each word. Itruly feel at the core of my Beingthe essence of the connection with the Divine Force. When Ioffer my thanks, I am aware of the energy radiating throughout my body, even ifonly for a moment, but in that moment I feel the Blessings that are everywhere.

So, keep in mind that when we feel the spark of inspiration in any form that we are being guided by the Universe to take the next leap. We are a part of the Universal Whole and as such we can tap into this Divine Library of Information at any time. And when we have this beautiful a-ha moment that shows up for us, I encourage you to say thank you for the idea.

...and thank YOU for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

The Sewing Kit

2011-10-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

My nine-year-old niece asked me today if I could show her how to mend the hole in her teddy bear. I said yes and she piled the oversized bear and sewing kit on my lap. I may have said yes to her request, but my mind went off in another direction. I was thinking how much I hated to sew and I was annoyed that I had to take the time to do this tedious work instead of doing something I really cared about.

Hiding my true feelings, I advised what color thread to use and showed her how to make a double stitch. As I did so, my thought process began to take a different route. I looked into the future and saw her as a thirty-year-old woman with the ability to perform any task on her own. She may very well decide at one point to pay someone else to make simple repairs that she will need, but she would always know how to do it. In other words, my thirty minute lesson was helping to create an independent woman--and that made me smile.

I relayed this story to my grandmother a few hours later and as I was doing so I was reminded of an allegory I once read. In it, a visitor approaches the building site of a great cathedral. He notices three men chipping away at their stones, performing the banal work that was required of them. When he asked the first man what he did for a living, the disgruntled worker responded, "I chip away at stones all day long, every single day. That's what I do. What else does it look like?" When he approached the second man performing the same task and asked what he did for a living, the worker smiled and shared his genuine gratitude for having employment by explaining the he was putting food on the table for him and his family. Finally, the traveling man approached the third worker performing the same task and asked him what he did for a living. This man breathed in the beauty of the moment and explained that he was creating a resplendent cathedral that would last for many centuries allowing countless generations of people to enjoy this beautiful edifice."...And I guess that really says it all.

Three men engaged in the exact same routine saw life completely differently and I suppose that is what Spiritual Awakening is about. We can choose to stay asleep and see all the necessary chores we must do with great disdain. We can begin our journey of Awareness by viewing these duties as a necessity to provide a life for us--or even better still we can emulate the Divine by opening our hearts to see the great potential of each act as a seed that will one day create a beautiful garden.

The good news is that we don't have to take several lifetimes or even years in this lifetime to shift our way of thinking. Even on this very day, I started out on one end of the spectrum, but chose another course in only about ten seconds. It's that easy! And the great thing is that each of us has the opportunity to change the direction of our life at a moment's notice--and that is a beautiful gift.

Which direction will you choose?

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

The Symbolism of Dimes

2011-10-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today was the day for dimes with me. From early this morning through this evening, I found one after the other in different locations. Anytime I notice something three times or more in a short span of time, I know the Universe is trying to tell me something. Ever the investigator, I Googled my search and clicked on the first link that seemed to be calling to me. I loved what the author had to say, and since they allow people to reproduce their work, I wanted to share it with you all:

Here is the number 10 (dime) defined.

Ten

The meaning of number ten deals with returning to our center, coming full circle. Ten holds a vibration of unity, as well as fresh starts. If the number One symbolizes the beginning (& it does), then we can say that the number Ten represents the outcome, result, or achievement of that first step or beginning. The most profound message number Ten hails is “whatever we sew, we shall now reap.” In other words, “what comes around goes around.”

Ten also represents fulfillment, attainment, and completion. These attributes are obtained by observing the Ten containing all the elementary numbers from 1 to 9. As such, Ten is a vessel holding all the jumbled up potential found in the language of numbers.

Ten is also a bit slippery because reduced - it turns back to number One - hence, again - a full circle, coming to the beginning - finding unity (all is one, one is all).

That you are picking up a great deal of dimes is quite a good sign. Specifically, dimes may be symbolic of shiny opportunities coming your way that you once thought were lost to you.

Remember Tens are strong representation of recycling events (full circle) - a dime is a superior symbolic symbol of such phenomenon. Consider how many times a dime (or any money for that matter) is recycled through our society.

Symbolic dimes provide messages of lost opportunities regained. Things we thought we should not or could not do are beginning to resurface. Our energies are being recycled. Our intellectual currency is on the brink of change. Shiny, bright and round…these dimes on your path are beacons of promise. They hold the meaning of number Ten firmly in their vibration and that is: “Events are coming full circle. Cast off the old, and don the new. Step into the beginning that is for your greatest good.”

I am thankful to this anonymous author for putting this information online for us all to read and it is my hope that each of us finds many dimes and all the metaphors that go along with it.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

To read the original What does finding dimes mean?, please visit Anonymous ATS; a member of AboveTopSecret.com at http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread29594/pg3

The Yin and Yang of Abundance

2011-10-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

I was out on one of my early morning walks that begin while it is still dark out. Because I leave so early to avoid the Arizona heat, I am able to experience the process of the sun rising, witnessing the constantly changing shades from black to cobalt to powder blue. As the sun peaks its rays over the horizon, the vibrancy of the salmon clouds act like jewels to enhance the sky. On this particular morning, the heavens seemed to caress the stars in the distance while the moon swelled to its fullest capacity above me. The moon was not leaving my side as the sun gradually began to show itself and I was presented with both of the celestial bodies at the same time. The moon continued to reflect the light from the sun down upon me and I appreciated the connection between the three of us—the sun, the moon and myself.

For me the sun represents the Divine Masculine qualities in all of us—the drive, the rationality and the focus, among other things, while the moon is a metaphor for the Divine Feminine spark we each have—our intuition, receptivity, creativity and the nurturing aspects of our Being. As I walked between them, I celebrated the feeling of balance between both the Yin and Yang aspects of the two Divine creations.

The term Yin and Yang is derived from the Chinese philosophy that all things in the Universe stem from either a masculine or a feminine context. Everything, therefore, has its exact opposite. Whether we are a man or a woman, we carry elements that are both Yin nature (feminine) and Yang in nature (masculine). When we are feeling geared up and ready to go, that is our masculine energy at work and when we are called to create something that is our feminine aspect doing it its thing.

The symbol for Yin and Yang are the two fish-type creatures in circle with one another. Yin is dark, representing the Void or the place where all of Creation occurs and Yang is light colored, representing the drive to reach our Spiritual Light.

As I continued my journey, it occurred to me that financial abundance springs forth from the balance of both the Yin and Yang aspects and seeing these two entities as a metaphor for the Masculine and Feminine, I took it upon myself to ask them both to bring balance towards my own financial situation. It was a lovely visualization, but I was compelled to add more.

The clouds spanned the lengths of the sky and I got them in on the act, as well. I imagined that they were showering me with $100 bills along with succulent red hearts. It seemed to me I was receiving money with love from the heavens.

I added the caveat to my visualized creation by spanning a rainbow across the sky that ended in the crown of my head. I imagined that it filled up my body with the radiant light force of each color to its corresponding partner in my chakra system. The chakras are spinning wheels in our energetic bodies that are aligned with various aspects of our physical and Spiritual planes (ie. survival issues, sexuality, creativity, self-esteem, power, love, intuition, etc.) Each of them are represented with their own color. The seven primary chakras are the same colors as each stripe in a rainbow. So, in my mind I was imaging the rainbow’s red arc filling up the red of the root chakra; the orange of the rainbow filled the orange of the sacral chakra and so on.

As I visualized these images, I could truly feel the abundance that surrounded me. The ubiquitous amount of leaves on each of the trees, the never ending rocks that graced the desert floor, the clouds in the sky that seemingly went on forever all metaphorically represent abundance and it was simply everywhere.

While I felt sheer joy from my active meditation, it also served a practical purpose. Within only a few days, I manifested several hundred dollars that I wasn’t expecting. My bills were paid and I was able to spend money on things I actually wanted instead of only what I needed—and that was a fun thing too!

So, if you are struggling to make ends meet, remember that abundance does surround us wherever we look. Moreover, if we keep in mind that both the masculine and feminine energies are at work to create this manifestation we will bring balance to our creation.

I encourage all of us to go forth and create!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Celebrating Eternal Life

2011-09-27T09:08:00.001-07:00

Dogs are known to be man’s best friend and that was certainly true in the case of Roxy. This gorgeous golden retriever touched so many lives in my family that even though she lived at one house with my parents, the rest of us couldn’t help but have the same deep connection with her that we would have had if we saw her every day. She brought so much joy to the hearts of anyone who came in contact with her—and I was certainly no exception. Needless to say, it touched my heart when I heard that Roxy decided to leave this planet over the weekend.

What struck me most was that I was moved not by the loss, but for the celebration of her life. From my perspective, this ten year old never stopped looking like a puppy and she always seemed to have a smile on her face. Her cheerful demeanor as well as her perfectly trimmed ears helped to maintain her youthful appearance. I suppose she was so beautiful on the outside, because she was so beautiful on the inside.

I spent many hours and days taking long walks with her. If we were in the same room together I would be hard pressed to stop petting her or playing catch or tug of war with her. And yes, I occasionally slipped her her favorite treat—an apple slice that she gobbled up with unabashed delight. It was a pleasure giving her as much love as I possibly could.

Even with all we had gone through together, after living in Europe for two years, I thought that Roxy might have forgotten me, but as I entered the house, I was nicely surprised to see that she waited for my approach at the top of the stairs with her wagging tail in tow. She followed me to the guest room and slept next to me on the floor as though the lapse in our meeting together never occurred. For her, time had no meaning. I was simply her friend who was here again and she was happy to see me.

In fact, as I reminisced about her this morning while out on my walk, I remembered how the only time I would ever see her in a crazed mood was if another dog barked at her first. She was friendly to friends, but if another dog acted aggressively, she would hold her own. Barking back, she would try her hardest to be released from the leash to meet her adversary face to face. Alas, the dramatic moment would be over as soon as the dogs passed each other. It never ceased to amaze me how Roxy was able to live fully in the moment, never burdened with the past. She had already achieved what I have to constantly work at and I admire her deeply for being my role model.

Roxy and I never spent time on petty bickering. For us there was nothing but love. My relationship with her represented what Spiritual Love is all about. We truly saw each other as the Divine Being that we both are—without any flaws that the egoic mind so often invents in its imagination. Perhaps now I will think twice when get angry at someone for some trivial thing, remembering that we are all part of the same Divine Source that flows throughout the Universe.

So, now as I celebrate her life on Earth, I reflect on how when I was younger I used to wail when a loved one passed away. Tears of sadness rolled down my face and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for myself for the loss. However, now I see things a little differently. Instead of tears of sadness, I have tears of joy for a life well lived. Today I recognize that we are all eternal beings living in various dimensions and that this one reality we are viscerally experiencing is just that—one reality. Roxy the dog and everyone else who has left their temporarily borrowed bodies are still with us. They are simply on a different plane of existence.

With that in mind, I think of the French term au revoir. It doesn’t actually mean goodbye. Instead, it roughly translates as until we meet again. So, until we meet again, I thank you Roxy for being a part of my life. Instead of focusing on the last moments before death, I choose to celebrate the ten years you were here. So many beautiful moments you gave to me will always be cherished and I am grateful that you were my teacher and my friend.

Au revoir, my sweet.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

No Fear, just Love

2011-09-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

It has been ten years, since the September 11^th attacks. Celebrations of patriotism are occurring in the county where I reside and the media is on an ongoing blitz of bulldozing painful images down our throats. While my ego would love nothing more than to ignite the fear button, my Spirit has decided to take a different course of action. On this day of remembrance, I choose to reflect on the blessings that have occurred, stemming from that initial fear-based act.

Just this morning, I opened an email sent by Scott Heiferman, the co-founder and CEO of Meetup.com. In it, he eloquently shares the story of his company’s provenance. He admits that as a native New Yorker he once ignored everyone around his neighborhood, but after the 9/11 attacks he began to say hello—as did everyone else. Furthermore, it inspired him to look to the internet to launch a gathering place for neighbors to organize groups with like-minded people and Meetup was born. He chose to see the Light in the situation and he has helped to change the world—one neighbor at a time.

I know for myself I opt to look at all the so-called catastrophes of the last decade, from the natural disasters to the man-made ones, as an opportunity for each of us to have a heart opening. On a Spiritual level, these situations occur to shock us into our innate sense of Love and Compassion for not only our neighbors, but for people from all over the world, who we will never meet or even see. In other words, the Souls who decided to leave their physical bodies behind are enabling the rest of us to raise the vibration of the planet and the Universe at large by filling our hearts with all the good stuff. From this perspective, I see it all as an amazing gift for it is the springboard helping us remember our Divine Connection and our True State.

Taking this into consideration, in lieu of turning on the news on this anniversary, I sat in meditation today visualizing hearts being sent from the heavens to all the land masses and to all the bodies of water coming from Mother Earth. A smile graced my face as I couldn’t help but feel the Love radiating from my energetic heart space. It was a beautiful thing.

So, in spite of the media’s dogged determination to regurgitate the same images of ten years before in our minds, I offer that we don’t give into the fear that they are promoting. Instead, I ask that we look to our hearts and embrace only Peace, Love and Light to every single Being in the Universe. It is our True Nature after all.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Mosquito Madness

2011-08-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

My alarm wakes me up at 4:30am these days to remind me that I need to take my walk before the sun rises and before the Arizona heat is too unbearable to take. While it is a little painful to wake up from the shock of a screaming alarm, I have to admit that I have become a convert when it comes to exercising in the morning. It is well worth waking up before the crack of dawn just to see the amazing colors the sky presents as the impending sunrise approaches. Arizona certainly has its skyscapes going for it that is for sure! They are the best sky views I have seen yet.

It’s not just the sky either—it’s also the sounds I get to hear. Most people are still asleep so, there are few, if any, cars on the road. The silence from humankind affords me the opportunity to hear the symphony of chirps coming from the crickets. I can attest that their performance gets louder as the heat rises, which I find fascinating. I am also able to hear the sounds of the birds waking up. It seems as though there is always a solitary tweeter that starts singing its melodious song, serving as a natural wake-up call for the rest to join in. It is all so lovely.

I have been practicing this routine for the last couple of months, but a few days ago something had changed. Along my path I was joined, not by one, but by many mosquitoes. I initially discovered them due to the fact that I could practically feel the wind being pushed against my face by the mosquito wings flapping back and forth. Additionally, I heard the never-ending obnoxious buzzing sound right next to both of my ears. My hands went into automatic flailing mode. I have to mention that the bug was not simply there for a moment where I had to brush the side of my head one time. No, that little bugger would not leave me alone and I spent a good fifteen minutes with both of my hands in the air. I am certain it must have been a ridiculously funny looking site to see—if anyone else had been awake to see it that is.

It didn’t end with the mosquitoes practicing their fly-bys on me either. Oh no, that would be too simple. Several of them kept landing on me. Not only was I throwing my hands next to my ears, I now had to brush them off my arms and my thighs too. This seemed a little too scripted to me and thought I might have been either on Candid Camera or a Monty Python film. Alas, the several bites all over me confirmed that this was the real deal.

As uncomfortable as this all was, it was clear to me that the Universe was definitely trying to get my attention and that Mosquito was serving as a messenger for me. It was important for me to go within to discover what it was all about.

First of all, it is only the females that bite humans, as they are gathering nutrients that the blood supplies for their young. This can be seen as the importance of the cycle of life and the continuation of the species. It can also serve as reminder of the strength of the Divine Feminine, through which our innate intuitive wisdom springs from. I also discovered in my research that it is thought that mosquitoes suck the unwanted qualities of the blood from us and when I read that, I knew this was a powerful metaphor for me. The mosquitoes represented the releasing of old beliefs that were no longer serving me. A-HA, that’s it!

Ever aware of my continuing journey down the road of Spiritual Awakening, I am continuously shedding old beliefs transforming them into new ideas that are not really new, but rather newly remembered. As I remember that my True Essence is Divinely inspired and not stemming from my ego, I learn to relax into the chaos that life sometimes presents. Admittedly, I am still not so relaxed when a bunch of mosquitoes are on the war path with me, but I can relax just a bit more through the curve balls that life throws at me—and perhaps that was the lesson that was needed to be learned. The mosquitoes were helping me to remember more of my own Light.

As I paused for a moment from writing to scratch one of the bites, a smile crossed my face. Even with the ubiquitous discomfort from all the itching, I can still smile through the pain…and that is a good thing.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

My Teacher

2011-08-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

When I was six-years-old my health decided to take a nose dive for a couple of months. Between ear infections, strep throat, the flu and whatever else decided to show up, I managed to miss a couple of months of school. I was getting a little bored with all the staying in bed I had to do, so it was a nice change of pace when I finally was well enough to go back to the first grade.

My teacher welcomed me back by telling me that I was behind on the S.R.A. reading all the other children had started while I was away. I do not remember what the letters S-R-A stood for, but I most certainly remember what the lessons were like. I was handed the first card from the box and was told by my teacher that I had to read it. When I was done I had another thirty-nine cards or so to finish before I would be caught up with the rest of the class. She did not foresee that my actual catching up was possible and frankly I did not either.

In fact, I have to admit that I was just slightly stressed out when I realized I was this much behind. In response to this fear, I decided the best course of action to take was to spend about a minute and a half “reading” the card, turn it in and then I would “read” the next card. So, after “finishing” the first card, I turned it in—but that is when I was caught. My teacher informed me that I had not completed the test on the back of card. YIKES, I hadn’t actually read the card! How was I going to take a test on it? Needless to say, I was not able to answer one single question.

Panic arose in my body and I felt flush. My teacher was watching me at this point, so I could not actually go back and read the story. I guessed as well as I could, but considering I knew nothing of the material, I was not able to pull the proverbial magical rabbit out of my hat. I will never forget what happened next. My teacher declared that I would probably have to stay back and repeat the first grade again. I obviously had missed too much of the school year to be able to move on to the next level. Initially, I was horrified. I did not want to do-over a whole year. That simply seemed ludicrous to me.

I remember staring at my teacher for a minute or so and then something within me changed. I wasn’t going to take this sitting down. I allowed the ego-voice to run its course of enabling the fear to reside in my body, before I decided to spring into action. With the shift, I kicked the fear right on out the door. No one was going to hold me back a grade!

As the teacher still stood in front of me, I not only sprung into action in my mind, my physical body began to follow suit. I proceeded to jump up from my desk, walk over to my nemesis, the S.R.A. box, and proceeded to give it a piece of my mind. I did so by actually reading the first card. I obediently took the test afterwards and low and behold I aced it. My teacher seemed a little perplexed.

