Come as a Child

I think I’ve mentioned, maybe a time or two, that I find myself too busy at times. It’s a tendency I learned in childhood, taking on too much responsibility for things to try to keep my world safe. I’m not complaining; I’m definitely not the only person in the world who believes at times that she can hold it up single-handedly. That particular part of my personality has provided me with a good deal of compassion, and a desire to make things better in my own small way, among other things. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn what I learn from it, and continue looking for balance in my life.

Last night I came home from work feeling stressed, and really looking forward to my meditation time. I was aware that I needed to stop for awhile, but more than that I also felt that I needed some help with all of it. I was too burdened, in that moment, to even know what kind of help I was seeking. I was eager to just sit and rest, and let the answers come.

As I closed my eyes and grounded my body, the voice of God within me reminded me clearly to keep it simple, and come as a child. I felt instantly eased as my body caught up with the fact that I could be very gentle in my attention to myself, because there was nothing else to be concerned about. As I sat in communication with the God of my heart, I was able to be the center of my own universe, knowing that all existed for my good, much like a child involved in some kind of wonderful, creative play. In my simple meditation, I watched as my own electric blue life force energy coursed through my body, aware at the same time of Father/Mother God standing over my shoulder, watching over me, shielding me, and orchestrating everything for good.

I know myself as a child of God, made in her image, creator without limit of my own sacred life. But I don’t think I’d ever perceived myself as God’s child, beloved, precious and safe, seeing myself as God does, without the need to do anything to earn my place here. I sometimes think that all human worry stems from the very common but flawed thinking that if we could just fulfill some role a little better we just might be allowed to stay.

There’s a part in Neale Walsch’s Coversations With God in which God says, “You can’t hear my truth until you stop telling me yours.” I believe that’s what happened last night in my meditation. When I finally released my own agenda, stopped trying to control the outcome of everything in my thinking, and just sat quietly waiting for the truth I sought, the voice of my knowing reminded me that we are, all of us, held in the benevolent hands of infinite good. I know in my head that I am safe, and that divine intelligence is at work. But I really appreciate those times when I know it in my heart, and my body, as well. It’s balm for the soul of the scared child that exists as a part of me, and for the fairly capable grown-up who sometimes needs a very solid reminder that she, and the rest of this planet, are safe in the perfect design of ongoing creation.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Resting on the Bank

Life can feel at times like we’re being pulled along by the raging waters of a mighty river, tossed about, sometimes easily floating above the water, sometimes underwater and struggling to breathe, always bumping into the many other things being carried in the surging current.

The immensely powerful forces that we encounter in this life are at times delightful and at other times terrifying, and everything in between. All of life’s intensity is a gift, as all of it provides us with one opportunity after another to choose how we want to show up. Through all of it, times of struggle and of ease, fear and faith, isolation and connection, the pain of forgetting who we really are and the joy that’s born of remembering, we are perfectly expressing God, knowing himself.

There’s a saying out there on the internet about someone who, at the end of her life, wants to be worn out, used up, with a big smile on her face and saying, “Wow, what a ride!” What a fun and fearless sentiment! Life is nothing if not a wild ride! And as I’ve said, I’m getting better at not fearing what’s coming my way but instead moving forward with eyes open. More often, thank you God, I’m able to say “bring it on.”

Still, at times, I need a break when the waters rush too fast. When there’s a lot coming at me at once, it’s harder to stay grounded, and peaceful, and clear about my own priorities. In those times, it’s helpful to step out of the river, and rest for awhile on the bank.

Resting on the bank is something we can do in the middle of our activity. Like many spiritual tools, it’s a state of being.  In the middle of any situation, resting on the bank is a way to step out of some of  life’s tumultuous energies for a time. We can sit on the bank and watch them go by, without having to process them internally. We can notice what’s happening without having to do anything about any of it for awhile.

I actually picture this, in my imagination, that I’m sitting on the shore, and everything I’m encountering at that time is moving by me in the rolling water. I am seeing it, and will be part of it again when I choose to be, but it is not me.

I have noticed what a tremendous healing it is for me to rest on the bank. When I take time out from managing all of the energies that I bump into in a day, demands, thoughts, emotions, both mine and others’, and just let them roll on by, then when I do decide to jump back into the river and swim my own unique stroke, I am more calm, happy and connected to the voice of the God of my heart.

May you be inspired and rejuvenated on life's peaceful shore, and may this tool be a blessing. . .

Riding With No Hands

I remember hearing someone say many years ago that sometimes on the rollercoaster of life you just have to put your hands up in the air, open your eyes, and go for it.  It stuck with me because at that time, I didn't feel at all brave, but wanted to be, on rollercoasters and in life in general.

Actually, my experience on rollercoasters had been alot like my other experiences up to that point - willing to try them after a bit of coaxing, anxious but hopeful of a good outcome.  Fourteen years ago, when my son was six, we took the kids to Disneyland.  Later, when my son talked about what the inside of Space Mountain looked like, I had to admit that my eyes were squeezed shut the whole time.  He thought that was pretty wimpy, and I did, too.  (For those of you who haven't yet been to Disneyland, Space Mountain is an indoor rollercoaster that is very dark inside, making it look like you are in deep space hurtling past stars and planets and . . . . other deep-space stuff.)  I realized that keeping my eyes shut tight in fear the entire time kept me from really having the experience, and it was a symbol of how I approached other things in my life as well.  I told my son then that next time I would leave my eyes open.