After completing the first card, my tension began to ease, for now I realized that I was smart. I placed it back in the box and pulled out the second card. I read it. I took the test and I aced it. I then pulled out the third, fourth, fifth and so on until I completed all the cards in one day. The teacher was clearly stumped by the change that had taken place in me. I could see it in her face and I could feel her confusion in her energetic body, as well. I admit I was slightly perturbed and to punish her I never did bare light on the situation. I did not tell her that I hadn’t read the first card the first time around. I was far too shy to admit any wrong doing and my anger came out by keeping me quiet. So, she stewed in her state of quandary for the remainder of the class time. Perhaps that was a little childish of me, and of course it was, but hey, I was only six after all. I would eventually forgive her and forgive myself for my own actions in this endeavor.

By the end of the day, she did eat her words and admitted that she had been mistaken. She said I clearly did not need to stay back a grade. Of course not, I thought, but I knew it was better to say nothing. So, I kept my mouth shut and kept my thoughts to myself.

Some might see the original behavior of this teacher as being unkind. She could have explained the assignment more thoroughly by telling me there would be a test. She could have been more warm and compassionate upon my return and she certainly could have kept her words to herself—but if any of those things had happened, the course of my life might have ended up differently. If she had not stirred my passion for knowledge, I might have actually had to be held back—and it is possible that I would not have gone on with my education as I had. I may not have earned my Master’s Degree or even my Bachelor’s Degree if it had not been for her. In fact, I might have stuck with the status quo and just stayed back, because that was expected of me.

What actually ended up happening, you see, is that my study habits that I learned from this experience did not end on that day. In response to those words, I would continue on this path of teaching myself and moving at my own pace as I had on this day of reckoning—so much so, that by the time I was in the third grade, I was already in an eighth grade reading book, sixth grade spelling book and fifth grade math book. I just kept going.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from any teacher, throughout the many years of education I have had, was not something that came out of a book. It was not a quote from one of our forefathers. It was not a resolution to a math problem. Instead, it was an unkind remark. This one little moment in time would ignite the fire in me to move past the ordinary. It would help to shape the person I have become and I am moved beyond words for the inspiration I have had because of her.

This example shows how we all have a choice in life. We can choose to accept ego-driven falsehoods that are thrown our way or we can instead take a different route and see things from a Higher Perspective. We can elect to see the Divine in all things. Sometimes these so-called painful moments are actually omnipresent reminders to help guide us towards our own Spiritual Truth. That is what this teacher did for me—she helped me to recognize the Spiritual Truth that I love to learn. For that, I am forever grateful.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!

Fear Factor

2011-08-05T06:32:00.001-07:00

Something came up in my life a few days ago that created deep fear in me. As the situation developed, I could physically feel the pain the anxiety was creating as it swirled around in my body. My stomach felt queasy. My chest and throat felt constricted. In addition, I was letting my imagination run wild. Projecting the worst case scenario as an outcome for the future, I had taken myself out of the present. I had moved into fight or flight response mode, not because I was in any danger, but because I was allowing my ego-voice to take control. It was telling me to be afraid and to stay that way indefinitely and I was listening. Needless to say, I wasn’t having any fun.

After giving permission to my ego to be in charge for about a day, I decided it was time to let Spirit move back into control. I was already in the dark place and I most certainly did not want to suppress my feelings. Doing that only created a space for these emotions to stay in my energetic and physical bodies for it to manifest into something much worse at a later date. Who needs that? So, instead, I calmly sat down and began to pay attention to my breathing. This always helps to bring me back into the present moment. As my lungs filled with air, I expressed gratitude to the Universe for allowing me to be here even during this dark time.

I then took note of my feelings. Yes, I already recognized that my physical body felt horrible, but now I wanted to really pay attention to each individual part. I breathed into my stomach. I noticed every nuance of pain I felt in that area. I honored the moment. I repeated the action with my chest and throat. Lastly, I scanned the rest of my body to make sure I did not miss anything. Thankfully, I hadn’t so I moved onto the next step.

The first level of healing was to deal with my physical body, now I had to deal with my Spirit body. I teach how important it is to see everything in life in life as a gift, even the so-called “bad stuff.” Nothing is actually bad. Everything is presented to us in order to teach us something. Challenges can be seen as an opportunity to let go of old beliefs and to expand our vibrations to recognize Spiritual Truths. Even though I already knew this to be true, I am human and because of this I have to sometimes bring balance back into the picture. This was one of those times.

I looked deep within to see what the important lesson was that I needed to learn from this situation and that is when it hit me. I have been an avid “control freak” for the majority of my life. I want everything to be my way and that’s it. That is fine and dandy if life were a story book, but it is not. Life throws us curve balls that are out of our control and we need to learn to go with the flow. Instead of fighting to go upstream, I have to simply ride out the course of the water and see where it takes me. This is a big part of why I manifested on Earth in this lifetime. I am here to learn that I cannot control life’s events. However, I can choose to go with the flow and allow the magic to happen. And guess what? That is when the magic actually began to happen for me in this situation.

Still in meditation, I began to assume that the situation was ALREADY RESOLVED in the direction that I desired and I repeatedly affirmed that I was GRATEFUL for the resolution. I visualized how the outcome would look while maintaining that it had happened in the past, not that it was going to happen in the future. I practiced this mantra and visualization while in quiet meditation, but I did not stop there. I continued my thought process while taking my daily walks, while I did the dishes and while I watched tv. I had to make certain that I actually believed it was true.

As I created in my mind what I really wanted, a miracle began to unfold. I no longer held onto the physical pain I was feeling. I let it go. I allowed the Universe to take control of the situation. I knew it was already resolved, I simply did not know when it would manifest in this dimension. I just had to go with the flow. The good news is that by the end of the night, the situation was resolved with the exact outcome I had hoped for! I was so excited for the result that I not only thanked the Universe again, I also performed my own personal “victory dance”, raising my hands in the air in the shape of a V and moving the rest of my body in any direction it wanted to move in. I was on a natural high and I was celebrating!

This situation had become another teacher for me. I not only established that I needed to move with the flow of life, I also needed to create what I want by recognizing that it had already happened and that I was grateful for the result—even before it had actually manifested. It was important for me to learn that I did not know how this manifestation would take place. The “how” part of the equation was none of my business. As long as I did not put my own limitations on how the outcome must take place, I was leaving room for the Universe to do its thing—to make it work out in its own way.

All I can say is this, “Hallelujah! Life is such a blessing!”

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

EMPATHIC ACTION

2011-07-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the people at Good News Network, I received in my inbox yesterday another positive story that lifted my Spirit. I was brought to tears of joy when I watched the video showing people on a boat rescuing a humpback whale that had been caught in a fisherman’s net. All they had at their disposal was a small knife. Yet, they worked tirelessly until they completed their task. Needless to say, I was put in a good mood after watching it.

Always one to share stories that inspire me, I posted the link on Facebook and a friend commented how she had goose bumps after watching it. I responded to her by writing that I have always felt a kindred spirit with the humpback and it was nice to see people taking empathic action towards a creature of our planet. As I wrote this, I realized that “empathic action” was a term I had never used before and it was clearly being downloaded by the Universe into my conscious reality. The term felt so right for me, as though it was a part of my auric field for an eternity (and indeed it has been) and now I simply knew what to call it.

I know for myself I could see how empathic action was playing a role in my life. For example, I have had a lifelong passion for the clean-up of planet Earth. For those of you old enough to remember, there was a commercial in the early 70’s where a Native American man is standing at the beach with a tear running down his face. As the camera panned outward, we see the reason for his emotional state. He is standing amongst a pile of trash that surrounds him at every turn that people threw on the sand without any thought of the consequences whatsoever. This haunting image has played a part in the creation of my own empathic action. I often can be seen picking up trash off of Mother Earth to relieve her pain caused by her inattentive children. Even as a six-year-old, when my babysitter demanded that I throw my paper cup under a tree, I protested the next day by going back, picking it up and throwing it away.

And since I was a teenager with the ability of exploring my town with more freedom than I had as a young child, I would always wait impatiently by any car whose owner left his or her children sitting there alone, only to wait for their mom or dad to return. Acting as a babysitter until the parent came back, I could be found even at sixteen, giving the supposed grown-up a piece of my mind for this careless act. Nowadays, I not only wait, but I use my cell phone and call the police, as well. It’s not that I want the person to get into trouble. It is my intention to educate them by explaining that the car heats up exponentially very quickly that is dangerous for any adult let alone a small child, not to mention that there are those people out there that have unsavory intentions towards children. Being gone in the store “for only a minute” can be a lifetime under such circumstances. I have felt compelled to act as protector for these children and embrace my empathic action with all of them.

Empathic action can be seen in so many ways—by donating money to worthy causes that speak to one’s heart; by dialing 911 when someone is in trouble; by volunteering time to various organizations; by watering a flower that needs to be watered, by stopping to pay attention to your child’s fantastic art display instead of telling him that you are too busy; by giving away your leftover meal to a homeless person, or better yet by buying a whole meal for him or her; by contacting your local congressperson to share your voice—and the list goes on and on.

We were never meant to walk away because we could not be bothered and we were not meant to sit around with a cup of coffee complaining to whoever happens to be around in the moment. Instead we were meant to see all the inhabitants of the Universe, whether person, animal, plant or earth as members of our own family to be treated with the nobility it deserves along with the utmost respect. It is time that we all stand up and take empathic action. I ask you, how will you?

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

This story would not be complete without sharing the video that inspired it. Please watch how we can make a difference through empathic action.

The New Food Allergies

2011-07-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

For centuries we have been putting up walls around our properties. During the Middle Ages, moats along with thick stone fortifications were put in place around the castle in order to keep neighboring adversaries out. Fast-forward a few centuries, we no longer are using deep moats and thick stone walls, but we do indeed still have wooden or iron fences that let people know that this is our space and unless otherwise invited, everyone else should keep out. Interestingly, these walls are doing much more than just preventing people from entering our physical space. They can also be seen as a metaphor for the walls that we have all constructed around our energetic space that have been keeping us in fear.

As we have shed various layers of fears over the centuries, our outer walls have become noticeably smaller and as we move through the rapidity of the new evolution our energetic walls are falling down, as well. In fact, with the approaching dawn of a New Era, we see that the metaphorical walls crashing down around us in dramatic form. The economy is in so-called chaos, wars are being fought and our ideologies are taking a massive leap forward towards the voice of Spirit. Yes, there are many still living in fear and they are fighting to keep the established set of rules and regulations in place. Yet, even though there is this intense bickering, more of us are awakening to see the Truth that surrounds us and we are bringing forth the information so that others might begin to hear their own radiant Voice of Truth.

As this change is happening, an interesting byproduct is occurring—our bodies are no longer able to handle the harsh chemicals that we have been putting into them for a half century.

What do walls and chemicals have to do with one another you might ask? Well, for several millennia we have been living under the spell of religion that has dictated that we must all live in fear of God for He will punish us if we step out of line. These fears are so indoctrinated into Western culture that even if a person is agnostic or even an atheist, they still have the same puritanical fears that everyone else does—they simply don’t trust their own Divinity that is the core of who they are.

Furthermore, the more fears we have, the more walls we put up around us and therefore the more chemicals we are able to seemingly endure. People living in fear can consume massive amounts of alcohol, drugs, smoke inhalation as well as the chemicals that are poisoning our food supply. However, the more Spiritually aware we become, the more “allergic” we are to products put on the shelves for us to consume.

Don’t be surprised if you are suddenly allergic to a food or a cleaning product that you have used all your life. Instead be grateful that the walls are coming down for you so that you can now realize what is good for the body and what is not. The truth is we are all “allergic” to smoke, alcohol, drugs, insecticides and so on. However, if we have a lot of walls built up, we cannot recognize the adverse affect these items have on us until it is too late—when disease has ravaged our bodies from long term usage of these products.

These “new” allergies are not simply cropping up in adults either. There is a massive wave of children that are being born that have allergies to nuts, dairy, gluten, etc—so much so that labels are required to state what is in the food item that you are buying; even if that means it is made in a factory where a particular item such as dairy is produced. People have questioned why we have this sudden outbreak of allergies. The answer is actually quite simple. It is because, with each generation, the children being born are more Spiritually evolved than the previous generation and as such they do not have the tolerance built in for them to eat man-made food items, natural foods laced with pesticides and items produced by unethical farming practices. In other words, we are organic beings and when we put inorganic items inside our bodies, the body will fight back by rejecting them.

An orange of today is not an orange of thirty years ago. In fact, the nutritional value of most foods is so depleted, that unless we eat organically we are not replenishing our bodies with all the good stuff it needs. The rate of cancer, heart disease and other ailments has increased dramatically and it is because of the lifestyle that we have all permitted. We permit it by continuing to buy non-organic foods.

On the sidebar of this blog, I have posted a video by Robyn O’Brien who is one of many people that have done a plethora of investigative work to uncover the damage that has been caused by ‘modernization’ of farming practices. It is a must see in understanding what has been done to us and what needs to be done to resolve the issues that have been created. I highly recommend watching it. The eighteen minutes of listening to her speak may be the catalyst that saves your life.

In short, we were never meant to conquer the Earth and all of its bounty. We are not nature’s adversary. We are a part of nature, here to learn that we have a symbiotic relationship with all things in the Universe. It is time to stand up and take action. One voice can change the world and that one voice is YOU.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Birthdays and Re-Birth Days

2011-06-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

I put this article on my newsletter this month, but I thought it was worth a double dosage by putting it here on my blog...So, happy reading!

As my friend and teacher Anna says, today I celebrate going around the sun for the 45th time. Yep, every June first, I honor the day of my birth and I have done it so many times now I am getting pretty good at it. Yippee!

To give you a little look into my life, I grew up In a family where my grandmother, grandfather and my aunt all share the same week of birthdays with me. Needless to say, the Gemini Birthday Bash as we called it was always a big deal filled with loads of people, music, a ubiquitous amount of gifts and a large cake stuffed with as many candles as it could hold. Growing up with all the hooplah, I thought June first was the coolest day to be born on in the history of mankind!

As I have grown older and life has quieted down a bit, I contemplate how lucky I have been to have manifested into the physical Being I am in this lifetime. It hasn’t always been bells and whistles. In fact, I have had to endure great hardship to get to the place where I am now, but I even celebrate the pain, for it all gave me the opportunity to shed the old beliefs and to expand my Spirit. With each new day I awaken to not only the beautiful Earth that surrounds me, I awaken Spiritually to recognize more of my Light. As June first has always held a special place in my heart, my re-birthing process that I move through on all the other days are even more powerful reminders of the Divine within me and I celebrate that, as well.

I salute my own birthday and re-birth days AND I celebrate all of yours too. It’s not just about June first for me anymore. It’s about every day of the year being the best that we can be. We have all manifested on this planet, as Avatars, if you will. Avatar is not just the name of a blockbuster movie, an avatar is the physical manifestation of a deity--and that diety in this case would be YOU! We are all branches of the same Divine body after all! We simply spend a lot of time forgetting that fact thinking that we are somehow not as good as the next guy, when we should be honoring the Innate Wisdom that is already within.

Remember, that no matter where we are on the Spiritual path towards Enlightenment, we are all on it. Our heads are not better than our feet just because they are at the bottom of our body and our Spirit Body works in the same way. No one is worse off than anyone else, just because they are not as far along in their journey. Yes, we can choose to see the Light or we can choose to stay back behind the shadows, but either way, we are all in this together.

That whole being One with everything idea might be a large concept to grasp, but we can take a look at it on a smaller scale. There are different facets of your own personality. There may be lover you, spouse you, parent you, golfer you, intellect you, dancer you, gossip you, traveler you, gardener you, friend with Bill you, friend with Susy you and so on. They are all different aspects of the same you and we are all different parts of the same Source.

That all being said, as we move through this process of awakening, we bring to us teachers (formally or otherwise) that match our vibration. They are here to help us remember who we are. It is not necessary to be devout followers, rather we can learn what we can to create the Leader within. As such, we will, of course, like some of what they have to say and we will not like other things that they say. That is normal. If you disregard what does not work for you then take what you do like, mix it with all the other goodies you have learned along the way, you can then blend it all together to make a nice recipe that celebrates YOU and that helps to elevate the Universal Consciousness.

So, remember that YOU are perfect and YOU already know the truth. I send YOU happy birthday wishes whenever your birthday is and I send happy re-birth day wishes to YOU every day.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Ninety Years Young

2011-05-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Today is the celebration of my grandmother's 90th birthday. It is such a lovely milestone and my aunt had the great idea for us all to write a memory down for us to share with her tonight. I thought I would share mine with you in hopes that you would take the time to think about the wonderful memories of loved ones in your life.

Walking down Memory Lane, I can see my grandmother in so many places I could not possibly single out one thing.

I see her teaching me the game of checkers. It initially surprised me to find out what a natural talent I had for it, as I had won every game! But, after awhile I started getting suspicious. When I confronted her, she denied all allegations that she knowingly allowed me to win. Even at three-years-old I knew the truth, but I thought how lucky I am to have such a wonderful grandmother!

I see her holding my hand as she walked down the aisle for a second time to renew her vows with Jack. I looked forward to my duties as a flower girl, but when I saw so many grown-ups I couldn’t go through it alone.

I see her standing in the kitchen with Jack and me, cheering us on as we practiced our Abbott and Costello style schtick we developed on my eighth Christmas.

I see her in the garage revealing to me for the first time her creative talent when she showed me a beautiful painting she had created that she had long since hidden away. I didn’t understand why it wasn’t out on display. I was so impressed with her gift that I wanted to be able to paint like her.

I see her questioning why I wore such crazy clothes as a teenager. Needless to say, the Madonna Boy Toy look was not her thing.

I see her taking me on many shopping expeditions to find beautiful things for my home.

I see her putting me in a trance as she tickled my arms and face when I was a little girl while she sang itsy bitsy spider to me — and I see her putting me in a trance as she tickled my arms and my face well into my middle age. These days, she leaves out the itsy bitsy spider bit.

I see her sharing the stories of her life, giving me a glimpse of her personal history. They have made me feel as though I was actually there with her.

When I see my grandmother in my mind I think of:

The Color Yellow

Bracelets, Clip-on Earrings and her Precious Wedding Band Set

The Fabulous Wedding Day Photo of Jack & Bette that Life Magazine Could Have Published

Garden Gloves, Hand Shovels and Her Impeccable Garden

The Gentle Scent of Roses

Books, Books & More Books

Femininity at its Finest

Paintbrushes, Kilns and of course China

Decorating, Garage Sales and Thrift Shops

Traveling the World with her man

AND The Marriage I Admire Most!

Thank you, Bette for being a part of my memories and for being my beautiful grandmother. I LOVE YOU!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

2011-05-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

I put this article on my newsletter this month, but I thought it was worth a double dosage by putting it here on my blog...So, happy reading!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Let's See the Light

2011-05-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

When I heard what happened last Sunday evening, I could literally feel the emotions from around the world; some feeling great elation for the death of an enemy and some that were sending anger or even hatred towards Americans for this murderous act...and all these emotions made me sad. In that moment, I felt guided to send Compassion to all Beings everywhere.