I finally had the chance last year, when we again took our now-adult children to Disneyland.  It was a great time, running between the rides, all of us acting like kids again.  I made a conscious decision that I would live up to my promise to myself.  My husband and my kids were indulgent with me, listening with smiles on their faces but somehow not laughing, when I said proudly that I was going to keep my eyes open on the ride.

The first one was the new rollercoaster in California Adventure.  I felt a big rush of excitement as I buckled in, and I have to say it was great as I watched upside down as we barrel-rolled our way down the track.  As we climbed a hill I went for it, first time ever, and put my hands in the air as we crested the hill and came tearing back down.  I waited 51 years to have that experience, and I'm glad I finally did it.

Later we hit the Hollywood Hotel ride that is open to the outside, supposedly in an elevator that falls a number of stories before stopping abruptly.  We rode that one twice, and I'm happy to report that I did it eyes open!

One of the last ones we rode was Space Mountain, and I have a picture on my refrigerator of all of us - one of those that the ride takes at an especially scary part and then lets you buy the picture at the end if you want to.  There I am sitting in the front of the car, screaming and clearly having a great time, and my eyes look like bug eyes, but they are open.

Being with my kids for that weekend was tremendous fun, and the fact that I conquered my fear made it all the more so.  I'm still proud of that Space Mountain picture.  The great thing is, I've been learning to fear less and trust more for a long time, and I think in some small way that trip really did help me realize that I am brave, in many ways.  Every time we stand tall in our own truth, we are being brave.

Each time I deny a belief that anything but good is at work in my life, I am brave.  And each and every time I choose a reality of my own making, affirming that I exist as an expression of loving and limitless creation, I know my own unbounded power.

May you live with your eyes wide open, and may this tool be a blessing. . .

The Prayer Chest

When I went to bed last night and started to quiet my mind for sleep, I realized how sad I was feeling over a situation one of my loved ones, and her family, is facing.  It had been bothering me all day, but more on the edges of my awareness because my son has been home from college this week, and I’ve been happily involved in spending time with him.

Last night, I had a chance to think about how serious her situation is.  Most gratefully, there is always a tool in times of need, one that will redirect my attention to the truth that the light of God exists in all things.

I read a book some time ago with a Unity study group called “The Prayer Chest: A Novel About Receiving All of Life’s Riches” by August Gold and Joel Fotinos.  It’s a short book and an easy read, told as a story.  I enjoyed it on a number of levels.  First of all, the story provides some wonderful insights on when and why we perceive that our prayers are being answered, or not.  I plan to write about those insights in a later post.

Another very helpful thing in this story is the central idea of a prayer chest, which the main character finds in his attic.  It's a simple wooden box, filled with his ancestors’ prayers.  He and his children are changed as they begin to use the prayer chest through their hardships.  The important thing about the prayer chest is that once the prayer is written down and slipped into the box, it’s never taken out again.  Once it’s in there, it’s in God’s hands.

My husband made a wooden prayer box for me this past Christmas, which now contains quite a few of my prayers.  It's very simple and beautiful, maybe the size of half of a shoebox with a slot on top for inserting slips of paper.  I haven’t felt the need to use it in some time, but last night I realized that I, and the family in question, could be helped by it.

I turned on the light, got up, wrote out my prayer and put it in the chest, and got back into bed.  A few minutes later I realized that I had something to add, so I got up and added another slip of paper to the chest.  Then got back into bed and went to sleep.

This morning when I woke, I knew that the burden had been lifted.  I felt clearer and lighter, but more importantly I knew that the situation with my loved ones would resolve in a way that benefits all.  The prayer chest is a physical place where we can store our concerns, then let them go, knowing that God will find them.  It provides a way to turn our concerns over to the God within everything, creating space for the light of divine intelligence to shine onto the situation.

I asked, through my written prayer placed in my prayer chest, and was answered, as I always am when I ask in the many different ways that are available to me, knowing they will be done. 

I'm thankful that my husband made the prayer chest for me; I really enjoy having it.  I don’t always use it because I pray in many different ways.  But the prayer chest is a very gentle, physical reminder that we can always ask, and we will always be answered.  

May you find many ways to know the God of your heart, and may this tool be a blessing. . . 

Letting God

I have often heard the saying “Let go and let God.” I so very much agree with this statement, and when I hear it I think, “Yep, that’s important.” It is important, and simple in theory, but not at all easy in practice. More and more I am aware of how much I hold on to worry, and fear, and trying to control the outcome of things. It doesn’t matter how much I know in my head that my fussing isn’t needed or helpful, I end up fussing anyway.

It seems that the more I intend to let go and trust the divine intelligence that drives everything in my experience, the more I notice where I’m not letting go. Life is always providing opportunities to shine some light in the darkness. I am here to remember, and I am grateful.

When I do remember, in the middle of being troubled by some situation that is out of my control, that God has all of it, things get very quiet, and much simpler, in my body. My jumbled thoughts become peaceful, and I am aware of a rightness that leaves nothing for me to fight against. All is as it should be. That awareness is a huge gift.

That we can just let go are simple words to say, but the reality behind the words is powerful beyond measure. When we seek to fully grasp the truth that there really is nothing stronger than the endless, all-encompassing love we’re born of, overcoming any concern we could ever conceive, the human mind can't contain the immensity of it.  But spirit knows, and speaks quietly to us throughout all time that nothing less is true.  We are remembering that all that happens is designed for our ultimate good, because goodness is what we are.

Things will evolve in their own perfect way, as we remember that where we are, there is always light.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Being in Your Bubble

It takes all kinds to make a world, as one of my favorite sayings goes. There is room for humanity to express itself, individually and collectively, in absolutely any conceivable way under the sun, in order for us to know ourselves more fully as God. There is no limit to how a life can declare itself, or to the circumstances that it can create in finding its path to the truth.

I honor and appreciate the profound grace inherent in our ability to choose a life of our own making, but that doesn’t always mean that I want to be part of what other people think, or create. As sensitive spirit inhabiting physical form, we are all affected by the energy of others’ creations in both positive and negative ways.

If you bump into someone who is in the middle of creating a very accepting, love-filled day and you get a big smile or a hug from that person, you will likely be affected by that reaction in an uplifting way. Similarly, if you encounter someone who is in the middle of nurturing a belief that they are not good enough for some reason, they may feel angry about seeing someone who appears to be doing better than they are, and that anger may cause you to walk away feeling like you somehow failed, regardless of how you had felt previously. These exchanges of energy happen to all of us on a moment-to-moment basis.

One reaction to finding ourselves affected by another in an uncomfortable way is to resist the person. Resistance doesn’t tend to help. It causes communication to break down and negative feelings to grow. A very helpful and proactive way to limit how much we are affected by where others are is a simple technique called being in your bubble, which goes as follows:

1. Spend a few moments with your eyes closed, quieting your thoughts.
2. In your imagination create a bubble all around you that is about a foot out from your body. I like to picture this as a big soap bubble that is clear but indestructible. Picture this in any way that works for you.
3. Notice yourself within this bubble, and acknowledge that any type of energy you don’t want to experience in your own body will be unable to get through the bubble, and will just bounce off.
4. Walk through your day within your bubble. Take a look at the bubble periodically just to affirm that it is there, and recreate it whenever you want to.

There are some really great reasons to use this tool to manage the energy that bounces around us all of the time. A big one for me is that it frees me up to create my own experience the way I choose, as I leave others free to their own expression. I don’t need to get into the struggle and discomfort of resisting what others are doing or thinking, because it happens outside of my bubble and doesn’t need to affect me.

Being in my bubble allows me to stand quietly and witness, and even admire the myriad ways that my fellow humans choose to express their greatness, and still be true to my own experience.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Healing the World

A tool that I want to use more frequently in my life is to help heal the world. People are floundering now, struggling to keep up with personal and global challenges that are unsurpassed in our experience. I believe that the great chaos in the world today reflects the growing pains of humanity taking a big step. Circumstances are forcing us to stop and take a stand, to make different choices, to consider the effects that our actions have on others, and to choose to live more intentionally in expressing the best in ourselves.

But it’s tiring, I think, and more than a little bit disheartening for people, faced with an intense amount of negativity that seems insurmountable. It wouldn’t be hard to succumb, and accept that the world really is “going to hell in a handbasket.” But in extreme challenge also lies the push we sometimes need to get out of our unconscious and habitual ways of thinking, and recognize that we need to choose a higher road. The truth is that everything happens for good. And our planet and its people can surely benefit from our focused healing energy as we move along on our individual and collective paths toward that good.

I learned a simple technique for healing the world at the Berkeley Psychic Institute called "hooking it up to the Supreme Being."  This is similar to the post I did recently on setting the body's energy, but on a bigger scale.  Visualizing our intention helps make it come to pass by giving our thoughts even more creative power.

1. Close your eyes and get comfortable. Breathe deeply and quiet your mind as much as possible.
2. In your mind’s eye, visualize the planet out in the dark universe.
3. Create a connection, in your mind’s eye, between God and the planet. I picture the connection as a thick cord, and I picture God as a bright golden spark of light further out in the dark universe. Please see this in any way that you are comfortable with.
4. Allow the golden light of God to shine down through the cord and into the planet, and watch as the planet becomes suffused with bright golden light.
5. The planet is now hooked up, and all are elevated to the vibration of love, peace and divine order.

It really is this simple to change the world, and we have the power to do it!  We can do this for the planet, for a group of people, or for someone individually. I hook people up to God fairly often, and the process is the same. Just see them connected to God by a golden cord, and then watch as the bright gold of divine light moves into and through them. As I do this, I notice that any concern I might be feeling for someone dissolves as I release them to infinite wisdom, and affirm their perfect path.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Setting the Body's Energy

Everything we experience in this world is vibration.  Our thoughts and words, our interactions with others, and the interactions between groups of people all produce a certain vibration.  Our bodies, too, experience vibrations of energy, and are very sensitive to the energy happening around us.

An example would be answering the phone, and after hanging up noticing that you feel very different than you did before the conversation.  You may feel down and tired, or you may feel energized and uplifted, depending on the energy of the conversation, and of the person you were speaking with.

There are many tools we can use to influence the energy we experience within our bodies.  All begin with first choosing what you want to create, in your present experience.  It's not difficult to do in practice; probably the hardest part is remembering that we can choose how we want to experience our moments.

The other day I wanted to change the energy I was experiencing, to a higher level.  I wanted my body to match the vibration of my highest good.  At the Berkeley Psychic Institute, they sometimes use a technique called "bringing yourself up to gold."  Gold is often seen as the color, or vibration, of God, or truth, or our highest.  It is the color of clarity.  So I decided to use that tool to set the energy in my body.

A great thing about BPI is that they really focus on keeping spiritual growth like being in kindergarten, so many of the techniques are simple, and profoundly powerful in their simplicity.