Ten years ago, I was right along with the crowd that said, "Get him!" Through my awakening, I have been afforded an understanding that exchanging one hateful act for another only breeds more hatred. I suppose that due to my own metamorphosis I have been given a unique insight into both sides of the opinionated coin and because of this I can only empathize with every person on this planet.

I have learned that instead of continuing the cycle of negativity by harboring hatred for one man who committed an attrocious act ten years ago and instead of allowing hatred to seep through our veins towards the government that took it upon themselves to avenge the many lives lost, we have the great opportunity to stop vengeance right now in this moment and send out the energy of Peace, Love, Light and Compassion to all including those feeling elation for one man's death; for wherever they are on their Spiritual Journey everyone is part of the Divine Force.

We can remember that Ghandi and his followers never raised a weapon, stick or even a fist; yet they were still able to fight a powerful enemy. They did so through Peace and Love and through this course this simple man won the freedom of an entire nation.

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

I LOVE MYSELF!

2011-04-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

So often we have a tendency to criticize ourselves. "I am having a bad hair day," "I am too fat," "I don't have enough money," and so on. We are all familiar with these phrases and then some, because most of us have said them at one time or another. Well, I say to you now to give yourself a break! You are part of the Divine Energy that flows throughout the Universe and you are perfect!

I have been educating my nieces and nephew to affirm every night who they love. They say their parents, grandparents, their auntie (that is me), each other, the animals, the planet, sometimes Justin Bieber gets thrown in there and whatever else they feel like saying. As their grand finale I have taught them each to say that they love themselves. It touches my heart every time they joyfully practice their "I love me's". They are learning at an early age to forgo their fears regarding their own Divine Nature. Not to mention, this has become a fun tradition that the kids love to do.

It occured to me if the kids could do it then so can I! I felt the Universe guide me to affirm during a quiet meditation two phrases in conjunction with one another. They were:

"I love myself!"

and

"I am the perfect Universe!"

I have to say that I immediately felt myself being healed as I focused on these words. My chakras, internal organs and my hard to reach back were all recipients of this wonderful restorative energy and because of this I have bloomed into a new woman!

It has been scientifically proven that thoughts create our realities. In one such study, Dr. Masaru Emoto wrote about his findings with water. When he blessed the water by putting a positive word on the glass such as Love, Mother Teresa, Joy etc something wonderful would happen. Under a microscope each loving affirmation provided a different crystaline formation in the water that looked like a beautiful snowflake. When he put negative words like Hate, Hitler, War and so on, instead of the beautiful crystal, the water looked like a nuclear wasteland. Considering that we are about 70% water, what are we doing each and every time we place a negative affirmation towards ourselves?

It is time to be loving to the one person we spend the most time with...and that is YOU! It is equally important to teach our children to love themselves, as well. Think how much happier we would all be if we honored the Divine within us. As we feel lovingly towards ourselves, our love will expand throughout the planet and beyond. As we do so, our world will be a more peaceful place. So, let go of your fears and express your joy at who you are. As Dee Wallace says at the end of her radio shows, "Love yourself, love yourself and love yourself more!"

Thank you so much for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

CELEBRATE BEING LOONEY!

2011-03-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I listened to a webinar hosted by Jennifer McLean with her guest for the hour Sonia Choquette. The topic of her dialogue was that we need to learn to say YES to our Inner Guidance system instead of asking why. Our ego has a tendency to get involved with our Inner Wisdom questioning everything instead of just doing what Source is guiding us to do. Choquette teaches that if we listen to our Spirit Guides on EVERYTHING we will be happier, healthier and more aligned with our True Spirit Nature.

In fact, she emphasizes that our Guides want to help us, we simply have to ask. Every day, she requests that the Universe bring her a gift. She does not name what the gift should be. She simply chooses to be open to receiving. Every day within 24 hours a gift shows up. Whether it is big or small she recognizes the gift and says "THANK YOU!" The more gratitude we feel, the more gifts that show up for us. So, for example, she had a client coming for an appointment, but she really wanted a nap. The client then cancelled so she could take a nap...that was the gift! She recognized it and thanked the Universe for it.

She then went on to convey another story. She was on her way to take her annual summer trip to Paris with five others. At the last moment when they were in line boarding her Guides told her to get on another flight. She asked the attendant if there was another flight. The attendant became argumentative and before checking her computer she said that there would not be another flight. It is summer. All flights are booked, etc. Choquette kept repeating, "You look and I will pray." As she was praying the other attendant was so annoyed with this display, he walked away. After a long haul of trying to convince the first attendant to look, she finally did. Six seats had just opened up on another flight! The attendant still skeptical advised that, "It would be very expensive." Again, Sonia said, "You look and I will pray." Just then the captain of her flight came out to report that he needed to cancel the flight due to mechanical problems. The attendant said, "The flight is free...run!" All of the people in her party got a seat and one of the seats was in business class, so Choquette took that one. Another gift was received, because she was open.

After sharing this story, McLean commented that one has to be “looney” and just do what our Guides tell us to do. Choquette then responded that we do need to be looney. But what does looney really mean...LUNE-Y. Lune is French and comes from the Latin word luna for moon. Therefore, looney is simply about being guided by the moon!

As these words came out of her mouth through my speakers, a wave of energy went through my body and I began to weep with joy. I had a moment of recognition. You see, as part of my Spiritual practice, I honor the moon. It is a symbol for the Divine Feminine and Creating our purpose on Earth. It works in harmony with the oceans’ tides. Our own bodies flow with the rhythm of the moon. It is a source of Light in the midst of darkness. It is truly beautiful!

The reason why I had such an intense reaction was because as a child people used to mispronounce my last name. They still do saying TWO-KNEE instead of TON-KNEE. As an adult, I have learned to say that, “My last name is Tunney, which sounds like funny, honey and money...my three favorite things,” which always gets a laugh, not to mention that people remember my name from that point on. But as a kid, I did not know how to handle it. The other children so often mispronounced my name and added the word looney beforehand making it, "LOONEY TWO-KNEE". Back then I was so devastated by these words, thinking it meant I was crazy. While on the physical plane the kids were either being unkind or just joking with me, I realized now that on the Spiritual plane they were simply giving me a message about the power of the LUNE or the moon. I had no awareness that my subconscious was still carrying this pain from my childhood and in a flash my entire perception shifted. If someone calls me LUNE-y Tooney then bring it on!

After receiving this message, I thanked the Universe for my gift. I also wrote Ms. Choquette a note expressing my gratitude and now I share the story with you.

We have a tendency to misperceive things and then hold onto the negative story we created, even when we are not aware of it. When someone is being unkind, look at the bigger picture and see what message is really coming through. When you are feeling that your Spiritual path is a little too looney to share with others, simply remember the LUNE aspect and know that you are a perfect catalyst for your Creation and that all is well in the Universe.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Building a Cathedral

2011-03-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

The following story has always spoken to me. Alberto Villoldo retells it nicely in his book, Courageous Dreaming, and I wish to share it with you.

"During the Middle Ages, two stonemasons were working in Paris on what would become the Cathedral of Notre Dame. A traveler, intrigued by their activity, stopped to ask the first on what he was doing. "Squaring a stone," he replied.

"I see," said the traveler. But his curiousity was still aroused, so he walked over to the other mason and asked what he was doing.

"I'm building a cathedral," reported the man.

Just like the stonemasons, we can choose to live our story in a way that's limiting or in a way that's empowering and inspiring. This is the first step to dreaming the world into being: understanding that our actions are occurring in more than one dimension or plane. We can be certain that the man who says he's building a cathedral has a greater sense of meaning, purpose, and power than the other man who's meriely squaring a stone-even though at one leve of reality, both are engaged in the same activity. The Notre Dame Cathedral took nearly 200 years to complete, yet in the dreamtime or the "all at once," the cathedral already existed, and the second mason in the above story could be part of a project much greater than he was."

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

LUCID DREAMER

2011-02-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

My three-year-old niece began sobbing in the middle of the night. My brother and I tried calming her, but she would not wake up from her nightmare. She simply continued to weep as she slept. A sudden piece of inspiration from the Universe offered another solution. While she was asleep, I told her she had the power to change her dream.

I observed that she began to feel a little better after I said this, as her breathing began the process of normalizing. The tears were still pouring, but I could see that there was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. I felt compelled to help her in this process and I reminded her of a story I created for her earlier in the day in hopes that she would integrate these images into her dream.

“You are a princess in a beautiful field,” I recited in my best narrative voice that Mr. Disney would even appreciate. With the gradual building of the story, her breathing became even more regular and her tears lessened, as well. As I added more parts of my tale, I consciously paused after each piece to give her the opportunity to soak up each element I was offering and to check in with her. After every single break in my narration her tears softened as she was clearly altering her dream. It was working.

I continued, “The princess is wearing her pretty purple princess dress…and she is on the green grass…that has lots of green trees…There are pink and purple flowers everywhere…and pink and purple butterflies gliding in the air…The beautiful butterflies begin to land on your hand.” At this point I softly touched her fingers to mimic the butterflies landing on her. I added, “Daddy is with you…and he is holding your other hand.”

Daddy was the key element to the story that she needed to let go of her fear. She was finally calm, cool and collected in her sleep process. My niece had become a lucid dreamer.

Lucid dreaming is something that we can all practice. If you do not like the direction your dream is moving toward, change it. We can all transform our dreams as they are happening. If we learn to do this as children the practice will be a part of our dreaming for the rest of our lives.

If your child is having a hard time sleeping through their dream, teach them how to change it as it is happening. Walk them through the process. It is an easy and fun educational tool that your child can use for a lifetime.

Sleep well and dream well!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

AGELESSNESS

2011-02-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

My grandmother shared with me recently that in the inside she still feels like the 18-year-old young woman that she once was so many decades ago. I immediatly had a burst of recognition, because as a woman in my mid-forties, I too still feel like the 18-year-old I once was. Our physical body ages as we spend time on this planet, but why is it that we still feel like we always have inside?

Well, this morning I received the answer while reading a wonderful book, Where Eagles Fly by Kenneth Meadows. The following is excerpted from this book:

"Your Spirit is the essence of you and it is ageless. That is why as you get older in Earth years, you feel no difference 'inside'. Although your physical body is in a constant state of change - from birth through infancy and childhood to adolescence, adulthood and maturity - and your appearance changes, you remain 'you'. You are aware of the same 'you' throughout all those years. So although your body changes, as do your thoughts and opinions, your identity remains the same. Age does not diminish 'you'. At sixty you are the same 'you' as you were at sixteen. You are always 'you' and always will be because the purpose of Life is to thrive and endure - that is, to grow naturally (organically) - in a continuous process of education, cultivating and perfecting the Spirit."

Ah-Ha! That's it! I was so excited to read this. The answer was so simple and so obvious, yet alluded me until I was ready. I knew our Spirit is our True Self, but it never occured to me that this Agelessness I feel is due to my Spirit Self. This body is merely a borrowed shell that we use as a tool to remember that we are Spirit; that we are indeed a part of the God-Force. Our physicality simply helps us to expand our Spirit Consciousness.

When you look in the mirror and see the wrinkles, sun spots, and body parts that are no longer in the same places they once were, look deeply into your eyes and see beyond the physicality of your Being. See the True Light that you are. Your Life is Ageless, Perfect and Whole. You are beautiful and Ageless!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

PRAY LOVE and LIGHT

2011-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

For the last week it has been FOGGY in the Bay Area, which is really unusual outside of the city. It has been so cold, it feels like snow (also unusual). Since everything in the physical world is a metaphor for us spiritually, both individually and collectively, I realized that the fog symbolizes the fog in our minds. In other words, we do not know where we are headed, we are worried, and we are not allowing our innate inner wisdom to shine through to understand the answers.

This morning, after nearly two weeks of this weather, I decided it was time to go on a shamanic journey (a type of meditation) to it and find out what the planet needs. The answer that came through was to PRAY LOVE and LIGHT. Not one to argue with the Universe, I began to pray this affirmation. Within minutes the fog totally lifted and the sun began to peak out of the thinning grey clouds.

An hour later, I decided to take a walk and practiced my LOVE and LIGHT prayer outside and as I did so, the clouds parted until I could only see blue sky above me. I continued this meditation during my entire hour and half long journey and indeed the sky remained clear and blue wherever I was walking. The squirrels were playing by the dozens, various pairs of vultures gracefully glided across the sky, while the other birds were performing their songs as powerfully as any orchestra. Needless to say, it was beautiful! When I returned home, I glanced out the window overlooking the valley and the fog was still resting over the next town over, but left the entire area I had been. It truly was a miracle!

The other thing that happened is I felt my own LOVE and LIGHT shine through. As I was helping lift the fog from the physical world, my Spirit was clearing what no longer was serving it, as well. I felt as though I were on Heaven on Earth. Spreading LOVE and LIGHT to the planet was actually sending LOVE and LIGHT to me. In truth, I wasn't actually sending it to me, rather I was acknowledging my True Self as the Divine Love that I am.

Of course, we absolutely need cloudy rainy days to help support life on Earth, however the dramatic events that the weather is creating around the globe is in response to us and our thought processes. No matter where we are in the world we are having issues with the weather, which represent who we are as a whole. Our planet is moving through a massive shift and it needs our help to move it along. When we think these positive thoughts, we will begin to feel these emotions and when we can feel it collectively, that is when we will leap into the new reality.

Praying can be accomplished silently in our minds while we are on the bus, the metro, while walking or doing the dishes and of course while in deep meditation. We can pray in our minds at any time at all. Simply taking a minute throughout the day to PRAY LOVE and LIGHT helps to raise the vibration in all of us. We do not necessarily have to take an hour for a reiki session (though that would be nice too).

We have a symbiotic relationship with all things in the Universe. Once we recognize that fact and help support our planet with LOVE and LIGHT, we will cross the threshold to the New World that is beckoning.

If this speaks to you and you wish to participate in PRAYING FOR LOVE and LIGHT I encourage and welcome you to join me. We are in this together after all!

Sending LOVE and LIGHT to you all,

Lisa

Keep Hope Alive

2011-01-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

By now, most people have heard of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice. I myself discovered him on a posting from wimp.com on my Facebook page. I clicked on the link, not having any expectations for what I was about to see. When Mr. Williams spoke, I literally sat up and said aloud, "Whoa!" I was blown away by this unkempt man and his truly angelic voice. I immediately re-posted him on my page so that others could not only hear him, but my real intention was that everyone would send positive wishes for him to be offered a job and hopefully get off the streets.

The very next day, my brother commented that Mr. Williams had been offered a job with the Cleaveland Cavaliers. With further research, I found that he had been offered a job with Kraft and MSNBC, as well. I was boiling over with enthusiasm for this man that I wanted to see all the video clips I could find on him. The Today Show and others were only too thrilled to have him as a guest. He had become an international sensation. Within 24 hours of the original posting on YouTube, this man went from living on the streets to having a haircut, clothes, an agent and several job offers. Hallelujah brother! You go, dude!

Obviously, most of us are pulling for this man and wish him all the best, but he also did something else for me. He became my teacher. No, I never met him. I did not have to. The message came in loudly and clearly to me.

You see, most of us go through life thinking that life is hard and that is all there is to it. We lose faith in our abilities as Creators, continuing to drudge along as though we are stuck in our circumstances forever. We spend so much time worrying, we forget about the joy of the present moment. We also forget that everything can and does change in a moment. One video posting of this man changed his life for the better in almost an instant. We can do the same thing. We simply have to have faith that our hopes and dreams are manifesting. Even if we cannot see the end result, if we know it to be true, it is true. Our lives can shift just as dramatically as Mr. Williams.

If you are feeling blue about your circumstances, think of the man with the golden voice. Celebrate his victory with a smile crossing your face. Since we are all One, he is us. Allow the energy of his good fortune to flow through your own body and remember to keep your own hope alive. You are Divine and your circumstances can change for the better in a moment too.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Look Within to Find the Answers

2011-01-06T08:05:00.001-08:00

When challenging situations arise, take a look within to see why it is happening. Everything shows up to teach you something. Take the opportunity to learn it. Consider that everything in the physical world is a metaphor for how you feel Spiritually. Don't judge yourself for your emotional response and don't worry about what other people think. Simply look at the meaning behind the response. This is about you and your Spiritual growth and you are worth it.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Zen Pacman

2011-01-04T13:59:00.001-08:00

For those of us who remember and loved The Breakfast Club, leg warmers and big hair, you likely were an afficianado or at least knew an afficianado of the game Pacman. In high school, my friends and I would go to the local pizza place simply to play the game. Many quarters were spent giving me the practice I needed to become so good, it was hard pressed for me to lose a game. Eventually, the world (including yours truly) turned away from this crazed pastime, turning their interests onto newer ventures.

Fast forward thirty years and my nine-year-old nephew and I were sitting at my computer as he was showing me the games he was interested in playing, most of which I had never heard of; that is until he came across the all too familiar game I played incessantly in days long past. With an air of familiarity, I gained interest. I hadn't played in nearly three decades. I wondered how good I would be. As in everything one needs to practice to keep up their skills and admittedly I had lost, or at least misplaced, my edge. That's ok, we still had fun together.

Afterwards, I found that I may not have been the Pacman shark I once was, but one thing was for certain, I still enjoyed playing. I practiced and became better and better, remembering my former glory. My high score went from 2,500 to 60K in no time. Hallelujah, I was beginning to show signs of days gone by.

So, you may be thinking, what on Earth does Pacman have to do with Zen? I am glad you asked. All answers stem from a question. So, here goes...As a Spiritual practioner, I am always on the look out for new ways to improve my way of thinking about the world, making my physical experience here a more beneficial place for my Spirit. As I continued playing the game, I noticed that I increasingly clenched my body, most especially my stomach, every time I got excited about the game (which was about 90% of the time). The adrenalin had been racing to every sector of my body and the movements in my form was emphasizing this fact.

I decided to take the opportunity to focus on my breathing. As I did so, I imagined Obiwan Kenobi's voice as he spoke to Luke in Star Wars, "Let go Luke. Feel the force flow through you." I took it as my cue to allow the Universal Life Force to indeed flow through me as I bobbed and weaved through the maze, chasing various blue creatures and fruit while running away from the ghosts who wanted to gobble me up.

Every time I became tense, I breathed into that space and let it go. I never judged myself for losing my concentration on my body. I simply moved back to my awareness when I remembered. With each moment I stayed focused on my body, I was bringing my awareness to the present moment and remained calm. With practice I became not only better at the game, but better at my new found meditation. The game I just completed before writing this article, I had scored 111K! This high score was obtained through my Zen awareness.

This winning score can also be seen as a metaphor. As I relax the mind, keeping it in the present and not judging myself when I faulter, I not only perform better in the game of Pacman, I perform better in the game of Life. It is a game afterall and we are all merely players.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

The Isaiah Effect

2010-12-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

In Gregg Braden's The Isaiah Effect he discusses how the birth of a child is a miracle. However, if you do not know the end result it might be terrifying. One sees the mother's face contorted. She screams in pain and there is blood. Without the foreknowledge that the child will emerge through this process, it would seem like a devastating event. This is exactly what is going on in the Consciousness of our planet. We are going through a Spiritual Rebirth and it is painful. The economy is hurting, war exists around the world and the Earth itself has made its shakes, rattles and rolls known to us bringing devastation to various parts of the world. We are feeling the discomfort of childbirth. Since this does not occur every day we are mostly unaware that this is actually a miracle taking place. The end result will be a dynamic awakening. We are in the process of elevating the Consciousness of the Universe...and it is all good!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

The Whale and the Diver

2010-12-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

The following was forwarded to me from an unknown original source and I loved it so much I had to post it here...

"If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same. May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you, my friends, in the same spirit."

We are not the only sentient Beings on this planet. This story amplifies this fact. It is important to remember that we have a symbiotic relationship with ALL of Nature. We were never meant to conquer the land and its inhabitants, but rather work together as a whole.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

CREATION

2010-11-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

In Bhagavad Gita, the hero of the story, Arjuna has doubts about his mission in life. He turns to someone asking his advice and it is revealed that this man is actually Krishna. Krishna in Hindi religion is an aspect of God. Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D. discusses the relevance of this story in order to explain why time was invented in the first place in his book, The Yoga of Time Travel. It moved me so much, I thought I would share a paragraph with you here:

"Krishna explains the reason we are caught in time. He, Krishna, created desire, and we express this desire in terms of the physical realm and in so doing become captured by it. While desire for a material universe ultimately, 'creates' the universe, the fundamental desire in individuals, whether they remember it or not, is the yearning to be Krishna. So, Krishna gives every sentient form the ability to focus and defocus possibility-waves (energy waves that are the endless amount of possibilities in the universe) and thus the means for evolution, happiness, and sadness, which arise from the probability-curves (energy curves created by our observation) we each generate in our attempts to master the physical world."

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

MIND-READING

2010-11-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

Someone recently emailed explaining that it was amazing that I could read their mind and it was a bit scary for them. I wrote this person back explaining this idea of "mind-reading" and I thought I would share it with you.

The fact of the matter is I actually do not mind-read. It is not as though I can read what is going on in there. However, energetically speaking every Being, which means humans, other animals, plants, rocks...essentially everything in the Universe is One Consciousness. With that in mind we ALL have intuitive abilities because we are all One.

The thing is, that most of us have forgotten this Truth, and it can seem a bit scary when it is presented to us by another. Part of the reason we all have to incarnate on Earth in human form is to experience something "new" (even though it is not really new spiritually speaking) to help our Spiritual Development so that eventually, we will not need to come back down to Earth in human form. Every experience we have physically is a metaphor for what is going on with us Spiritually and everything we learn helps us to grow.

From a human context we forget our Spiritual Natures so we can experience a) various emotions and b) ways of learning to expand our Spirit. As we learn it may seem a bit nerve-racking, but that is part of the process.

To give you an example, from a human context, do you remember when you first learned to ride your bike? You were not an expert. You were wobbly. You fell down a few times. You needed to practice. Then you got used to it and you were an expert, smiling all the way, remembering what you already knew on a Spiritual Context. You were able to experience all sides of learning to ride a bike; the so-called bad (which is not really bad) and the good. Learning to ride a bike is a metaphor for learning to grow Spiritually and learning to remember our Intuitive Nature is part of the same process.

The moral of the story: do not place judgement on yourself for being scared. Honor the process as it is all PERFECT and DIVINE...just like YOU! :-)

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Heart Openings at the Game

2010-10-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

When I was a child I had dreams of being the first woman in major league baseball. Admittedly, even at 44, I still have fantasies that this may happen. A woman can dream after all! As a kid, I was the home run hitter and I played a very good second base too. I played as much as I could and if I was not playing I was training my brother to become the amazing little leaguer he became.

At fourteen when we were required to rotate between two different groups during PE, two weeks for softball and two weeks for swimming, I asked my doctor to write a note for me so that I could simply play softball for the entire month-long period. There were two reasons. While I liked to swim, my blond hair would have turned green from overexposure to the chlorine and secondly, I simply wanted to play ball anyway. The doctor very nicely obliged saying that I was allergic to chlorine or something like that and I got to play.

At the end of both rotations, each player was able to elect the players they wanted for an all-star game between the two rotations. I was the only girl picked for either side and I was voted to play on both teams. The teacher decided that I would play on the team that I played with first and so it was. We won. It was a great day.

Sadly for my baseball career, the following year the majority of the boys went through puberty and I was no longer strong enough to compete. I hung up my cleats for good.

Fast-forward thirty years. I sat in the living room in front of the large screen TV watching the second game of the 2010 World Series. I was excited. My team, the Giants, had played exceptionally well in the first game and won. By the seventh inning of game two, we were up 2-0 and it looked like game 2 was also locked down for us. My enthusiasm was boiling over with delight. I applauded each run while hooting and hollering at the TV, congratulating the players from a far. I was so happy. Then something happened. I made a shift.

It is customary for relief pitchers to replace the man who opens the game. The Rangers pitcher developed a blister on his finger that was preventing him from performing properly. The relief pitcher came up during the 8th inning and threw four balls in a row, walking our man. It was surprising to say the least, but our guy was on first base and that was a good thing.

The second batter was up and four more balls were thrown until he was walked. The pitcher continued to throw ball after ball without a hint of a strike anywhere to be seen allowing player after player to get on base until eventually a run walked in. I had never seen a run being walked in before. As the cheers were being hailed for the Giants something inside me began to grow…my compassion. I clearly felt this player’s nerves. Here he was in the World Series making such huge mistakes. He was eventually taken out and two more relief pitchers filled in. But they too only threw balls and more runs were walked in. I found myself in prayer position actually praying for the other team, hoping that they would throw strikes so that the inning would be over. I also hoped their professional careers were not finished for one game’s mistakes.

I orated that I felt compassion for other team and was put down for my feelings not only from those in the room, but from those on Facebook afterwards. I heard taunts of, “These people are major league players at the World Series and should know better,” “They deserve it,” and “I am not a true fan.” I could have closed down, but my compassion grew to not only include the three pitchers, but also the people that criticized me for showing my heart. My ring of compassion grew yet again to all Giants fans everywhere who gloated from the Rangers misfortune and to those Rangers fans that were clearly disappointed for their team’s mistakes.

I realize there is a lot of money riding on professional sports, but so what? It is still just a game. Visions of little league games where parents get visibly angry at their children for making mistakes on the field. What happened to playing for the fun of the game? Why is it that we take sports so seriously that it is almost life or death?

The way I see it, the Universe constantly gives us opportunities to experience compassion, whether it is from earthquakes or volcanoes destroying whole areas or from buildings falling down from airplanes hitting them or even when the other team in a World Series makes a lot of mistakes, we are given the chance to have a heart opening. I heeded to the Universe’s call and felt compassion for a whole lot of people and am thankful for the lesson that there is indeed more to life than baseball.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Insecurity is Exhausting

2010-09-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

I love this quote so much, I wanted to share it with you. From the words of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, "The most exhausting thing in life...is being insecure." Sue Patton Thoele expanded upon this idea by adding, "Insecurity is exhausting, because it's riddled with fear and, therefore, barricades us from our hearts. Fear and love cannot coexist, and so, when we are in a state of fear, we cannot access the love that surrounds us constantly."

Excerpted from The Woman's Book of Soul, by Sue Patton Thoele.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Love is Within YOU

2010-09-03T03:10:00.000-07:00

When we look outside of ourselves for someone else to fulfill the need of love, we are telling the Universe we are not complete and will attract someone else who does not feel complete. You ARE already Love. When you know this to be true the perfect partner who knows he or she is already Love will be attracted. A Super-Power Couple will be born.

Pocket Change

2010-09-03T01:56:00.000-07:00

Standing in line at the grocery store, I was waiting behind a beautifully dressed elderly woman. She turned to look behind her for a moment and I smiled. Her eyes became bright and returned the smile. When it was her turn to pay, she was having some difficulty finding the exact change. She had a 10€ bill in her hand, but she was trying not to use it. Ready to pay for my own purchase, I had all my change in my hand. I quickly placed the change needed for the woman on the counter for her.

What began to happen was nothing short of a miracle. The middle-aged cashier began giggling like a school girl telling me what I nice thing I did. The long line of formerly grumpy people were now a flutter with exhileration. And the woman I gave the money to was so overcome with joy, she told me she didn't know how to thank me enough.

After several thank yous and my continued response of, "with pleasure," I couldn't help but see the ripple effect from the changes in every single person that stood around me, most especially the changes in myself. I realized that the gift was for me too. A mere forty cents helped to create an energetic shift in all of us that was a better high than I could get elsewhere.

What a fantastic lesson!

Leave it to Beaver and GOD

2010-08-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

Walking the streets of Paris, I reminisced about a television show I watched regularly as a kid. Leave it to Beaver ran from 1957-1963 and was as American as apple pie. Even though I was not alive during its original run, this black and white show was welcomed to a new generation in rerun land and I happily participated in its viewing.

The series takes place in a middle-American home, where the Cleaver family lived. There was June (that would be mom) always dressed impeccably with her perfectly coiffed hair along with the strand of pearls that always seemed to grace her neck. I wondered how she cleaned the house and cooked all day in her skirt and high-heels. I never knew any moms who wore anything but jeans and t-shirts while vacuuming and doing the dishes, but as a six-year-old it was certainly fun to fantasize that I would be dressed up at all times when I grew up too.

Ward Cleaver (dad) was either portrayed wearing his suit while heading off to work, or for a more "casual" look, he would replace his suit jacket for a cardigan. Again, I don’t know any dads who dress like this, but hey it was the 50’s, or at least it was TV in the 50’s.

Then there were the two boys, Wally (the oldest and school-girl heart throb) and the focus of the family show, Theodore, who was more commonly known by his nickname, Beaver.

Inevitably the story would be set around the two boys getting into some mischief or another. What struck my fancy as I remembered this show I had not seen in nearly four decades was that the kids always seemed to think their fate was sealed by dad ‘clobbering’ them for whatever trouble they got themselves into. Wally and Beaver tried to fix their mess before dad brought on his wrath to them. The funny thing is, that dad never clobbered them nor did any inkling of wrath make it into the show. He would instead take them into the living room for a chat and they would work out whatever the problem was together. He never raised his voice. He always remained calm. And a hug or two was usually the final outcome along with nice music playing as the issue was resolved.

Always the thinker, I wondered why the Universe chose this moment for me to recall the generalities of this show. What was the message I needed to learn? It came to me nearly as quickly as I asked myself the question, that this show paralleled religion. That may seem far out in left field at first glance, but let me explain.

The night before I had my walk, a man in his late 60’s who is a part of my reiki share group, mentioned how when he was a child if you ate meat on Fridays it was considered a mortal sin in the eyes of the Catholic Church. If a person committed a mortal sin, one would perpetuate in hell for all eternity after this physical incarnation. I had heard the same stories from my mom about her own childhood. So, times changed and the Church started losing people and they decided meat eating wasn’t a mortal sin after all.

So, what does a mortal sin have to do with the show Leave it to Beaver?

The kids always thought they committed some great sin and they would be severely reprimanded for their crimes. In truth, dad always proposed a better solution. Without raising his voice for even a moment, the family found the answers together. Dad can metaphorically represent God. Through patience He helps us resolve our issues too. There is never any fire and brimstone, only Love.

Religions in themselves are not bad. They teach us many great lessons. Unfortunately, they also teach us that man-made rules are the truth. These judgments are merely put in place to garner fear in order to keep the constituents in line with the particular religion's way of thinking. The dogma that is attached to organized religion often harbors sharp voices claiming that their way is the only way and when you do something against God you are a sinner and will be punished for all eternity.

On each episode, the boys made mistakes and immediately jumped on the fear bandwagon without paying attention to their own Inner Wisdom. Wally and the Beav represent this misguided understanding of God by feeling fear and judgment of their own father. They symbolize how young souls not yet comfortable with their own connection to the Divine subject themselves to various religions along with its various dogmatic idealogies. If you ask me, if God was going to torture us for one moment, let alone for all eternity, He would be one mean God.

When you think about it, why would the Almighty Source wish to harm us, His own children? God does not operate out of hate and punishment. He is made from Love just as we are. We are constantly taught lessons and given help to solve our problems together, we simply have to open our minds to be able to notice what lesson is being sent our way.

God doesn’t punish us for all eternity for some sin or another. In fact, the word sin comes from a medieval archery word for ‘missing the mark’. We all miss the mark from time to time, perhaps even daily. Yet, every time we do or say something, we are learning about our True Nature, whether we are aware of it or not. Even the worst criminals are learning what they are not, before they can learn what they truly are.

The only hell that exists is the one we create in our minds while here on Earth. God gave us Free Will to choose. We have been given the opportunity to create whatever Universe we desire. We decide if we are happy or are if we miserable, not a vindictive white bearded God sitting on a throne in Heaven.

Instead of thinking that God is going to ‘clobber’ us, visualize Source Energy embracing you at your Highest and lowest periods. The Universe only sees the Love that you genuinely are. All you have to do is remember it.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

The Gift of Asthma

2010-08-01T03:25:00.001-07:00

People often feel sorry for me because I have asthma. I assure them there is no need. While I continuously work on creating a healthier environment for myself to breathe more easily, such as cutting out dairy completely, utilizing various breathing exercises and performing EFT and Reiki on myself, I also see the gifts asthma has brought to me.

My step-father practically showed up in my life when I was eight-years-old with a football and baseball in his hand. After work he would play catch with my brother and me every day and not long afterwards, we both became exceptional throwers and catchers. When our family moved out of the apartment complex and into a home on a quiet street that could be used as a football field, my brother and I took advantage of our new find. We brought all the neighborhood kids together every day in the street to play tag football. I could not run very easily, so I made it a point to be the best quarterback on the block. Even though I was the only girl, I was the team leader.

I distinctly remember starting a new school at ten, where on the first day the boys snickered when it was my turn to throw the ball, saying I would make a better cheerleader than a player. After the first throw, they quickly changed their tune as they clamored around me to be their quarterback at school. Would I have tried so hard to become a quarterback if I did not have asthma? It is unlikely.

Then there was baseball. This was my true passion. I dreamed about becoming the first female major leaguer. Playing outfield was certainly not an option for me; there was that running thing again. So, I practiced catching fly balls and ground balls and every kind of ball you can imagine while in the infield and in the process became an extraordinary second baseman. Where I truly excelled, however, was up at bat. I would never be able to steal bases. I would have a challenging time just running to first base after hitting the ball. So, I practiced until almost every ball I hit was a home run. I could then jog lightly around the bases at my own pace. Asthma created a home-run-hitter!

Decades have since passed and I have long since hung up my cleats, but even now I see the gifts I have received from asthma. At forty-three I battled a challenging year of chronic bronchitis which exacerbated my asthma. In and out of doctor’s offices, culminating in an evening at the emergency room strapped to an IV and ventilator, I was thankful that I made it there in time. Even through this hellish ordeal, I still saw how asthma had changed me.

After my stint in the emergency room, I realized it was time to figure out what I was allergic to in my diet. I tried cutting out breads and other grains, eggs, and then finally dairy. At last I discovered that dairy products were the culprit. While living in France, when I made my discovery, I found that it was challenging to find food products without dairy in them. Using milk and cream in everything is part of the French culture. I sometimes would become frustrated that as a passionate foodie I would now have to limit my food intake, but what I also noticed is that gradually through this transition I was becoming more spiritually aware of my body. I felt more connected with the Divine as I treated my body with the respect that it deserves.

All people in fact have varying degrees of lactose intolerance after the age of about two, when we no longer need our mother’s milk and graduate to eating solid food. When you think about it not one other animal drinks breast milk from another species. We are the only one. Dairy products were never meant to be a commodity. Milk is supposed to feed a mother’s child and that is all. While I admit to be a recovering cheese-aholic, when I think about dairy along those terms, I am grateful to leave the milk where it belongs. Asthma brought me this information and I am grateful.

My illness also taught me to find out about several breathing techniques enabling me to fully inhale life to its fullest. I learned that most Westerners breathe only through their chests, not allowing for the entire lung to accept the energy it needs. When we look at babies breathe, we notice that their tummies pop up with each inhalation. Yet, somewhere along the road we build up fears and forget our True Nature. Breath is what allows our bodies to function properly and it connects us to the Divine. When we stifle our breathing, we stifle our interaction with Source. Asthma taught me to pay attention to my breathing.

I also know that car fumes and smoke coming from the huffing and puffing of a cigarette that so many use in Paris, is not so easy for my body to withstand. Instead of becoming morose about it, however, I notice that in reality, clean air is what we all need, not just asthmatics. If I did not have asthma, it may not have fully connected in my mind how important clean air is for our bodies, our neighbors and our planet at large.

As I watch the many smokers around me, and as a former smoker myself (yep, I did it too) I see how the act of lighting up, serves only as a bandaid, covering up the insecurities that one feels inside. It also stands as a beacon for disrespect; disrespect for that temple that is your body and disrespect for the temple that is the body of everyone that is in breathing distance. The higher my vibration becomes the less tolerant my body is of these destructive forces. Perhaps as more and more people connect with their Spiritual sides, they too will see the need for eliminating these elements in their lives. This would, in turn, create a fundamentally different Earth; a peaceful, serene space, where human beings can learn to co-create in harmony.

It may not be physically easy for me to be in a smoke-filled space, but I do feel the presence of the Divine calling me to take action in my own life to create a peaceful environment around me. Hopefully, when there are enough of us, a critical mass will take place and we all, people and everything in Nature will luxuriate in taking fresh clean breaths every moment of our lives.

These are the gifts that asthma has given to me.

When something is presented in your life that doesn’t fit into your version of what a perfect life should look like, stop for a moment and take a breath. Then notice what gifts and opportunities were presented to you because of this situation. They are always there. You just have to look for them.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Are You GOD?

2010-07-25T04:11:00.000-07:00

The following is excerpted from Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul, by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne & Marci Shimoff:

One cold evening during the holiday season, a little boy about six or seven was standing out in front of a store window. The little child had no shoes and his clothes were mere rags. A young woman passing by saw the little boy and could read the longing in his pale blue eyes. She took the child by the hand and led him into the store. There she bought him some new shoes and a complete suit of warm clothing.