The other day I practiced it in this silly way, in the energy of kindergarten:
1. Get comfortable and close your eyes
2. Breathe deeply and focus on yourself
3. Affirm to yourself that the color gold embodies the vibration of your highest good
4. In your imagination, see the color of one cell in your body (I used the tip of my nose) change to gold
5. Watch as the adjacent cells in your body match the gold one, and the gold vibration of your highest good spreads from cell to cell down and through your entire body
6. Feel yourself as gold, and expressing the truth of your highest good

You can use this technique to bring into your body any specific energy you'd like, such as peace, or enthusiasm or self-acceptance.

If you choose to try this, remember that it works best when we don't try too hard, so just have fun with it.  Our intention to have it be so is enough.  As we watch this manifest in our mind's eye, we enhance the strength of bringing it forward as our truth.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Peace

We all want peace, between nations, between strangers, and in our close relationships.  We want peace within ourselves especially.  It often seems that if only circumstances outside of us were different, our lives would finally be different, and we could get some peace.  If my family members were all doing well, if the economy weren't such a mess, if there were different politicians running the country, if my kids were grown and out of the house, if my boss (or my spouse) weren't such a lunk-head, if drivers weren't so rude (the list is endless), then I might find a tranquil moment in my life.

But the world we experience is an ongoing reflection of what is taking place within us.  The amount of peace that we are able to find is directly proportional to the nature of our thoughts and beliefs.  Awareness of this truth really can set us free.

If I accept that all I see in the world is mirroring my beliefs, then I can challenge my thoughts and change  my experience.  I exercise my power in designing my reality when I choose to live in peace.  Every less-than-peaceful person or situation I encounter is a perfect teacher, once I get past the resisting and fussing over how the world is not behaving according to my expectations, for me to choose how I want to show up.  At some point, hopefully more sooner than later, I remember to stop and ask myself, have I done or am I doing something similar?  And I try to work on that.  Our interactions with others provide a mirror in which to see the still-learning places in ourselves that we would not necessarily see otherwise.

It is said, as within, so without.  I'm learning that it's never about the other person.   It's always about me, and what I have yet to remember about choosing my best and highest expression of the God within.  I try to be grateful for the events in my life that seem to rob me of my peace, because they provide such perfect opportunities for me to remember that I can at any moment choose the peace that is the truth of me.  I may have been waiting many years, or many lifetimes, to come to just this moment, where I can stand in opposition to another's choices or expression, and then choose instead to forgive us both.  Even when we are expressing less than our highest, we are all heroes.  Our armor may at times get dented and rusty, but it never stops reflecting the light.

Peace stems from the decisions that I make every day about how I label my experiences in the world.  As those decisions nurture peace in my heart, they promote peace in the world as well.  Let there be peace in my heart.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Dancing!

Dancing as a spiritual tool?  You betcha!  My husband and I have taken swing dance lessons on and off for years.  We're not very good, but it's one of the things we do that brings a huge amount of joy.  Something absolutely, positively magical happens when I start to dance.  It doesn't matter what's been going on previously in the day.  When my husband starts spinning me around, and I'm trying to anticipate where he's going to lead me next, before I know it I'm grinning ear-to-ear like a nut!  It's exhilarating, and fun, and well, funny!  It's not uncommon for us to laugh out loud when we're dancing.  Not very dignified, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  We're starting swing lessons again next month, and I can't wait.

My husband teases me sometimes about unexpectedly breaking into dance.  It's a wonderful way to move my body, and be spontaneous, and express happiness in being alive.  And as much as I love dancing with my husband, I don't always need a partner.  I have been known to turn on some fun music and dance in the car on long trips (seated, of course).  More often than I should probably admit, I've put some funk on the radio driving home after work, and car-danced my way down the freeway (after making an agreement with myself that I'm not going to worry about what the people driving near me think!)  Turning on some music and dancing after I get home from work is a great way to release any stress I'm holding onto.  And dancing my way through a day of housework makes the job a whole lot more fun.

Dancing can be a spiritual tool, because it takes me out of my head and squarely into that delicious space of just enjoying expressing through my physical form.  When I dance, my spirit dances, too!

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Self-Acceptance

The divine purpose of having our wondrous physical bodies is to know ourselves as unique expressions of God.  In order to expand into our awareness of the truth of our God nature, we must first experience ourselves as less.  Being human is rife with opportunities to forget who we really are.

Throughout life we face situations that challenge our ability to see ourselves as whole and perfect.  We are always striving to "get it right."  The trick is to remember that it's always right, even when it's all messed up.  In all of our struggling and striving, it helps to remember that it is meant to be this way.  Without knowing doubt we would never have the certainty to grow into our best selves.

I was reminded of this today talking with my son, Eric, who is a very talented 20 year-old musician.  He has been feeling alot of joy in expanding his musical abilities, and feeling confident about his path.  About a month ago, he hit a wall.  A few things happened that shook his confidence.  Instead of  feeling joy in his music, he began to doubt his decision to pursue that course of study.  He couldn't stop the voice in his head that kept telling him he wasn't good enough, and actually found himself playing worse than he had in a long time.

He spoke to my husband and me about it, and I like to think that our gentle reminder that the voice is not the truth, and to just acknowledge it and let it go, helped a little.  I know that he didn't really need any advice.  But in the middle of things like that, it's hard to keep our heads up, let alone know ourselves as anything even close to God-like!

My son told us that everyone hits times in their lives when they don't feel good enough.  He wasn't sure exactly how to restore his shaken confidence, but he knew that he would.  He said he was glad it happened early in his life so that he can get past it, and then next time he'll know that he can.  What wisdom from a very capable young man, recognizing the gift in a very unwelcome situation.