They came back outside into the street and the woman said to the child, "Now you can go home and have a very happy holiday."

The little boy looked up at her and asked, "Are you God, Ma'am?"

She smiled down at him and replied, "No, son, I'm just one of His children."

The little boy then said, "I knew you had to be some relation."

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE IS IN THE STARS

2010-07-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

We all have a life purpose; a fundamental reason why we incarnated this time around. According to Doreen Virtue, she states that based on our goals we choose to be born during a certain astrological sign. The following is excerpted from The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children by Ms. Virtue. See what you think. Does the life purpose in your sign speak to you? It did for me.

ARIES: Prevail over impulsive tendencies; learn to plan ahead.

TAURUS: Overcome materiality; channel stubborn tendencies into tenacity.

GEMINI: Develop your spiritual side; release the ego’s self-doubts.

CANCER: Overcoming pessimism; learn to think about what you desire instead of what you are afraid of.

LEO: Vanquish pride and the belief that others are criticizing you.

VIRGO: Learn how to delegate; ask for help; receive good graciously; and let God answer your prayers.

LIBRA: See how to make decisions and stick with them.

SCORPIO: Deal with selective tendencies by developing more trust in others.

SAGGITARIUS:Learn to put your dreams into action; and complete the projects that you begin.

CAPRICORN: Become more lighthearted. Develop sincerity instead of seriousness.

AQUARIUS: Find out how you keep your feet on the ground while tending to your global purpose.

PISCES: Ascertain how to manifest abundance, and overcome the tendency to engage in needless self-sacrifice.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

IT BEGINS WITH YOU

2010-07-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

The following is excerpted from Chicken Soup for the Soul and was originally taken from the words on a crypt of an Anglican Bishop at Westminster Abbey:

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it too seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twighlight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for only changing my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize, If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and who knows, I may have even changed the world.

This wise bishop learned that it is NEVER EVER about changing another person. It is always about changing us first. As I change how I view the world, the world will follow...one person at a time.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

WAKE UP!

2010-07-18T06:38:00.001-07:00

“Although they may take various roads, all are on the way.”
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

At eighteen years of age I was given an atypical assignment in school. My psychology professor that I admired inspired us to create our destinies by first creating a vision board. A vision board is generally made with cut-out pictures and words that are meaningfully arranged in some fashion on a board and then decoupaged (a fancy word for glued) in place permanently. The idea is that by first building in our minds what we desire then putting it to paper (or in this case a board) we are taking steps to manifest our futures. This is simply another way of making the Law of Attraction work for us.

A few years ago, I decided to make a few different boards centered on various themes. I could practically hear my beloved former professor whispering in my ear to give birth to my destiny. The theme of one was about living in Paris and voila, here I am. On another board, I envisioned myself as a spiritual teacher. I added pictures showing me as an inspirational writer, a reiki master teaching reiki and a spiritual life coach helping others develop their intuitive skills.

These boards are in storage in California, but I distinctly remember one of the pictures was of three beautiful African women dressed in vibrantly colored loose dresses with coordinating scarves on their heads. The women were clapping to the beat of some music. When I looked at this image I felt these women were in Spiritual Ecstasy. As a dancer, I used to dance because I liked to dance, but then one day, I realized that every movement I was making was in Adoration for the Divine and these women reminded me of that. Next to the picture I placed the words “Bring Enlightenment to the world!” I didn’t want to simply sit quietly gaining more Spiritual clarity and keeping it to myself. I wanted to share what I have learned and help others Wake Up too!

I am constantly learning and continuously sharing. I know at the core of my Being that this is the fundamental reason why I incarnated on the planet this time around and I am happy to be here. I share ideas with those that wish to listen and it is fun!

When I made the board, however, it was never my intention to be some sort of Spiritual dictator solely in charge of the Enlightenment process of the world. On the contrary, I thought I would share my ideas with those who are interested in learning from me and maybe they would share these ideas mixed in with their own to someone else who would in turn share with someone else. This is how ideas spread. It is not about me. It is about all of us working together to bring peace and harmony to the Universe.

And who said that my way is the only way anyway? Every single person has the potential to become Enlightened and since we are creating our own Universe with our thoughts we can do it any way we see fit. In fact, that is what makes it such an adventure! As we learn to listen to our own inner wisdom, we find that we will be guided in the most glorious of ways!

As for me, I have learned that I am simply a storyteller and it is not necessary to force my way of thinking on to anyone. So often I see Spiritual teachers conveying that they are more advanced than everyone else and the others should follow them. First of all, from my perspective the word should, in any language, can be booted out the door. There are no “shoulds” in life, only opportunities to grow.

Secondly, when I hear someone call him or herself an old soul I smile, for I know they are more like teenagers in the soul department. Why do smile? Because this too is part of the process. If you think about when you were a teenager, didn’t you think that you knew everything and your parents knew nothing? This is a normal stage of development and is necessary. We have to think we know everything in order to identify with being independent adults. Otherwise, we would stay children forever, never branching out and never learning a thing. By the time we are in our mid-adulthood and especially as we become elderly, we no longer place value on the “I know everything and you know nothing” scenario as we become a little calmer and a little wiser. We know we do not know everything, but we become relaxed in knowing that everything is ok as it is. It is the same thing on the Spiritual level. We are all ok where we are right now.

Is there a better way of doing something or a better way of thinking about something? Absolutely. There are a plethora of opportunities to gain awareness into our True Being, but the fact is that no matter where we are on the road, we are still continuing to develop our Spirit. That is why we have taken physical form. Eventually we will no longer need to come down here, but for now we are here learning at the rate we wish to and not because someone else demands it of us.

That being said, I do not think any less of anyone who is not aware of their Spiritual Nature or who hasn’t attained the same level of awareness that I have and I am not jealous of those that have gained more clarity than I have. Instead, I send blessings to all for no one is better or worse than me.

Perhaps some are less experienced and that is ok too. When we think about babies, are they a lesser human being than an adult because they are younger? Of course not! They simply have less experience and need our guidance to help them figure out their own destinies. As they grow up they will need less and less rules and more and more room for freedom to express their own way of thinking. As I watch the baby grow to a child, to a teenager and then to an adult I can still learn my own lessons from this Being too. Nothing is one-sided.

We are all on the Spiritual Path, whether we are aware of it or not. With each step we take we are moving closer to the Divine. When we are ready to learn a certain thing the teacher will miraculously appear. It is not my goal to spread rules and regulations or religious dogma wherever I go. It is my intention to guide others to listen to their own inner wisdom, but if someone is not ready then they are not ready and I love them just the same.

I am sending blessings to all!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

LOVE ACTUALLY

2010-06-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful introductions to a film ever conceived, the great words of wisdom written by Richard Curtis and narrated by Hugh Grant at the beginning of the movie Love Actually are reposted here:

“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport. General opinion is starting to make out that we are living in a world of hatred and greed. But I don’t see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it is not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there: fathers and sons; mothers and daughters; husbands and wives; boyfriends; girlfriends; old friends. When the planes hit the twin towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were of messages of hate or revenge. They were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you will find that love actually is all around.”

Try to remember that we do not live in a world of hate and chaos. Instead think of all the love that truly is all around. It is our True Nature, after all.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

THE GRUFF OLD MAN

2010-06-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

As a child I never enjoyed visiting this particular man my family would see. He was a rough and gruff sort of fellow that could always be counted on to passionately display his bigotry of all sorts on his sleeve. Don’t get me wrong he was nice enough to me, but even as an eight-year old, I found that his distasteful utterances left little to be desired. All in the Family was his favorite show and there was a reason why. He emulated the Archie Bunker character to a tee. While he bothered me as a child, nearly four decades later, my opinion of him has made a complete turnaround. Where once I dreaded being in the same room, now I consider him a gracious giant.

How did he win my heart after all this time? Several years had passed since his physical body left the planet when he began visiting me in my dreams. As a lifelong intuitive, I do see or otherwise sense the deceased from time to time and since I am a lucid dreamer, this is an easy avenue for them to come in if they so choose. No, they do not come waking me up every night like in the show Medium, but they definitely do come knocking when they want to.

When I first saw him in my dream, needless to say, I was frankly surprised. I asked him why he was here. We were not exactly close, so I did not understand. He told me very kindly things about people that he thought I needed to know so that I could understand their actions better. It was like talking to an old sage conveying his wisdom to me. He has since visited me in my dreams again and still he shows up looking the man I knew, but his familiar gruffness has simply disappeared as though it never existed at all.

I always try to find what I am supposed to learn in every situation, including my dreams and this man became another teacher for me. For so many years, I felt disdain for others who did not see the world through my eyes. How could someone be a bigot? How could someone not give up their seat to an elderly or pregnant person while on the bus? Why are there criminals? Why are people mean to others? If they didn’t live up to my standards then they most certainly did not deserve my respect.

What I so profoundly learned from my dreamtime visitor is that our Spiritual Selves only know and feel Love. We all have incarnated on this planet to learn; to expand our horizons reaching ever more closely to fulfill our commitment to reaching Enlightenment. All of us are on this path, whether we are aware of it or not. As human beings, most of us have forgotten that fact; that our True Essence at the core is Spiritual Love, no matter how we may appear on the outside. This body we are in is simply a tool for us to experience every emotion, every sensation and every type of experience. We first must know what we are not to know what we are and certainly playing different roles on Earth help guide us to our True Calling. I look forward to telling my teacher how grateful I am for learning this lesson first hand.

When you feel that someone is not as good as you are for whatever reason you may choose, just remember that we are all part of the Divine. We are all One. We are all Truth Seekers. Reach into your own heart and pull out all the blessings you can find within you and start sending them out to everyone you encounter. They are all here to teach you about YOUR True Essence after all. Be the Love you already are. It’s a wonderful state to be in.

Thank you for reading and Namaste!

You Can Meditate Too!

2010-06-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

I can’t stress enough how important a healthy meditation practice is. It not only gives you the deep sense of relaxation that everyone needs; it also helps to enhance your connection with the Universe. In other words, it helps your psychic senses contact the Divine. You certainly may receive information from the Universe while in a meditative state, but as an added bonus you will become more aware of your intuition throughout the day when you are not meditating. You may also begin to get what I call DOWNLOADS. I can ‘see’ in my mind’s eye guides putting something in my mind. I may not understand what they are trying to tell me in that moment, but I know the downloading is taking place and it will come to me at some future point; perhaps in a dream, or via a person or any number of ways.

I have heard over and over again from people that they cannot meditate. The truth is that EVERYONE can meditate. It simply takes practice. Were you good at football, driving or even walking the first time you tried it? Of course not!

The biggest lesson I can teach about meditation is to give yourself a break. Don’t judge yourself. You are not the only person on the planet that has a chattering mind. We all do! When my mind begins to wander I simply thank the unwanted thought for coming and ask it to leave. I then tell it rather matter-of-factly that I am going back to my original point of focus. I don’t judge myself for the intruding thought. Life has interruptions. An unwanted thought is simply one of them. I deal with it and move on.

There are many ways to meditate and I will only mention a few here:

 Guided Meditation – This is the easiest way to start. By a CD that has soft music and a narrator with a soothing voice who can guide you through your mediation.

 Focused Meditation – A version of this type of meditation is to focus on a word or phrase that you repeat continuously. It might be ‘LOVE’, for example and you simply repeat it in your mind.

 Visualization – Visualize a serene space that is sacred to you. It can be real or imaginary. Just look at the image in your mind.

 Zen Method - You can also keep your eyes open and look at a candle or some other object.

 Chakra Meditation – Focus on one or all the chakras. See them in your mind with their respective colors. Drain them of the “old stuff”. Sweep each chakra with an imaginary broom. Fill the chakra back up with their respective color. Make the color bright and perhaps with a white light that surrounds it with gold specks.

 Walking Meditation – Who said you have to do a seated meditation? Why not walk a labyrinth or take a journey in a park. Notice a flower, or a bird. Utilize all your senses. Touch the bark of a tree. How does it feel? Smell the jasmine bursting out its beautiful scent. How does it smell? Listen to the birds chirping their tunes above. What are the sensations in your body? Do you notice any taste in your mouth? Don't analyze what you sense. Just notice. You may discover as you connect with nature a feeling of deep peace and utter joy fill your body.

Do some investigating on your own and find out what works best for you. I always say there are seven billion different people in the world and seven billion different ways to meditate to go along with each of them; and they are all correct. Be creative. It’s your meditation after all.

Thank you for reading and Namaste (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

LOVE ACTUALLY

2010-06-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

Try to remember that we do not live in a world of hate and chaos. Instead think of all the love that truly is all around. It is our True Nature, after all.

You can see the opening scene on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3GWzLpkVdg (the embed code was disabled, so you must go to the site to watch it).

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Machu Picchu

2010-06-17T00:23:00.000-07:00

National Geographic put together this beautiful documentary in 5 parts on YouTube. Here is part one and just follow YouTube to the next part. Machu Picchu is one of the most Spiritual sites as well as one of the biggest engineering marvels in the world. Definitely a must see!

Sacred Geometry: A Beginner's Course

2010-06-08T01:24:00.000-07:00

I have recently been drawn to learning more about this mystical art and mathematical form that shows how creation is manifested from the void. Very interesting video from ShrunkenSimon:

Part 1:

Part 2:

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Compassion Wins Over Competition

2010-06-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

This article was posted on Good News Network and there is a reason why this is so. The original was called For the Love of the Game and was written by Rick Reilly of ESPN.com. It is such a beautiful story, I am posting it here too. You can read it from the original site or contact Mr. Reilly directly to make a comment at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5218228.

We live in a world where Peyton Manning walks off the Super Bowl field without shaking anybody's hand. Where Tiger Woods leaves the Masters without a word of thanks to the fans or congratulations to the winner. Where NFL lineman Albert Haynesworth kicks a man's helmetless head without a thought.

So if you think sportsmanship is toast, this next story is an all-you-can-eat buffet to a starving man.

It happened at a junior varsity girls' softball game in Indianapolis this spring. After an inning and a half, Roncalli was womanhandling inner-city Marshall Community. Marshall pitchers had already walked nine Roncalli batters. The game could've been 50-0 with no problem.

It's no wonder. This was the first softball game in Marshall history. A middle school trying to move up to include grades 6 through 12, Marshall showed up to the game with five balls, two bats, no helmets, no sliding pads, no cleats, 16 players who'd never played before, and a coach who'd never even seen a game.

One Marshall player asked, "Which one is first base?" Another: "How do I hold this bat?" They didn't know where to stand in the batter's box. Their coaches had to be shown where the first- and third-base coaching boxes were.

That's when Roncalli did something crazy. It offered to forfeit.

Yes, a team that hadn't lost a game in 2½ years, a team that was going to win in a landslide purposely offered to declare defeat. Why? Because Roncalli wanted to spend the two hours teaching the Marshall girls how to get better, not how to get humiliated.

"The Marshall players did NOT want to quit," wrote Roncalli JV coach Jeff Traylor, in recalling the incident. "They were willing to lose 100 to 0 if it meant they finished their first game." But the Marshall players finally decided if Roncalli was willing to forfeit for them, they should do it for themselves. They decided that maybe -- this one time -- losing was actually winning.

That's about when the weirdest scene broke out all over the field: Roncalli kids teaching Marshall kids the right batting stance, throwing them soft-toss in the outfield, teaching them how to play catch. They showed them how to put on catching gear, how to pitch, and how to run the bases. Even the umps stuck around to watch.

"One at a time the Marshall girls would come in to hit off of the [Roncalli] pitchers," Traylor recalled. "As they hit the ball their faces LIT UP! They were high fiving and hugging the girls from Roncalli, thanking them for teaching to them the game."

This is the kind of thing that can backfire with teenagers -- the rich kids taking pity on the inner-city kids kind of thing. Traylor was afraid of it, too.

"One wrong attitude, one babying approach from our players would shut down the Marshall team, who already were down," wrote Traylor. "But our girls made me as proud as I have ever been. ... [By the end], you could tell they were having a blast. The change from the beginning of the game to the end of the practice was amazing."

Roncalli wasn't done. Traylor asked all the parents of his players and anybody else he knew for more help for Marshall -- used bats, gloves, helmets, money for cleats, gloves, sliders, socks and team shirts. They came up with $2,500 and worked with Marshall on the best way to help the program with that money. Roncalli also connected Marshall with former Bishop Chatard coach Kim Wright, who will advise the program.

"We probably got to some things 10 years quicker than we would have had without Roncalli," says Marshall principal Michael Sullivan.

And that was just the appetizer. A rep from Reebok called Sullivan and said, "What do you need? We'll get it for you." A man who owns an indoor batting cage facility has offered free time in the winter. The Cincinnati Reds are donating good dirt for the new field Marshall will play on.

"This could've been a thing where our kids had too much pride," says Sullivan. "You know, 'I'm not going to listen to anybody.' But our kids are really thirsty to learn."

And they are. Marshall never won a game, but actually had leads in its last three games. In fact, it went so well, the players and their parents asked if they could extend the season, so they're looking to play AAU summer softball.

Just a thought: Major League Baseball is pulling hamstrings trying to figure out how to bring baseball back to the inner city. Maybe it should put the Roncalli and Marshall girls in charge?

Anyway, it's not an important story, just one that squirts apple juice right in your face. And who knows? Maybe someday, Marshall will be beating Roncalli in the final inning, realize how far it has come, and forfeit again, just as a thank you.

HOME

2010-05-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautifully cinematic films ever made, and also one of the most heart-wrenching, this documentary, narrated by Glenn Close, is about our HOME, the planet Earth. We certainly need to change the way we do things around here and I mean fast. With over seven million viewers on YouTube alone, there is a reason why this movie is a must see.

The embeded code has been disabled, so please go to this youtube link and watch the movie for free:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU

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C'est la Reiki (This is Reiki)

2010-05-18T02:45:00.001-07:00

A student of mine had written because her hands were not as hot as they were on the day of her reiki 2 attunement. She knew her hands were working, but she was a little concerned that they may not be working as well. I put her mind to ease with my response.

On the day of an attunement hands tend to go totally crazy energetically. They may feel especially hot or the vibration may pulse rapidly. However reiki manifests in you that first day, is how it is meant to be. After having a big attunement, your body is uber-charged. It is analogous to when you plug something into the wall and the outlet sparks. The spark only lasts for a moment, but afterwards the electricity still moves through the current into the plug. It works very nicely in fact. If it continued to set off sparks there would be a fire and the wall would burn up. Reiki is similar. It is still nicely running its course, doing its thing too.

After the calming down period, the reiki is always working, but it will work how it needs to be. Whether the hands are extremely hot or vibrationally charged on some days and less so on others it is perfectly fine. No need to worry because reiki knows what to do.

Another thing, reiki can actually be cold too. I do not mean cold from the weather, I mean that reiki is specifically producing coldness even while in the midst of a heatwave. Particularly cold hands are actually working harder than hot hands. Our ego wants to believe that hands need to be hot to work because it feels good next to our skin, but in truth reiki is about healing and the Universal Life Force works specifically how it is needed in any given moment.

If hands are perceived as cold, particularly if the coldness is felt internally at the organ level, then it is pretty safe to say that the individual is moving through a dramatic vibrational shift. As their vibration increases, Spirit moves more fully within them and there is a perception of coldness. It is like the spiraling staircase. When you move up the path of a spiral, you will eventually end up along the same line but at a higher altitude. It simply takes time for the body to adjust.

When hands are cold just know your Spirit is working hard to shift you into a better reality. If it bothers you to sense coldness after a session, the best remedy is a cup of tea and a hot shower. The reiki will continue to work and do its thing and you will feel relaxed while it is doing so.

No matter how your reiki is working in any given moment, just remember the Universe knows what it is doing. It is all perfect!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

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LOVE ACTUALLY

2010-05-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

THE PSYCHIC SENSES

2010-05-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Psychic senses come in many forms. Most people know about clairvoyance, but I wanted to list the rest of the “clair-s” so that you are familiar with them all. You may have one or more of the following, but usually one is stronger than the others in each individual.

 Clairvoyance - I thought I would start with the easiest. Clairvoyants see visions in their mind. You may have the impression that this is the only way to psychically know something, but don’t limit yourself to this way of thinking. There are other ways too.

 Clairsentience - Clairsentients are empathic and feel energies around them. I often feel in my body where I am supposed to give reiki next on a person. I feel people’s moods and they can overtake my own emotions. Thankfully, there are methods to counteract this "vaccuming" of emotions.

 Claircognizance – Also known as clair-recognition. This is about a sense of knowing. “People often confuse this with clairsentience. This is the ability to know something that no one tells them and it is not something they have read before. They just simply know it. It is an inner feeling, gut feeling, something which is just known. They have an ability to answer questions and back them up with facts; when before they did not know anything.”* It doesn’t necessarily have to be about facts in a book, but you just suddenly know something in your mind. This is a very common way of manifesting psychic ability. So, if you don’t ‘see’ something but know it then don’t judge yourself. This is a very powerful psychic ability. While I normally see things, they are vague images. It’s the inner knowing that comes with it that is stronger for me.

 Clairaudience – Clairaudients hear voices from guides, spirits etc. in their mind other than their own. I have only had this type of message on a few occasions, but many psychics have this method of knowing. Clairaudience can also come in the form of messages from people in the real world. So, pay attention to what people are saying to you. You will know instinctively if what someone is saying is a message from the Universe or not.

 Clairolfaction – Also known as clairolfactory, clair-smelling or psychic-smelling. It is said that there are those that ‘smell’ energies such as diseases in people. I can’t smell diseases or energy in people. However, after my reiki master attunement, I would often smell roses that weren’t there. Once I was reading a book and started to smell roses and in the next paragraph the book mentioned roses. I have smelled lavender while driving my car and there certainly wasn’t any lavender in my car. I believe my spirit guides were sending me messages that they were there with me.

 Clairgustant – Also known as clair-taste or psychic-tasting. This is when you literally taste something in your mouth that you did not consume. Within a couple of hours of my master attunement, I rode the train home. Within a minute or two I was surrounded by people and my mouth had a blast of spearmint gum. I wasn’t smelling it from someone else I was literally tasting it in my mouth. It was as though I just put the gum in my mouth, but I didn’t have any gum. I knew that someone near me must have been chewing gum. Within a few minutes the person standing in front of me turned around and I could see that he was the gum chewer. The next day I tasted garlic bread in my mouth in much the same way. It was not from me but the taste was powerfully strong. I suppose it’s a great way to lose weight; I had the taste without the calories!

We are all intuitive. Society may have taught us to fear our psychic nature, but that doesn't mean you do not have certain skills. There are many exercises to enhance your innate abilities. The more you practice the stronger your intuition will grow. Just remember whatever way you experience psychic abilities is fantastic. There is no need to try to be like the next guy. The gifts you have been given are perfectly made just for you.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

*Taken from Psychics at Mystic Board.com, www.mysticboard.com/basics-of-psychic/other-clair-abilities.html

Developing Your Intuitive Skills

2010-04-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

A great tool to help you with your journey towards tapping into your intuitive self is to keep a Psychic Journal. Keep it with you, so you can jot notes down as they come up. Write down strange coincidences. Do you keep running into the same person? Do see a person that you just thought of even though you haven’t seen him for a long time? Have you heard the same song over and over again from different sources? Has a friend of yours just said something that you know is “true”? Are you continuously seeing the same number, color, animal or anything at all? If you keep seeing the color blue, it is trying to tell you something. Perhaps you are dealing with throat chakra issues. Perhaps you need to learn to communicate or speak your truth. Maybe you have recently healed the throat chakra issues, etc.

Are you psychically “hearing”, “seeing”, “knowing”, “tasting”, “smelling” or “feeling” anything? Even the small things count. As you practice you will start getting the bigger answers too.

Connecting with Nature is an important factor for increasing your intuition. I do not just mean going to the park for a quick walk (though exercising is very important and of course exercising outside is great, this is different). I mean paying attention.

What are your eyes focusing on? Do you keep seeing a particular color? Are your eyes captivated by a particular stone or leaf or bird? Do not analyze. Simply observe. Watch the raven fly above. How are his wings moving? Is he communicating with the other birds? What color is he? Is he eating? Pay attention to his wingspan. Do you feel lighter when you notice your surroundings?

Do you notice a fly? Flies eat the garbage, getting rid of the waste. You can metaphorically think of them getting rid of the energy that is no longer serving you.

Are you paying attention to a stream? Water is about power, patience and creativity. It is a force that will figure a way to keep moving. It is patient, but will change the shape of the Earth and rocks over time. It’s about the Divine Feminine and Creation.

Feel free to touch the flower if it is capturing your attention. Just remember not to pick them as that will kill them. They are Beings too!

Take off your shoes and feel the grass beneath you. How does it feel against your skin? What shade of green is it?

Think of all the details you can think of and start thinking about their symbolism. What are they trying to tell you? For example, on one of my walks, I saw roses fully bloomed. I knew I had to open my heart chakra and pull back my shoulders improving my posture. I paid attention and did so. On the same trip, I saw a new leaf that had a slight rip in it, but also had several sparkles. I knew instantly that this meant that life has its tears or snags, but it is also filled with many sparkles. Life is always starting anew and we can continue to grow if we so choose. The color green represented the heart chakra. If I open my heart I open myself to the wonders of the world. The veins of life run through it as they do through me. All this from a single leaf! It’s all good!

I have intuited many things for clients by reading the landscape, cityscape or the clouds. It does work!

Meditation is also another important avenue for increasing your intuition. When we calm our minds, we allow Source to flow through us naturally. A daily meditation practice helps to bring insight to us not only when we are meditating, but also at all times during the day (even while we sleep).

Exercising the body, helps exercise the mind. When you physically exercise, endorphins are released throughout the body. This endorphins help to make a person happy, relaxed and balanced, allowing for you to actually receive the information that is all around you.

Ask your guides for help. You may not be able to see them yet, but they are there. They want to help you, but you need to ask. Before meditating, taking a walk, or doing your dishes for that matter, ask for their assistance to help you with your clarity.

Show gratitude for everything. When we are grateful for everything we already have, the Universe will send more goodies our way. Even when we have seemingly nothing, we still have the air that we are breathing, the legs that enable us to walk, the food on our table, the trees that surround us, etc. Instead of focusing on the lack, be grateful for the abundance that already surrounds you. Your heart and crown chakras will open even more inviting intuitive information to come in.

Just remember the more you put into improving yourself the more the Universe will share with you. Make the time to practice every day and the Universe will reward you. We didn’t learn to drive or walk the first time. Just keep plugging along. Practice makes perfect and the more we practice the better we will be. Let go of the fear. Let go and let God. We are all Spirit Beings having a human experience. The more we help our Spirit the more we will be open to the information that surrounds us AND the more content we will feel.

And don’t forget to teach your kids to appreciate their surroundings. They are people too!

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you.)

GROUNDING

2010-03-17T01:47:00.000-07:00

What is grounding and why is it so important? Sometimes people have a tendency to live in the clouds, most especially those whose awareness is connected to Spirit. Part of our learning experience is to figure out how to balance between ‘living in the stars’ and keeping our ‘feet on the ground.’ Life is filled with dualities, good & bad, hot & cold, wet & dry and learning to balance between our Spiritual as well as our physical natures at the same time is no exception.

To be honest teachers from many Spiritual practices talk about grounding, but it took me a long time to figure out what they were actually talking about. I did my visualizations when they told me to, but never gave it much of a second thought. That is until one day, I was forced to recognize the awesome power of this technique.

I had been taking a long walk to calm my nerves. I was most certainly not in a good mood that day. I could feel the anger seething through every cell in body. That's when I noticed it. As I took each step, I literally felt as though I was floating just above the pavement, barely touching the sidewalk below me. Admittedly, as an empath, I feel things that others may not be aware of, but for me, this was a revelation. I quickly grounded my body and within an instant, my feet slammed their way back onto the ground. It was as though I was a piece of metal being sucked in by a heavy magnet. The floating sensation was gone.

Something else happened. Like an eraser being used to wipe off the chalk from a chalkboard, my bad mood had been erased, as well. I had a complete turnaround in my emotional response to life. It was truly a miracle!

So, how does one ground themselves? There are many techniques used to bring a person back to ground level. I like to visualize a tree which metaphorically represents this duality between ‘Heaven & Earth.’ While part of the tree is above ground reaching for the outer limits, its roots, on the other hand, dig deeply into the ground. Visualizing these roots attached to your feet or your tailbone, tunneling their way through the floor underneath you is a great way to start. Through the topsoil, continuing downward until reaching the center of the Earth, see the roots wrap their way around the core, finally clamping onto it; thereby holding you onto the planet.

The roots of a tree are what work for me, but one can visualize a cord moving to the center or try something else all together. Create an image in your mind of a pile of bricks or rocks piled up high on your feet holding you in place. One can also utilize a rainbow of colored strings found in the seven primary chakras coiling around the body, clamping it on the ground. We are energetic Beings. One might consider binding an imaginary electrical rod around your body and clinging it to the planet.

These are just a few ideas to find balance. Experiment. Allow Spirit to flow through you enabling you to create your own methods. Your emotions will be glad you did!

Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

A Story about a Saint

2010-02-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

The following is actually not something written by me, but I was so moved by the words on so many levels I wanted to share them with others. Deepak Chopra writes in his book The Path to Love about a particular conversation he had with a friend of his named Lakshman. His friend is telling him how he grew up surrounded by the Hindi saints, but had no interest in the spiritual path. Because of this lack of faith, fear kept him from seeing the truth about the many impoverished people in India, thinking them as mere 'scoundrals'.

One afternoon, something would happen that would change his mind. It started when he made the decision to walk to work. He found the sidewalk to be so crowded he could barely move. He began to become impatient and very angry. This is what he said next:

"You can’t imagine how it felt. Of course you can, having been there yourself. But there I was, on the verge of screaming, when I suddenly felt everything in my mind stop. My anger and frenzy, my preoccupations, the constant flow of associations-the whole baggage simply disappeared; leaving behind an empty mind. I’m no fool; I had read scriptures and knew all that stuff about an empty mind being the silence of God. But on the streets of Bangalore! Somehow I managed to push my way forward. There in the middle of the pack was a small woman in a white sari, sitting with her eyes closed. She must have been about thirty. I suppose, and something about her told me she was from a country village.

To this day I have no idea why she had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk like that. She sat completely still; not minding the crush around her. Actually, the crowd was acting quite respectful on the whole. She was surrounded by a ring of people on their knees. I got a little nearer, and the most remarkable thing happened. My empty mind began to have something in it, not a thought but a sensation. Mother. That’s the only way I can describe it. It was as if all the mothering feelings that women give to their families were inside me, but with much greater purity and clarity.

I wasn’t thinking of my own mother. There was just this feeling. It grew stronger, and I saw, like a revealed truth, that this woman on the sidewalk was emanating the energy of ‘mother’ from its very source. I also saw with complete clarity that my own mother had been trying to express this same energy. However imperfectly, she was connected to a reality that doesn’t depend on this mother or that mother. It is just ‘mother’, the endless love of the feminine toward everything in creation.

The next second I was on my knees; only a few feet from this saint on the sidewalk. She had her eyes open now and was smiling at all of us. Her smile somehow made my experience far more intense. I had a flashing glimpse of thousands upon thousands of souls wanting to be here on Earth to experience the preciousness of being a mother.

What came to me then was forgiveness: I realized that all the people who can’t love, even the most evil and criminal ones, are trying to express this divine energy. We are all on the path; and despite our differences; being on the path makes us much more similar than we realize."

We are all on this path to learn and find our way back to Spirit. Sometimes it's a slow process. Sometimes a particular event triggers a rapid succession to remembering our True Nature. This man became aware of who he really was by witnessing a poor country woman praying on a street. He felt the nurturing Love from the Divine Feminine and revived what he had temporarily forgotten: that he was part of the Cosmic Playground too.

Thank you for reading an Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you.)

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20

2010-01-03T03:16:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is currently going through a rough break-up. Her emotions are all over the place. She wants to move-on from her partner, but she is confused. Her ex is being nice to her lately, so she is thinking that she should take him back. She says she is seeing the person she fell in love with that she hasn’t seen in a long time. As an outside observer I can honestly say that these two have argued over the years since the first time I saw them together a decade ago. But my friend is wavering. I started thinking about this emotional roller coaster and how I have been there myself during difficult times, whether the events are difficult relationships or another set of circumstances. Yet, when I look back on those events today, I see them from an objective perspective. While once certain things could have taken my breath away from anxiety, now I see them as learning tools that I needed to grow.

This realization got me thinking. Why is it that we create so much drama in our lives while something is happening, only to see it for what it really is years later? Think about all the times in your lifetime that tipped the emotional scale so disproportionately out of whack.

When I was growing up, occasionally some of the other kids would take my last name Tunney (which sounds like money) and turn into “tunafish”. Taunting boys would call me Lisa Tunafish. This was absolutely devastating to me at the time. I could think of no worse scenario. How could they make fun of my name, making me stand out among the rest? Why would they do that? I felt horrible.

Obviously, as an adult, I think of this name calling as a way for immature boys to get my attention. It seems so silly to me how I reacted at the time. Even if they were intentionally trying to be mean to me, it seems to me now like such a small thing. I am proud of my last name and if someone were to ever make fun of it then I would simply feel compassion for their need to be aggressive. So what has changed in my way of thinking? In this case, thirty years have passed and I can remember these circumstances as an objective bystander. It no longer has the same dramatic effect it once had.

And what about past relationships that were once trying on my emotional state? The same thing applies here. I waivered for a year in a half with one boyfriend and three years with another whether or not I should break up with them. One side of me saw the good they had to offer, the other side of me was being tormented nearly on a daily basis dealing with their ineptitude to respect our relationship. Many tears were poured during those days. Now, I simply see that they were reflecting who I was in that moment. I don’t blame them for anything. I honor them for the lessons I have learned to get me to this moment right now.

So why is it that something so small can be elevated to such emotional turmoil while we are going through it? It is simply because we are not living in the moment. Every “negative” reaction to something is based on remembering how we reacted during a similar event in the past and bringing that emotional response directly to this moment.

When we repeat in our minds that we could not possibly live without our recent ex-partners, I assure you that you can. Would you still want to be with your high school sweetheart? Probably not. You have moved on from the relationship of so long ago. It’s just that this break-up is so new that you feel that it is the end. It is not. The truth is you are remembering heartbreak from any and all previous breakups. You have dug up the amalgam of emotional responses to past breakups and have brought them right into your present, making this one seem like the end of the world. While you may not be bothered about your boyfriend from twenty years ago, your feelings about the breakup are carried over into your feelings about the present breakup. Feelings of abandonment, loneliness and all the rest resurface.

In time, this event will simply be another that is part of the past. Where once you were in dismay, you will probably become grateful for this particular ending. It no longer reflects who you are and it will get you to the next step. Hallelujah!

If you stopped for one moment to take a look at your current situation ‘right now’, what is going on? The truth is that in ‘this moment’ you are fine. And in ‘this moment’ you are fine. And in ‘this moment’ you are also fine. If we string together the ubiquitous moments of our lives we will see that we have been fine all along. Even if you are facing what may seem like impending doom. You may have lost your job, lost your home, lost everything…but in ‘this moment’ you are still fine.

We need to learn to not hold on to everything so tightly. Life is about change. The world is constantly changing. If you decidedly try not to change, the Universe will most emphatically slap you in the face with change. Instead of thinking that hindsight is 20/20, why not think that the present is 20/20 too? When moving through a difficult situation, try to remember to breathe. Breathe deeply and focus on this moment. When feelings based on previous learned behavior are brought forth, simply thank it for coming, for it has taught you a lesson and move back into the present. For right now in this moment, you are fine.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

BACK TO THE FUTURE

2009-12-23T22:55:00.000-08:00

Intuition is a fascinating thing. As all of our intuitive abilities are either beginning or continuing to develop, more and more of us are seeing the future. Events in our minds are revealing themselves before they actually happen in the real world. This phenomenon is emerging due to the fact that the walls our physical beings have built up separating us from our Divine Truths for several millennia are coming down. This is enabling us to remember our spiritual contracts written before our incarnations on Earth this time around. When we see a future event, we are actually just remembering what we wanted; the good, the bad and the ugly, all here to teach us lessons.

That being said, because of freewill, we are able to change future events. To quote the fictional character, Yoda (of Star Wars fame), “The future, uncertain it is.” While future events you see in your mind may be probable, nothing is written in stone. Spiritual contracts can be broken and indeed are disregarded all the time.

I will give an example of what I mean. I once had a lunch date with my best friend. I arrived on time. As I pulled out my book to read while I waited, my phone rang. My friend advised me he was going to be very late. I asked if I had time to run across the street to get a manicure and pedicure. He said I did. So, after hanging up the phone, I left.

An hour later I returned to see my friend sitting at a different table. We chatted about this and that, when suddenly he blurted out, “I am having a déjà vu. Everything is the same, except we were sitting over there.” He pointed to the table I originally sat at. Déjà vus are simply memories of our contracts. In this case, I had freewill and changed things. Had I stayed and read my book after he called me, we would have been sitting at the table he was “remembering.” I didn’t want to wait for an hour by myself, so I exercised my right to change the future. We are constantly making changes all the time.

Sometimes we misinterpret future events, as well. One evening during President Clinton’s first term, I absolutely knew he would be assassinated during his second term. Obviously (and thankfully) that did not happen. What did happen, however, is that the press nearly “assassinated” him with the Monica Lewinsky ordeal. The press, the government and the people nearly finished a man’s career, because of his personal life. Fortunately, we forgave him and moved on.