I recently bumped into a prayer on self-acceptance, written by Robert and Janet Ellsworth, which spoke to my heart:
"Help me to admit mistakes without feeling shame, and to recognize that they come to teach me.
Help me to find my own voice, to say what I mean and mean what I say.
Help me to see the good and laugh at myself and my life more.
Help me to discover my gifts and honor the uniqueness of others.
Help me to accept who I am, a beloved and special being in Your eyes.
And above all, help me to remain patient and gentle with myself."

I think Eric did a good job of that!

May we all be gentle with ourselves as we compose our life's melodies, and may this tool be a blessing. . .

Living From the Heart

I wrote some time back in a post called Heart-Focused Breathing about some amazing software I bought for my computer, called Em-wave, made by the Institute of HeartMath. The idea of heart-focused living is very interesting to me, and I've really enjoyed working with the software in my spiritual practice. I'm finding that, as with most things, it's easy to forget to stop and take advantage of this tool, but when I do, it creates alot of peace and grounding in my life.

The idea of it is that the normal changes in our heart rate as we inhale and exhale become more irregular when we are in stress. The Em-wave software uses biofeedback techniques to help people learn to focus their attention on the heart and quiet thoughts, thereby producing regular patterns of heart rate change - a state they call coherence.

It is accomplished by focusing on breathing through the heart, and then holding in mind a positive emotion, such as gratitude or caring. With practice, it gets easier and easier to maintain coherence, and the software lets you know how you're doing. It's an amazing product, really.

I recently became aware of another group doing research into heart-focused living, called the Institute of Noetic Sciences. The word noetic is derived from the Greek nous, for which, according to the institute's website, there is no exact equivalent in English. It refers to "inner knowing," a kind of intuitive consciousness—direct and immediate access to knowledge beyond what is available to our normal senses and the power of reason.

What fascinates me about the work they're doing is the idea that our thoughts and emotions affect the heart's electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field produced by the heart is the largest in our bodies. This very powerful field can affect not only us but also those around us, and the entire world! I am excited and encouraged by this emerging field of study. Think of it, that as people learn more and more how to manage their thoughts and consciously choose what they hold to be truth, the electromagnetic field that they project into the world affects others! We have known this intuitively and clairvoyantly, that our energy affects people around us. But I really love the idea that science is learning ways to quantify the affect that each individual can have on the world by choosing to hold a positive belief or emotion.

What I'll take away from this new information is to more often place my attention on breathing into and out of my heart, from a place of gratitude, as explained in my earlier post on heart-focused breathing. From my practice on the Em-wave software, I know that this very quickly changes my heart rate pattern, as my focus turns from worry to one of peace and gratitude. And it's exciting to know that as I create peace in my heart, I help create peace in the world.

Click on the video clip above to watch a short video from the Noetic Sciences Institute.

May this tool be a blessing!

Cultivating Humor

My husband told me last night that he'd love for me to do a stand-up comedy routine, just for him.  Just picturing it made him chuckle.  It made me chuckle, too.  I can see us in our living room, him sitting at a make-shift round table with a glass of wine, and me standing with a wrench or some other pretend microphone, saying "Did you hear the one about. . ."  We've done sillier things.  We tend to laugh alot.

I'm a true believer in humor for healing all types of ills.  In the stress management class that I teach at work,  one of the things that I discuss with people is the idea of actively cultivating humor.  I enjoy watching people who have come into the class very burdened by the demands in their lives light up at the thought that maybe something as simple and uplifting as laughter could help ease those burdens.  Research has proven that laughter lowers blood pressure and stress hormones, and increases immune function and the release of endorphins.  It really is good medicine.

Humor unites people, because laughter is the universal language.  Sharing a private joke or a moment of happiness with another creates a bond of good-feeling and lifts the heart.  I remember when my son was about 18 months old, he would pick up his play telephone, hold it up to his ear, and laugh and laugh.  I realized early on that he was imitating what he thought a person did on a telephone.  I looked like that, talking on the phone with my sister.  I am pleased to say we still do that.

Many times, when my husband or I, or both of us, have had a tough day at work, we decide to do something funny.  We've gone to the park to swing and slide, which is very humorous, especially to the kids watching us.  We've batted the wiffle ball at the park in heavy wind.  We've worn big wax gummy lips to the dinner table.  We've eaten cake with my son, not using utensils, and then taken pictures.  Not too long ago, while paying bills, my husband donned his slippers that look like rainbow trout, and I wore a bow tie.  Recounting these times, and remembering so many more, makes me smile.  Humor is even great years later, with the remembering.

There is no limit to the ways we can create humor for ourselves.  Rent a funny movie or choose to read a silly book.   I have a couple of sites bookmarked on my computer at work that I can go to for a quick joke in the middle of a hectic day.  Make a mental note of something that really tickled your funny bone, and then remember it when you need to smile.  Most importantly, choose to find amusement in the little things as you go through your day.  To quote that very articulate author, Dr. Seuss, "From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere."

Celebrate your sense of funny.  Each of us has our own brand of humor and our own way of expressing it.  Mine is more quiet, which makes the whole stand-up idea all the more comical.  I'll let you know when my routine is finished.

Humor, and laughter, bring us into step with our highest joy, and open us to fully celebrate being alive.  Here's to laughing loud and often!

May this tool be a blessing. . .

All Is Well!

My husband and I had a sailboat for a few years; we didn't take it out much and never got very good at sailing, but we enjoyed having a little cabin on the water.  I wanted to rename it All Is Well.  He thought we should rename it All is Swell.  He's clever like that!