Now, I am not saying to disregard your sixth sense. On the contrary, the more we practice using our extra sensory perception, the more accurate it becomes; thereby, the more we are able to be guided by it. I simply mean to say that we need to pay attention. If you think your ex-partner is returning to your life on a particular date, be wary of this. It may be so, it may not be so. Both people have the right to exercise their freewill and change things up a bit. The reality is maybe things are better without that person anyway. It could just be that the Universe is saying to you that on such and such a date, you have an opportunity for a particular event to happen. You can then decide if it is really what you want or not.

According to quantum physics, every option for a particular event does occur in alternative dimensions. If we turn right, we break our leg, if we turn left we meet the love of our life, if we go straight, we get the job we always wanted, if we turn around and go home, we sit around watching tv. All options exist somewhere in some other place. But the important thing for us is the option we take here and now.

We are constantly “creating” our realities as we see it. Our futures are in flux. We may have had a plan to begin with and the more foresight and déjà vus we have the more on track we know we are with that plan, but if we are not having a lot of foresight and déjà vu-ing happening, it’s ok too. It just means we have changed our minds. It’s all good.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

EXPLORING YOUR INTUITIVE NATURE

2009-12-22T02:49:00.001-08:00

According to the dictionary the word intuition is the apparent ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason. It comes from the Latin word 'intueri', which is often roughly translated as meaning ‘to look inside’ or ‘to contemplate’

Our sixth sense is an innate ability to see the world as it really is. The world that we know as ‘reality’ is simply a dream state or illusion we are creating in order to learn various things that our soul desires. Our true nature is our Spirit Consciousness. It allows us to see well beyond the physical form. Our Spirit Consciousness, or what Jung called the Collective Unconscious, is the place where we are unified with the Divine. When we listen to our inner wisdom, we are allowing the flow of Source to guide us. It is our inner compass pointing us in the right direction.

When we calm our minds and listen to this inner wisdom, instead of the constant chatter that filters through our heads, we learn to not only accept who we really are, but to cherish all of life; not just our own, but every aspect of nature, as well. We begin to feel a deep connection with all things. Trees, birds, stars all become of importance to us as we see how every aspect of our awareness are all part of the Divine Whole.

Unfortunately, over the centuries because of fear, the Church and science have misinterpreted elements of our True Nature. The Church has submitted that we must fear God as an outside source. Science, on the other hand, has stipulated that we must not believe in anything that can not be physically proven. For years, even centuries, due to witch burnings, bannings from the church and fear of being mocked by others, those with strong intuitive abilities had to hide in the closet and as for the rest they weren’t even aware of their natural abilities.

Fortunately, our planet is moving through a radical shift and more and more intuitives are coming out of the proverbial closet and teaching others how to utilize their own innate gifts. This is who we all are in reality. The more we explore, the stronger our abilities will grow and the more we will be able to trust our instincts.

Instead of being guided by what other say, we will no longer feel the need to ask other people’s opinions on what is right for ourselves. We will just know all on our own. Nor will we place judgment on others for their decisions. When someone asks me what I think about their personal situation, I inform them that I can only share what my truth is. For them, however, they already know what is right for themselves somewhere inside. They just have to find it.

The world is not a two-dimensional flat plane. It is not even a three-dimensional plane with depth. Our spirit selves are multi-dimensional beings that come and go into different realities as we please. We span different times, different dimensions at will and at the same time. If you are a meditater, you already are aware that you are in the room meditating and you are “somewhere else”, with the Divine Source at the same time. Meditation is just a small glimpse of this multi-dimensional phenomenon. Just remember, the more we explore, the more we know for ourselves.

Now is the time to explore your True Nature. You are Divine. You are from Source. You are able to see other realities. You are able to know what direction to take in your life. Simply open your mind, body and soul to experience life in the fullest.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

HIBERNATE

2009-12-09T00:48:00.001-08:00

As the winter solstice approaches and the days are becoming shorter, it fascinates me how once again I am in need of more sleep than I do during the spring and summer months. As do so many I played by the rules of linear time for decades, setting my alarm clock at a certain time to blast me up and out of bed. Interestingly enough when the days are longer I wake up naturally around 4:00 to 5:00 am, having to turn off the alarm before it scares me while sipping my morning tea making me jump and throw hot water to all corners of the room. But in the depths of late autumn and winter, my inner clock tells me to go to bed early and sleep in late. These days I actually listen.

The truth of the matter is that when the days are shorter, we biologically need more sleep. Many animals hibernate during the cold months, partly due to the lack of food and partly due to the fact that they need to sleep more at this time of year. We are no different. We may no longer need to go out and forge for our food. Our food supplies have been taken care of by our local grocery stores. But sleep is another matter. Unfortunately, our culture has decided that linear time is much more important than cyclical time and has implemented enforced wake-up calls in order to get to work and school on time. Well, that is the way of the world and I don’t see it changing any time soon. So, what can we do in the meantime to combat this desperate need for sleep? It’s very simple. Go to bed earlier.

I know most of us are so brainwashed into thinking that we must stay up until 10, 11 or even 12:00. We have to do that extra bit of work that can’t wait until morning; or we have to wash every last dish; or we have to watch the news at a certain time. And that’s another thing we fill our minds with negative images from the daily news and then try to have a restful sleep in only a few hours. Argh, Calgon take me away!

Last night as the rain came pouring down in Paris, I walked the streets armed with my umbrella in hand and something else too; a smile on my face. While most people crowded the Champs-Elysées trying to buy as many holiday gifts they could carry, they all the while also carried the grimaces that only would be familiar to the Grinch. And for you Americans out there please don’t tell me that this is a “French” thing. I served the American public for years when I was younger, by working in retail and I can safely attest that most Americans are just as grumpy during winter too.

So, why during the midst of walking in a storm was I all smiles? For no particular reason, except that the rain is cleansing and certainly good for both us and nature (we are part of nature after all). So I thought I would celebrate with a smile. And why not, rain is something to celebrate. I often hear how so-called bad weather makes people depressed, but I wonder if the truth is that we are just not getting enough sleep to appreciate the goodness a little rain brings us.

Some may argue with me regarding my hypothesis, but think about our ancestors. Did the Pilgrims go to bed at midnight and wake up again at 5:30? In fact, before the invention of the electric light bulb everyone went to bed early. They may have stayed up briefly, allowing a candle or two to light their way, but once it was burned, folks honored their need for sleep. Don’t get me wrong, Thomas Edison’s contribution to the world would be greatly missed if we suddenly didn’t have light, but I don’t think it was his intention for us to lose sleep over it.

For the next couple of months, if you are complaining that you are tired, don’t force yourself to watch the late night movie. Put the kids to bed and next put yourself to bed. You will find that a bounce you haven’t seen since August might just come back.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

A Letter to My Ex

2009-11-24T02:41:00.000-08:00

I recently had a conversation in my mind with a former boyfriend of long ago. Fifteen years had passed since I last saw him and in my pretend conversation I was realizing how different I was from the person I was in those days when we were together. My first reaction was to jokingly make light of the patterns we chose to maintain for three years. This was something I always did, fought off something serious with humor. Why face up to something when you can laugh? Don’t get me wrong, laughter is the best medicine, but only when it is not used to suppress hurtful or painful emotions. I then decided it was a better course of action to take responsibility for my share of the bad stuff. So, that’s what I did, if only to myself.

I spent three years, off and on, with a man who on the one hand I trusted implicitly. If he told me the sky was pink, I would actually consider that it might indeed be pink. On the other hand, I spent many sleepless nights because this man would never commit to me. When years later, I read the book, He’s Just Not That Into You, I could have sworn this book was about me.

I decided in my faux-conversation, that it really wasn’t his fault. First of all I clearly was not the love of his life. That’s fine. Well, he was not mine either. Touché. Secondly, how on earth could this otherwise wonderful man respect me, when I myself didn’t respect me? Wow, that woke me up. He was simply mirroring who I was at the time. True love can only be attracted when you love yourself and I wasn't there yet.

At the time, I thought it best to hide behind a great big curtain and bury myself deeply in the proverbial closet. Not the gay closet, but the closet built just for those who don’t share anything important about themselves.

For example, I had always been fascinated with women who wore lots of rings, especially those women who were daring enough to wear then on their thumbs! I wanted to be one of these women, but I was too conservative in those days. I wore my suits and my fingers remained bare. I was a woman in a man’s world, and while I clearly looked like a woman, I was trying desperately to emulate a man. Instead of revealing my emotional side, I used my intellectual-critical mind more predominantly than my creative-intuitive side, thinking that somehow this made me a better person. I denied my True Nature.

Both the masculine and the feminine are Divine. We are all part of God. We are all worthy. The Universe is filled with polarities and all aspects of the Divine Whole have value.

Amidst my spiritual awakening, I found the most beautiful gold ring with 7 gold flowers on it. It is large and it sounds ostentatious…and it is. I get more compliments on this ring than any other. When I slipped it on my finger for the first time, I felt like a goddess. So, to pay homage to the feminine goddess form, I named it the goddess ring.

The naming of my ring had deeper roots for me. Metaphorically, it represents honoring myself as a part of the Sacred Feminine. Where I once lived in fear, I now honor my intuitive, empathic, healing nature. Scientifically-minded people may question the allure I have with this side of myself and that is fine. While a few years ago being so open would have terrified me, now I know that I am in my power and it doesn’t matter what others think. As long as I am creating my perfect world, that is what is important.

When I look around it seems that most Western women have allowed their inner goddess to slip through their fingers. It is more important to fit in than to be expressive. One woman actually told me that she wished she could wear all the rings that I wear, but she was afraid she would look foolish. I thankfully broke free of this fear. “Hail to my inner goddess. Hail to the Sacred Feminine!”

Jewelry was just one symbol I was not using to express my true nature. I never shared with anyone my dreams, my aspirations, my goals. Perhaps, it was because I was not sure what they were myself. I was simply on a conveyer belt, moving along doing what I was told; until one day when I began taking the path less taken. I took the plunge and jumped off into a new direction. Listening to my inner wisdom I figured out why I was set on this planet.

My ex from long ago once asked me once where I saw myself in ten years. I answered that I wanted to be running a fortune 500 company. I didn’t know any better. My feeling then was isn’t that what everyone wants? If he were to ask me now where I want to be in ten years I would say that my goal is to be of service. I wish to write about my experiences and if others benefit from my honest outpouring then I am happy. I wish to be a guide helping others find true happiness by exploring their own inner wisdom. By my writings, by teaching reiki and by offering spiritual life coaching, I choose to be of service. That is what I would say now. I think that almost every single man I ever dated would fall off their rocker if they looked at my website now and saw what I was up to. At the very least they would certainly be surprised and that is ok.

What is the meaning of life? It certainly is not about being miserable for several decades and then kicking the old bucket. No, of course not. It is about finding beauty in the miracles surrounding us every day. An autumnal leaf falling from the tree, a butterfly prancing in our view, a flower springing to life, a baby being born; these miracles are everywhere.

Life is about finding pleasure; IMMENSE pleasure, not a little tiny bit of pleasure here and there when we can fit it into our deeply mounting schedules. Pleasure comes in all forms, from finding deep meaning from our work, to cooking a wonderful meal, to digging in the garden, to fixing a car, to making love. It can be anything and should be everything. It can even be doing the dishes, if you want it to be.

In its highest most sacred form, immense pleasure is of course found during sexual intimacy. Unfortunately, while I practiced sexual diversions on a regular basis, I lacked the intimacy needed for heightened awareness. In the old days, I was the type of woman who swerved in and then quickly out of relationships. In the in-between times (which was most of the time) I had plenty of men swarming their way towards me. It was not unheard of for me to date up to five men at a time while meeting others in bars. My parents’ friends admired my bravado. My friends nicknamed me Samantha taken from the character on Sex in the City. I took pride in being a female version of 'The Fonz'.

As time went on and I discovered that the casualness of my affairs was not about being free and open about sex, instead it was quite the opposite. I was actually a cover-up artist. Sex was an out of body experience for me. Even when I actually liked the guy, I was not living in the moment. I found myself thinking about the laundry list of other things, or maybe my next conquest. I didn’t want anyone to know the real me and I hid behind an illusion of being a temptress. I was the powerful one. I had all the cards in the deck in my hands. They had to play by my rules. But i didn't have real power and rules were not meant to be in the story of love. I just never bothered to feel love deeply enough to understand that.

It is now my goal to be open and honest with who ever my future partner will be. I am determined for him to “see” me as I will “see” him. I choose to not hide behind fear of what he may find. I choose to be an open book. If he decides to read it, he can make the decision for himself if this is a book he will give away, put on the shelf or prize me as no other, and I will do the same for him. I will honor him as I honor myself and I know he will do the same for me. This person will mirror the me of today.

So, does it matter which ex this letter is being written to? Not particularly. In fact, I can cluster all of my ex-boyfriends, including my ex-husband, into an amalgamation of one man. The ubiquitous sea of one night stands are a part of my past and most of their faces I have forgotten. For them I thank you all for helping me recognize that my name is not Samantha after all. For anyone who made it past a night or two, I am sorry I wasn’t able to open up when we were together. I am sorry for any complaints I made. I thank you all for the many lessons I have learned since our departure. Without all of you, I could not be the person I am in this moment. You were a gift to me and I send many blessings to you on your journey and wish you only happiness.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

LIFE JUST IS

2009-11-21T01:42:00.001-08:00

We each have several defining moments in our lives; college graduation, marriage, and the birth of a child are just a few examples. A powerful moment can also be when we make a sudden realization, allowing a shift in consciousness. Some may only have one epiphany in a lifetime, others may have several a week; but either way, these shifts are important to not only the individual but the collective unconscious as a whole. When one benefits, we all benefit.

A shift in consciousness can involve something as small as looking at a single moment as though it were the entire Universe. When we look at a bad situation, do we see it as bad? Or for that matter when we look at a good situation, do we see it as good? The truth of the matter is that there really isn’t anything that is good or bad. Life just is.

Sometimes we move through our journey taking things so seriously. When life isn’t going according to plan, we allow our perception to feel a situation as the worst thing that could possibly happen, reliving the thought process in our minds over and over again. It seems as though things just can’t get any worse, and then they do. If we took the time to step back and see things from an objective perspective, we can see that everything is really ok. We are exactly where we need to be.

The best way to experience this state of Being is to simply go with the ebb and flow of life. What is life showing you today? For that matter, what is showing up for you in right now? Truthfully, nothing else matters, but this very moment…and this very moment…and this very moment. In all those moments, we are all perfect. We are all fine. The world didn’t collapse. We all took some refreshing breaths. We all used our eyes to read. It’s all good.

Living in the present moment has been a subject that has been regurgitated to death, but what does that mean exactly and how do we actually do it? Being present simply means opening up one’s awareness to everything in this moment. I feel the weight of my left leg over my right. I am cognizant of each inhalation and exhalation. I feel the energy moving throughout my body. I feel my left eyebrow more then my right. I feel the keys on my computer as my fingers dance across the keyboard. I see all the sights and I hear all the sounds surrounding me in this moment. This is living in the moment.

Being present does not mean paying attention to the laundry list of thoughts that come in and out of your mind. How are my bills going to get paid? Where will I live tomorrow? When is the love of my life showing up? None of these things matters in this particular moment, for you are one with the Universe.

I once had a love-hate relationship with a former boyfriend. It was pure hell during the relationship. Seven years later, I can honestly say that it was a fascinating experience. I was able to love and hate one person at the same time. I wouldn’t have known that these two emotions are actually more closely tied into one another than one might realize, I had I not gone through this relationship myself.

It suddenly occurred to me last night like a flash of lightning that it would be nice if I would be fascinated with so-called hellish experiences while they are occurring. Life is messy. Life is a rollercoaster. Even the Dali Lama gets angry. Does he get upset that he is upset? Or does he just go with the flow of his anger and move on?

I personally have been complaining so much about my financial situation lately. I do my work. I love what I do. I finally aligned with my mission on this planet and the Universe still hasn’t provided and I have frankly been pissed off. Instead of going with the flow, I have been allowing the anger to take over my mind, body and soul. Of course, I have been attracting more of the same; and knowing that fact has only made me feel worse.

When this new shift took place and I simply decided all this emotional outpouring is not serving me anymore. I let it all go. I am doing what I want to do. I am writing. I am teaching reiki. I am a spiritual life coach. I am being of service. I do have a roof over my head. I do have food to eat. So what if my internet at home is not working and I have to carry my heavy computer to the café. I like being at the café. The walk is good exercise. I am on an adventure. I have finally found peace. This living in the moment thing really is all that it is cracked up to be.

Life is a series of moments strung together. Take mental photos of each moment and pay homage to all that life has to offer you; the good the bad and the ugly…for it’s all good.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

A DREAM WORLD

2009-11-17T02:54:00.000-08:00

I stood on the precipice overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The sky was grey and in only a moment’s time the grayish-white waves that were reflecting the color of the ominous sky, began to swell far above the land. One wave in particular was higher than the rest. It reminded of me of an arm reaching above one’s body. That’s what this wave was doing; reaching above the rest of its body.

Many of us were on the rock landing attached to the side of the grayish-white rock cliff. Our instincts for survival kicked into full gear. We started to climb the side of the mountain, using our bare hands and feet. We didn’t have the equipment of a mountain climber, but four of us made it over the hill. Before the wave hit terra firma, my partner, Colin Firth (the actor), my former roommate Ed and his girlfriend climbed over the peak to find a tunnel moving slightly downward towards our new home.

Colin and Ed walked ahead of me and the other woman. I overheard Colin telling Ed that he didn’t mind having to cut his pants during the summer months, but he was concerned that we might not be warm enough during the winter months.

The journey down the dark tunnel was completed and we stepped out from the gloomy space into a lush forest. We just came from a place that was varying shades of grayish-white. The tunnel then was dark and shadowy. Here in the new land, we were surrounded by the rich colors of nature. Life was springing in full force. It was as though Dorothy opened her front door after her house landed from its ride in the eye of the tornado. The black and white world of Kansas emerged into the bright and cheerful colors of Munchkinland.

The colors were captivating, but that didn’t stop us from noticing the dwelling we would call home. The trees guarded our residence, a large round-roofed structure made entirely of glass. This green house would provide enough to eat for the four of us all year round.

The four of us entered our sanctuary. We were the last four people on Earth. We had to start re-populating the planet. I never wanted children and I didn’t want to be the new Eve here, but I knew even at 43, I would have to contribute. Besides, I was already pregnant. I only hoped that I had a boy and that Ed and his girlfriend who were in their mid-twenties would have many girls. My thinking was that my son could be father to all the women’s children and I could stop with my one child.