I believe that some of the best spiritual tools are the simplest ones.  Reminding ourselves that all is well, in the middle of whatever temporary setback is occurring, can help put things back into proper perspective.  Circumstances affect us to the degree that we accept them as truth.  We are infinitely powerful in creating any outcome we choose, by what we believe.  If we remembered that, what a different world it would be!  I think our dear Reverend Ken at Unity illustrates this beautifully when he says that yes, there is a recession, but I choose not to participate!  He is affirming that all is well in his world, specifically with his financial resources.  I love the affirmation, "The light of God surrounds us, the love of God enfolds us, the power of God protects us, and the presence of God watches over us.  Wherever we are, God is, and all is well."

I had a conversation with my daughter recently and we were talking about the health of the planet, global warming, and issues with availability and safety of the food supply.  At first glance, these and so many other topics in our world seem almost insurmountable.  At times we can believe it is too late to turn things around.  It is never too late.  We can turn things around in an inkling, with a conscious intention that all is well.  Fear has no real power over us, except to the degree that we decide it is warranted.  My part in our conversation was to remind myself, and her, that things do appear in many ways to be heading in a direction we can't turn back from, but as limitless creators made in God's image, we have within us every answer we need.

I acknowledged that day that my perspective probably sounds like I am a pollyanna.  I choose very consciously to be just that!  To change this world, we have to believe that there are answers and resources available to us that we haven't even considered yet, and that all we need is provided to us by simply asking, and believing that it will come to pass.  We hear this, and want to believe it, but often can't.  Ask, and we are answered.  Knock, and all is opened to us.

In the face of our current challenging circumstances, I can imagine perfection unfolding and it is done.  The destination is never in question, but how we arrive is our playground.  Maybe today I'll sail, on a boat named All Is Well.

Focused Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is the foundation of many relaxation techniques and some forms of meditation.  It is an important part of the practice of mindfulness, and of quieting the mind.  It helps bring our attention back from what we're encountering in the world, to ourselves.  There are many types of deep breathing, and all are helpful.  Deep breathing techniques are very simple to do, and over time and with practice can help us get more in touch with our inner voice, and our own truth.  The hardest part of this is making a commitment to regular practice.

The technique that I teach to patients at work is called focused deep breathing.  In class, people usually practice this technique for about 5 minutes, and almost always report feeling more calm and centered in that short amount of time.  It's a good idea to begin in a quiet place where you can sit for a few minutes with your eyes closed.  Closing our eyes helps us reduce distraction and bring our attention within. 

Begin by noticing whatever you notice outside of yourself; outside of your own space, so to speak.  This could be any number of things, voices of people nearby, the hum of the refrigerator, temperature, anything that is not you.  This is the place where our attention is focused most of the time, on things outside of ourselves.  That isn't a problem, because we are in the world and dealing with things.  But we also need an amount of time when we are "off", not attending to the details of living but being aware of our inner world.

Gently begin to shift your attention to become aware of what you notice on the inside.  You may notice your heart beating, your chest rising and falling with your breathing, or the weight of yourself in the chair.  This is the place where we will keep our attention, as much as possible, during deep breathing.  Everything else will wait.

Notice your breathing, whether it is fast or slow, or shallow or deep.  Allow yourself to begin to breathe a little more deeply, but comfortably; there is no need to force it.  As you begin to center yourself in your deep, comfortable breathing, remind yourself that right now, all I have to do is breathe.

During this time your mind will wander, because our minds like to be busy.  When you notice that your thoughts have drifted away, gently bring them back to your breathing, without judgement.  Spend as many minutes as you'd like being centered in your breathing.  When you are ready, gently open your eyes.

I had a woman in class yesterday who was struck by the idea that all I have to do is breathe.  She said that the realization that she could actually live like that, even for a few minutes at a time, changed her world.  What I saw was that it helped her realize that she has a choice about how she will experience her moments.   She created a much bigger space to be present in creating her world.

I sometimes use a deep breathing technique before I begin my meditation or other spiritual practice.  It is a simple but very powerful way to connect with our truth.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Forgetting and Remembering

I woke up this morning feeling out of sorts after a conversation I had with a loved one last night.  She has an ongoing situation within her family that she is having a very hard time navigating.  There is nothing I can do but listen, and it makes me sad to hear how negatively she is being affected by it. 

As I often do when I am having difficulty seeing my way out of troubled thinking, I decided to write a letter to God.  In that letter, I explained to God (as if she didn't already know!) that it is difficult for me to stay centered in my knowing that all is for good, especially when around me is so much fear.  I asked how I remember the truth in the face of job uncertainties in my own family, the pain and struggle that so many of my dear ones are experiencing, the loss of so many lives in natural disasters and other causes.  How do I remember, in the midst of it, that it all serves a divine purpose?

God responded simply and eloquently, and the words washed away my forgetting and brought me peace.  He reminded me that my path is to see the lie within the fear.  The situations in this life make up a glorious but very brief part of eternity, and there is a much bigger process unfolding in the issues that people are facing.  In the middle of immense suffering, they are safe.  I was reminded that when I can appreciate the confusion and pain and fear as a very necessary part of our path to the truth, that is seeing light in the darkness.  I need to be grateful for the challenges that my loves ones and all people experience; it is through our humanness that we get to chose, over and over again throughout eternity, how to express our inner light.

The act of turning my attention from my loud, fearful thoughts to the quieter voice of God reconnected me to my truth, and I was healed.  I was able to relax and breathe easier.  I am so grateful for that small but ever-present voice that is the light in the darkness. 