This is where the dream ended.

I woke up thinking it was not a bad choice that my dream picked Colin Firth as my partner, probably due to the fact that I had just seen a movie with him in it right before I fell asleep. After ogling over Mr. Firth, I then wondered if this dream was about an impending apocalypse where my friends and I, would indeed have to repopulate the planet. This thought of impending planetary doom crossed my mind, since I do dream psychically. But after my initial thought I knew what this dream was about. To explain, I need to back up a little further and tell more of the story.

In a nutshell, for most of my life I have been trying to live the status quo. I was brought up in the “right” neighborhood. I went to the “right” university. I did the corporate thing and owned 30-odd suits. I had fun with my friends and socialized at the expensive restaurants and bars. On the outside I looked like I was having fun and in truth on a superficial level I was indeed having fun, but on the inside I always wanted to scream. All I ever wanted was to be happy. I even admitted that very fact to my ex-husband the first night we got together. True happiness always seemed to elude me.

During this part of my life I always felt I was climbing uphill without any help. I had no direction for what I truly wanted. I was just trying to make more money so I could buy more things. I may have had color in my home, but I had no purpose. My soul felt bland. So that part of my life was metaphorically various shades of grayish-white. Just like the first scene in my dream.

I then moved through my spiritual awakening in the midst of extreme adversity. Through many difficulties, however, I found happiness, real happiness, for the first time in my life. My soul wanted to jump for joy. I had purpose! A lot of emotional healing was accomplished during my newfound happiness stage.

I had seen the Light and now I knew what I had to do, but life was not finished teaching me. I had seen what happiness was. I had done the cleansing at the emotional level. Next it was time to deal with my spiritual healing. And boy was that a big old ass-kicker! (Sorry for the vulgarity, but that is exactly what it was).

I had to move through my shadow side, feeling every dark crevice that possibly existed. I had to integrate this dark side of my being that we all have into my Light side. Existence is a set of dualities in all things. We are both Light and Dark. That is our reality. Instead of suppressing our dark side as most of us do, we need to go through this integration to know true happiness. To fully accept this dark side is the step that baffles most of us while we are going through it, but at the end of that dark tunnel there is Light; hence why I saw the imagery of the dark tunnel in my dream. This represented the dark phase of my life. Coming out of the tunnel symbolized the end of living in the Dark. I was becoming Whole again, moving back to Spirit, where I wanted to be.

I had been getting clues of my revival since the day before. I had hosted a reiki share with a couple of students I taught the first level of reiki to a few days before. I wanted to give them some practice time. It was a lovely share and as it turned out I was the last one to be worked on. During my session I had a clear vision of Mother Mary. She and her friends were removing Christ from the cross. Almost the entire session I was focused on this image.

It was clear to me at the time what this image was saying to me. It wasn’t about the Biblical telling of Christ dying on the cross. It was about the metaphor of his old self dying and his new self, his spiritual self, emerging and being resurrected. The spirit world was trying to tell me that my old life was now complete and I would soon have my resurrection, as well. Hallelujah!

After everyone left, I spent time alone meditating, where my focused intention morphed into a shamanic journeying experience. In essence, I had another vision. I saw myself flying above where I could only see the tips of the large pine trees. They were surrounded by water. Again, my first reaction was to think that planetary doom was inevitable and the there would be some sort of tidal wave that would cover the Earth. I then moved through another dark tunnel when something interrupted my vision and I was awakened.

The dream later that night finished the story for me.

I had completed living in the dull grayish-white. I had completed moving through my dark shadowy painful side. Great floods symbolize rebirth as told in the Biblical story of Noah. The tale of his family and all the coupled animals repopulated the Earth. The planet was born anew. I was being born anew.

The series of visions was not just about me. On a larger scale our entire planet is moving through vibrational changes. We are all having our own versions of hell. That is part of the cleansing process.

There is so much turmoil, that people around the world are paying attention the Mayan prediction of planetary destruction in the year 2012. The apocalypse is coming! The truth of the matter is that the apocalypse is here upon us now. We are moving the through the stages we need to move through to clear out the old junk so that we can let the good stuff in. We are evolving.

Our evolution does not mean the destruction of the planet in the physical sense. In fact, the word apocalypse doesn’t actually mean what we have turned it into. Thanks to Dan Brown and his book, The Lost Symbol, I discovered and later confirmed that apocalypse was mistranslated from Greek. It doesn’t mean destruction in the way we think that it does. It does mean to reveal or revelation. The ancient Greek definition is about an unveiling of hidden truth, not about the total annihilation of the planet on a physical sense. There may be symbolic cleansing of the of the old ways of living that no longer are serving us, but this unveiling is about moving towards the Light and expressing our True Selves, remembering that we are of Source. Life in this reality was never meant to be an uphill struggle without any ‘equipment’ to help us along the way. We are meant to flourish and live life in a happy, peaceful manner, paying attention to our inner wisdom for guidance.

While there were many other minor messages in my dream, the bigger picture is what is most significant here. The dream ended in a lush forest with vibrant colors. This was the new Garden of Eden, where the world was starting anew. My dream pregnancy symbolized my own personal rebirth which was taking place. My hell was over. The blossoming of the new phase, my revelation, would now begin.

Dreams are not just unlived fantasies. They are messages from the Universe. We experience these altered states of reality to teach us. Every aspect of our dreams and visions are here to act as our guides, filled with metaphors and messages for us in this world. When we quiet our minds, opening them to all the possibilities we can see what these messages are trying to tell us.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

OUR OWN PATHS

2009-10-29T22:48:00.001-07:00

It fascinates me how lessons are learned. Sometimes it’s in the midst of observing a painful dialogue between others. The other night, I had one such experience. While socializing with three other women, we were all getting to know one another better when one of them brought up a painful subject that was very much part of her life. While I chose to listen, the other two were determined to set this woman straight. It was their thought that she could not be healed unless they saw things her way. No matter how much the story teller said she was sticking to her original game plan, the other two continued to try and force their ideas on her, hoping she would see the light…or rather, their light.

As an empath, I was feeling all the emotions circulating around the room. I was feeling psychically as well as physically ill. Why were these women trying so hard to present their case I wondered? The woman they were trying to help clearly did not want their assistance in this matter. She had her own thoughts on how she wanted to proceed and that was final. The other two just would not let their “teaching” go.

Under normal circumstances I would have long left the party or at least would have left the room. As I was a guest in the home where we were and my bedroom was the living room, I was stuck. Why did the Universe want me here so badly? What was it that I had to learn?

After a couple of hours of this diatribe, I finally intervened. I calmly stated that we all have our own journeys to make. We are all here to learn particular lessons that we assigned ourselves on our spiritual contracts before we were born. We do not know what lessons others are trying to learn. While it is a wonderful thing to give suggestions for a new way to look at something, if the other person is not willing to change his or her mind, then we should let it go. Their path is perfect for them. They are gathering the information that they set out to learn that is making them a better spiritual being. Even if the information is to learn what they are not so they can figure out what they are, it is all perfect.

To say that the two women did not see my teaching would be an understatement. They resented my interference. So, since they were not willing to listen to me, I was not going to force my ideas on them and I stopped trying to teach.

Later, the woman who was being verbally attacked left, while the other two remained. One woman accused me of not understanding what they were trying to say to the story teller. The truth, of course was a different story. I saw the whole picture. I told them I actually agreed with most of what they were saying. The difference is that I agreed with it if this scenario had been about me. I knew these women were not listening so I made the decision once again to stop.

Rather sardonically, the woman’s response to me was to question what made me think I could possibly be a writer, healer and spiritual life coach. Her motivation was to hurt my feelings and I would not allow her to do so. I simply answered the question.

“I have had many experiences in my life that have helped given me an opportunity to see things from a much higher perspective then I once did. As a story teller and teacher, I share my experiences with others. If some aspect of what I say speaks to someone else, allowing them to move forward on their journeys, then that is perfect. If someone else is not interested in what I have to say, that is perfect too. I am not a guru, nor do I have any interest in being one. I am a guide, helping others to find their own ways. It is not my job to judge others, nor is it my job to ‘fix’ anyone as there is nothing to fix. Our paths are ideally matched up with who we are in this moment and this moment alone. We are all perfect.”

One rolled her eyes back and the other argued with me. When the two others in the room didn’t hear a word that I said, I realized that the lesson was not for them to have had. I was not their teacher and that was fine. Instead, the lesson was actually for me. There were two things happening at this moment.

In the first place these women were trying to belittle me by inferring that I couldn’t possibly be good at my chosen path. I could have allowed them to get to me and become angry, as well. Instead I chose a different way. I allowed them to have their opinion of me without allowing them to hurt my feelings. Their opinion did not matter. I am of the Divine as are they and I am perfect for where I am in this moment. I knew and know now I am taking the right course and their opinion was of no consequence. I am simply not their teacher and that is fine and perfect. They will learn what they need to learn from others that reflect who they are in a particular moment.

My learning did not end there. I realized that in my professional life and for the most part in my private life I have practiced what I just preached. I am a guide not an interferer. However, in the couple of weeks prior to this evening I, too, had been guilty of trying to ‘fix’ someone. While my tactics were not as strong as the women that evening, I did recognize that on some level I was trying to get in her space to let her see my way of things. She was not interested in hearing and only became argumentative when I gave her my "wiser course of action". I was only trying to help make her a better person, but she is already on her path to be a better person. It is not up to me to change her. I had to see this dramatic example of forcing one’s ideas on another, to see that I too was guilty of the same thing. The Universe needed me to learn this lesson for myself.

Even though we may have the best of intentions, please try to remember that we are creating our own realities as we go along. Our perceptions are different for a reason. Be a teacher and a guide if you wish, but do not try to force your beliefs on someone who is not interested. We all have our own journeys to make and every experience is a part of an integral plan to make us a better Spiritual Being, no matter what the experience might be.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

To BEE or Not To BEE

2009-10-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.”

-Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was not a naturalist, but he certainly knew how closely human beings were tied to the bee. The ecosystems of the planet are so closely integrated, yet most of the so-called civilized world still hasn’t seemed to grasp this fact. Native Americans and other indigenous cultures around the world not only were aware of the importance of our interconnectedness between all species, they honored all beings on this planet as sentient and part of the universal community. The white man showed up and decided that the Indians were the uncivilized ones and nearly destroyed these people who should have been our ancestors’ teachers.

All these many years later, we are paying the price. It has been estimated that nearly 90% of the bee population has vanished from the planet and many that remain are unhealthy. Bees are not finding their way home back to the hive. When they do they are often not recognized by the other members of the colony. The Queen might be found in the hive with only a few young worker bees, not the thriving community of days past.

Why are the bees becoming extinct? The first culprit is a threatening mite has been attaching itself to the throat of bees. Like a fictional vampire, it sucks the blood, leaving many bees dead. Another cause for the destruction of bee colonies is, of course, man-made. Our agricultural practices of the 20th and 21st centuries are all about making a buck. Unfortunately, we are not taking into account the needs of the other ecosystems.

Instead of rotating crops on an annual basis, giving the earth an opportunity to breathe and re-nourish itself, we are using and reusing the same land over and over again. This process simply depletes the food and thereby us and all the other animals of proper nutritional value. An apple of thirty years ago is not the apple of today.

In addition, we are utilizing chemicals to kill as many pests as possible. The suffix ‘-icide’ literally means the act of killing. The chemicals used are not only killing off unwanted pests, they are killing off bees, not to mention the fact that poison is poison and it is not good for us either.

Why are bees so important to us? Most obviously, they provide honey, a natural food source for humans. Honey is not only used to sweeten your morning cup of tea, it has natural healing properties used in many holistic remedies; and the connection doesn’t stop there.

Bees are the number one pollinators in the planet. Simply by landing on a flower, the bee starts the pollination process. Tiny dense hairs on the legs of the bee collect the necessary pollen. The bee then takes the succulent nectar from a flower and moves on to its next destination dropping pollen on the stigma of the new plant, giving it the ability to reproduce.

Let’s say for a moment that the bees are all gone. How would that affect us? If bees did not exist to aid in the pollination process many of crops would become extinct. We don’t just need farmers to keep the crops alive. We need the pollinators. Without the crops, many animal species would die off as well, eliminating more of our food sources. Without one link in the chain, many links will die off.

Bee extinction is not just a problem of our food supply. Plants and trees are fundamental to our breathing. We take in a breath of oxygen and exhale the carbon dioxide. The vegetation on the planet breathes in the carbon dioxide and breathes out the oxygen which we need to survive. Without the bees to pollinate our flora, we will not have enough trees and plants to keep us breathing.

There are nearly seven billion people living on this planet. We are sucking out every last bit of our natural resources leaving a depleted planet. Managing the way we treat the Earth and all its inhabitants should be top priority in our way of thinking, not the earning of the ubiquitous dollar. Without life, what does the meaning of the dollar mean anyway?

Next time you are enjoying a picnic with friends on a hot summer day, remember how important the bee is to us before swatting it away. They are our friends.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

Please note: There are many worthwhile organizations one can send donations to in order to help save the bees, including U.C. Davis which has a Department of Etymology which has a Honeybee Research division.

Sources:

Honey Bee Crisis and Biodiversity
http://insects.suite101.com/article.cfm/bee_crisis

What Would Happen if Bees Disappeared?
http://www.cite-sciences.fr/francais/ala_cite/science_actualites/sitesactu/question_actu.php?langue=an&id_article=2783&id_mag=0

Endangered Honey Bees
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wildtv/endangered.html

Seven Colony Collapse Disorder
http://www.beeculture.com/content/ColonyCollapseDisorderPDFs/7%20Colony%20Collapse%20Disorder%20Have%20We%20Seen%20This%20Before%20-%20Robyn%20M.%20Underwood%20and%20Dennis%20vanEngelsdorp.pdf

The Bee’s Role in the Pollination Process
http://www.helium.com/items/325681-the-bees-role-in-the-pollination-process

WHAT YOU PUT OUT, YOU GET BACK

2009-10-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

I walked in on my roommate the other day and she was using another roommate’s laptop. Hers wasn’t working and she needed to get online to answer her emails. She is accustomed to her PC and this was a Mac and it was frustrating her. “I hate this computer! I hate this computer!” became her mantra. Energetically, her comments were knocking me for a loop and I pretended to be her and said to the Universe and to the others in the room, “I am GRATEFUL that I was loaned this computer so that I could do this work. I am GRATEFUL that I am learning how to use a new kind of computer so that I can increase my brain power!”

Initially, she was annoyed with my mocking and continued her negative repertoire with other things. She was out of money and although I didn’t have much either I was buying all the food for us and her two dogs. Instead of being grateful she complained that she needed more variety and she couldn’t eat simply for awhile. It truly amazed me that someone could be so ungrateful when they were being fed with healthy delicious food every day for free. I finally had to walk away.

She later calmed down and apologized for her behavior when I asked her how many times in that short amount of time did she I hate such and such. She knew it was several. “What kind of message to the Universe are you putting out there each and every time you say it?” I asked. She knew very well it was a negative one. Instead of being grateful to others for loaning her their computer or offering to share their food, she was angry because she didn’t have the money to buy exactly what she wanted.

My friend has been unemployed for five months. She was even offered a job a few weeks ago and was told the night before she was to start that she wasn’t approved because she was American and they had too many Americans working for the company. I asked her if she thought that maybe the reason this outgoing, attractive and very well connected woman couldn’t find a job, even losing one at the last minute was because she was putting up such enormous blocks that energetically speaking nothing positive could penetrate the walls to get to her? She knew I was correct.

After my “lesson” I thanked her for giving me my next story and she smiled. There is a reason we are presented everything. I am grateful for her showing this teaching tool to me.

A lot of people around the world are feeling low. The money isn’t there. We are losing our homes. Things are changing. The truth is this is how the Universe works. It and we are constantly changing. We are here to learn lessons and to grow. We are not here to follow a routine day in and day out for 80 odd years. When we don’t make a change the Universe simply will force change upon us. When this happens, and it is happening on a worldwide scale now, we need to remember that we are learning an enormous amount of information. We are also clearing out all the old junk to allow the things we really desire to come in. That may mean golden opportunities, or simply a higher state of awareness. Either way, it’s all good stuff.

Even when we are at our lowest, there are still so many things to be grateful for. Your spouse, your kids, your friends, your home, your ability to walk, your ability to breathe in air, the beauty of a flower, a tree, a lake, the sky; these are all things that surround us every day and mostly go unnoticed.

In the 70’s, Americans spouted almost ubiquitously that we should all hug a tree. Maybe you don’t have to actually hug it, but why not sit under one for bit. Feel its bark. Admire the shape of its leaves, if it has any. It is here to shade you. It protects you from the elements. It is beautiful to look at. It is part of us. Learn to appreciate the tree and everything else in your world and the Universe will reward you with more miracles. Remember, we always get back what we put out to the Universe whether it’s positive or negative.

When we have our moments of ingratitude, and we all do, say “DELETE” and erase it from existence. Follow that up by replacing it with a positive affirmation or reminder that you are grateful. In addition, when you are feeling blue, remember your gifts. You are here to help yourself not to mention the rest of us grow. You are special. You are loved. Send out to the world the Love that is inherent to your Spiritual Being and you will actually feel the Love that is already there.

Most importantly show gratitude. Being grateful not only sends out a positive energetic message it changes how you feel about your surroundings. You can instantly shift a feeling of depression to a feeling to elation by showing gratitude. One dose of gratitude goes a long way.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

DARK CLOUD OVER THE METRO

2009-10-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

For the last several weeks, many expat friends and acquaintances have mentioned to me how the people in the Metro live in their own little world, making little or no contact with anyone else. Faces are empty of all expression except for the frowns that might be plastered on a few faces. The expats in turn decide it is in their best interest to copy the locals and block others from entering their energetic space, as well. Eyes undoubtedly move down to the floor and the cycle is continued.

Hearing this, I am compelled to put in my two cents worth. If someone jumps off the Eifel Tower are you going to follow them by doing the same? Of course not. So, why do so many of us feel it is necessary to be like everyone else? Instead of being a sheep following the next guy in front of us, why not take the course of the shephard and be a leader. Make a stance for change. Exude happiness.

"I smile while on the Metro," I tell the disillusioned expats. "Why?" is the inevitable response. "It is my mission to smile even when others don't smile back. Eventually someone will make visual contact and return a smile my way. This one person can make my day. For the others that don't notice or who look away, I figure I am their seed planter. I am simply planting the seed of joy in their lives. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Maybe I will start a trend and change the dark cloud over the metro into a sunny, happy place. It only takes one person to make a difference. Be that one person."

Whether you are in a the Paris Metro or walking around the streets in your home town, smile at the people around you. If you smile the world smiles with you. Even if they don't show it, you are helping to make someone's day.

Smiles everyone. Smiles.

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)