Humanity is going through a difficult but important time.  All of us are experiencing and watching others experience incredible trials.  The process of human evolution is accelerating, and that change by necessity creates new levels of chaos.  But in those challenges is our opportunity to choose, and choose again, the path that we know in our hearts is there, to the best and highest in all of us.  We are all longing to know ourselves, individually and collectively, in our true splendor.

We can't let temporary conditions convince us that it is too late; eternity is much larger than that.  We are part of the creative consciousness that imagined every good thing you have ever seen or heard of in this world.  The consciousness that created every life-saving medication, every language, every culture, the technology that connects us all, all acts of beauty and works of art, we are created from.  It lives in and expresses as each of us.  All we need do is remember, and choose that truth, for ourselves and our world.

This morning I stopped to listen to the gentle truth within me, and remembered, again.  I acknowledged in my loved one her perfection, and her power as part of divine creative consciousness, moving without error to the light.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Creating and Destroying

We very often forget that destroying is a crucial part of the creative process. Sometimes when we have an intention to create something, there are other things in place in our lives that get in the way of it. It would be hard to manifest a healthy and happy relationship if in our thinking we still label relationships based on past, unhealthy ones. It would be difficult to create a new, more creative job if we worry that we are too unskilled to get one anyway. It's always hard to create new things in our lives when we are stuck in old thinking.

The most powerful tool I've learned about creating and destroying I learned at BPI. It's effectiveness comes from consciously destroying as part of the process. BPI uses the symbol of a rose in this tool, but any symbol will work. I like the idea of always using the same symbol when you practice this, because the subconscious makes a strong connection with the symbol and the creating/destroying process. The rose is useful because you can notice how open it is to indicate how far along in manifestation your goal is.

What we think, we create. What we "see," we create even more powerfully. Throughout our lives, we are not normally taught to trust what we see, but seeing is part of our birthright as creators made in God's image.

It's easy to "forget" that I have countless tools at my disposal for creating. It had been awhile since I'd created and destroyed roses, but I did today, and cleared my ability to manifest in my life the things I desire. There are different ways to go about this, so you can play with it and do what feels comfortable to you.

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. In your mind's eye, visualize a rose representing what it is that you want to manifest. Don't work too hard at it, just see what you see. That rose, its color, how open it is and what shape it's in all represent the energy around your idea in present time. You may see a very definite rose, or you may get a more vague idea of a rose. Either way is fine. It is our intention here that is important. See it, don't judge what you see, then blow it up! Destroy it. You can use any visual you choose. I often set a firecracker into it, in my mind's eye, and watch as it blows up. This part of the process can be uncomfortable if you are not used to destroying. We are not usually taught that it is OK to destroy things. It's very powerful but also fun, because we are releasing limits and clearing our creative ability.

Create another rose in your mind's eye, representing the same idea. It may be a different color or look different. Blow it up, too. With this process we are destroying anything in the creating of our idea that is not part of our truth. After creating and destroying a few roses, you will sense that the one you are now "looking" at is clear and containing your truth. At this point I show the rose to God, and know that it is done; it will come to pass in the right and perfect way.

You can use this process in many ways. You can create and destroy roses to clear communication in relationships. You can create and destroy roses to clear your path to a goal you have. You can even create and destroy roses to help you release old programming and fear. I created and destroyed roses around a number of ideas today!

May you know yourself as the limitless creator that you are, and may this tool be a blessing!

Spiritual Hands-on Healing

I spent five years studying at an exceptional place called the Aesclepion Healing Institute, where I learned spiritual hands-on healing. At Aesclepion, we spent many hours practicing on others. I've found that hands-on healing is also a wonderful way to heal myself.

There are many different methods for doing hands-on energy healing. They are all intended to heal the spirit in the body, with the idea that physical or emotional dis-ease begins on a spiritual level. When we are holding on to something that is not our truth, it can be seen as color, and directed to release. At Aescleption, we moved our hands over a person's body, and sometimes directly onto a portion of the body, in order to help that release to occur, and to help the person get their own healthy, vibrant spiritual energy flowing through their body.

An important part of Aesclepion's teaching is that we do not use our own energy to heal others. We don't need to do this, and it actually gets in the way of another's healing. They, and the God within them, know the best course for healing. We do not need for our intention to get in the way of it. Instead I let go and allow the healing energy to come through my hands. Most of us have had the experience of giving too much of our own life force energy away to someone else in an effort to help them, and being depleted by it. This is not helpful or necessary.

When I have a knowing about where energy is being held that needs to be released, and I place my hands just above that area of the body, the light of God is brought to that part of the body. A place that had been out of awareness is brought into light. That is how we heal.

When I was in my early 20s, I had abdominal surgery, and spent a few weeks recovering. I remember spending alot of time with my hands on my belly, directing healing energy to the area. At the time I hadn't yet studied hand-on healing, so it was more instinctive. Even so, it worked beautifully! I helped me trust my body and get out of worry, and I was healed and back to my daily activities much more quickly than would have been expected. Intention is infinitely powerful!

I don't have the opportunity to do as much hands-on healing work as I did before, and I miss it. It is one of the most gratifying things I've ever done, and I look forward to doing more in the future.

Recently I decided to give myself another hands-on healing. I placed my hands over the area of the body to be healed, took some deep breaths and quieted my mind, and allowed God consciousness to come through my hands. When my mind wandered, I gently brought it back to what was happening. Intention is the important part of this process. When my mind wanders, healing is still happening. As I intend for divine consciousness to heal me, it is done, with more perfection than my ego or will could create. At any point in time there is perfect healing on a spirit's path, and God consciousness will manifest it. As I had my attention on the process, I noticed slight resistance at times, places where the healing energy had to remain a bit longer, then an awareness of lightness, and release. All we need to do is allow it to happen.

I believe we are meant to glorify our existence in joy, abundant health, and prosperity in any way that has meaning for us. Thank you, God, for my healthy body, through which I experience all gifts, large and small!

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Compassion

Compassion is an immensely powerful spiritual tool. I believe we could change the world with more attention on choosing compassion. Developing an understanding of what compassion really means has been a very personal journey for me. I remember a teacher at the Aesclepion Healing Institute telling me that I have more than my share of compassion. It's been one of my life's most valuable learning experiences, because in the family I grew up in, being sensitive and compassionate was seen as weakness, and was not validated. I always felt very wrong and out of place. It provided me with a very challenging but ultimately perfect opportunity to look deep within myself and choose exactly who I want to be.

As the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, wrote: "If you think that compassion is passive, weak, or cowardly, then you don't know what real compassion or understanding is. If you think that compassionate people do not resist and challenge injustice, you are wrong. They are warriors, heroes, and heroines who have gained many victories. When you act with compassion, with nonviolence. . . you have to be very strong. You no longer act out of anger, you do not punish or blame. Compassion grows constantly inside of you, and you can succeed in your fight against injustice. Mahatma Gandhi was just one person. He did not have any bombs, any guns, or any political party. He acted simply on the. . . strength of compassion. . ."

Deciding on compassion toward another allows healing to happen. It allows ruffled feathers to settle, stirred-up emotions to quiet, and understanding and communication to begin. Compassion can right many wrongs. Certainly things happen in life that we are justified in feeling anger or resentment about, and we need to feel those things. We need to look closely at those situations in order to learn and grow. At some point, though, we need to get to that place that acknowledges God expressing as each of us. We are all on a path of remembering. We all have bad days, and we all wear blinders around certain situations. The truth is, everyone is doing the best they can with what they have in any given moment. It does no good for us personally or for our human evolution to hold on to judgement.

I learned awhile back that the thing I dislike most in someone else is the thing I most resist acknowledging in myself; a bitter pill to swallow, indeed. That other person is a perfect book to read, to learn about myself, if I choose to put that energy of judgement to its best use. I think it's well said in John 8:7, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone."

When I am in judgment of others, and I hold on instead of feeling it and then letting it go, I open the door for that energy to grow in my life. Peace and balance become elusive, as I find more to judge in myself as well as in others. Like forgiveness, compassion is not something we do only for the other person, but very much for ourselves as well.

We cannot solve a problem by being in the same energy that created the problem. We have to take a step up. Raising our vibration to one of compassion in a situation allows divine order to design a perfect resolution benefitting everyone.

A friend this morning told me about a quote that she uses from her 12-step program, which I plan to use often. It's simple, and a great way to remember the power of compassion: "Bless them, change me."

May this tool be a blessing. . .

More Gratitude!

My mom asked me to write more on the topic of gratitude, and I am happy to do that, because it is my favorite practice. She specifically mentioned something that I have taped on my refrigerator, which some of you may have seen. I'm not looking at it right now, so I'll have to paraphrase: "I am grateful for the chores that need doing; it means that I have a home. I am grateful for the piles of laundry that I never seem to finish; it means that my loved ones are close by. I am grateful for the big heating bills; it means that I get to be warm. I am grateful for the parking spot that I find at the far end of the lot; it means that I am healthy enough to walk." There are quite a few more.

I love this! Mom must have, too, because she remembered it from the last time she visited. So much of the reality that we experience is dictated by the way we choose to think about what is happening to us. I would even go further to say that it's not the situation, but how we label the situation, that gives rise to how we feel, how we react, and how we ultimately perceive our experience. It's not so much about noticing and being grateful for the big, in-your-face things that happen, although that's important, too. It's more about recognizing the small things that grace us quietly and often go unnoticed.

We manifest in our lives that which we put the most attention on. Beginning to become more aware of how we label situations gives us many opportunities to choose to focus on the good. As human beings, we tend to find what we're looking for. We get what we expect. If my big heating bill causes me to lament over greedy utility companies and dishonest political practices, I validate greed and dishonesty. The more I validate them, the more I will find. I'm not saying that these things don't exist in our world, but it doesn't really help to dwell on them. If there is something that needs changing in our world and we feel compelled to act toward that change, we are proactively working for good. If we do not feel compelled to act, we can let it go and focus our attention on some other good.

I always thought it would be a wonderful idea to create a news network, maybe just starting locally, that reported only positive news, acts of kindness, milestones, all of the phenomenal things that people do every day that usually go unnoticed. What if we validated these things? This probably sounds very pollyanna-ish to some, but what might happen if there was a channel we could tune in to that acknowledged all of the good that happens in the world? It might help move our collective reality from one of fear to one of trust, and love. It's all in what we choose to focus on. I think this is a great idea, and if someone wants to take it and run with it, I would be grateful! If it's already happening somewhere, please let me know because I want to support it.

How miraculous, this game of life! I am struck sometimes by the unspeakable beauty and perfection of it. If we remembered always that each thought, each word is designing our future, individually and collectively, we would be so much more mindful of what we are choosing to express. We would be so much more deliberate about what we hold true in any given moment.

Like happiness, we can cultivate gratitude. We can choose to have eyes that seek the good in things big and small. Choosing to live in gratitude is how we create heaven on earth.

May this tool be a blessing. . .