Contemplate… and suddenly you realize the answers have been there all along.
It’s late and I’m perusing YouTube, time traveling back to periods in my life, simply by listening to music I haven’t heard in years, feeling pretty melancholy. Maybe its the music, maybe its Facebook and the recent re-connects to people from a long, lost past, maybe its the full moon, maybe its the slow realization that we are leaving the country and life as we know it, or perhaps its a culmination of it all. I’m transported back to times when it seemed my whole life was still ahead of me, living with an innocent sense of timelessness. I’m standing back there looking ahead, thinking not–too-hard about a place I’m supposed to eventually get to, and here I am, now, at that place wherever it is - looking back but still looking ahead. And, yet I am experiencing a similar, yet deeper sense of timelessness now. It, too, is innocent. Innocent with an ever growing trust, and from that trust comes the ability to look my fears in the face and clearly see them for what they are – maya, illusion. It is the spiral of life, to come full circle, but the spiral ascends and we never truly come back to the same exact place. I’m called to quote the proverb “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” In this notion we come to understand the timeless current that flows beneath everything we experience in this world. The ongoing vibration that never ends, the vibration that resonates within us all …and its sound is AUM…
Namaste
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
No Expectations
Let Go… and suddenly you are finding freedom in every new moment.
Sri Yukteswar said, “I do not expect anything from others, so their actions cannot be in opposition to wishes of mine.”… Whew. THAT’s a tall order for us lowly, unenlightened ones, eh? I believe, herein lies the key to ALL successful and peaceful cohabitation with fellow human beings. When you really think about it, you have to consider the question: what is the root cause of any struggling relationship? Yes, expectations. Expecting others to be… what… well, like US? I think pretty much, since this is all we really know. And, this calls to mind another quote: “We don’t see people as THEY are, we see them as WE are.” We can only see through the eyes of our own histories, usually leaving others to fall short of ideas of what WE consider right or wrong, good or bad, acceptable or not. Then who suffers? BOTH parties. One person is left feeling judged or inadequate and the other, steeped in disappointment. By dropping expectations, dropping the history that shades our beliefs, by coming to each moment for exactly what it is, a “new” moment, unlike any other that has come before it, there can be no disappointment, or as Sri Yuketeswar says “no opposition to wishes”. This is a constant, second to second, moment to moment, hour to hour, day to day (well you get the idea) discipline in awareness.
So, the next time you find yourself disappointed in someone, check your responsibility and the part you may be playing to perpetuate that emotion… I’ll bet somewhere in there you’ll find it has something to do with expectations - and within this new awareness you will find the capacity to let it go!
Sat Nam!
Sri Yukteswar said, “I do not expect anything from others, so their actions cannot be in opposition to wishes of mine.”… Whew. THAT’s a tall order for us lowly, unenlightened ones, eh? I believe, herein lies the key to ALL successful and peaceful cohabitation with fellow human beings. When you really think about it, you have to consider the question: what is the root cause of any struggling relationship? Yes, expectations. Expecting others to be… what… well, like US? I think pretty much, since this is all we really know. And, this calls to mind another quote: “We don’t see people as THEY are, we see them as WE are.” We can only see through the eyes of our own histories, usually leaving others to fall short of ideas of what WE consider right or wrong, good or bad, acceptable or not. Then who suffers? BOTH parties. One person is left feeling judged or inadequate and the other, steeped in disappointment. By dropping expectations, dropping the history that shades our beliefs, by coming to each moment for exactly what it is, a “new” moment, unlike any other that has come before it, there can be no disappointment, or as Sri Yuketeswar says “no opposition to wishes”. This is a constant, second to second, moment to moment, hour to hour, day to day (well you get the idea) discipline in awareness.
So, the next time you find yourself disappointed in someone, check your responsibility and the part you may be playing to perpetuate that emotion… I’ll bet somewhere in there you’ll find it has something to do with expectations - and within this new awareness you will find the capacity to let it go!
Sat Nam!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Birthing Our Dream :: Pt 2
The new Blog is UP! I hope you all will click on over to BIRTHING OUR DREAM! and join us - subscribe for updates, as we blog and vlog our journey, building our new home and retreat center in Costa Rica - PURA VIDA!
Sat Nam
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Shadow Boxing or Shadow Hugging?
Illuminate… and suddenly darkness is no longer threatening.
Sat Nam!
Yesterday I watched the rocumentary Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind. I was thoroughly blown away by her endless, streaming talent, wisdom and beauty. Here is a woman who followed her Muse, never once selling out, speaking her raw, poetic, unadulterated truth and yet she struggled with depression. She never cared about being famous, she never even felt comfortable or worthy of it. I was struck by one of the things she said, regarding her embracing depression: “If you get rid of the demons, the angels fly away, too.” How eloquently put!
I was just talking with a friend that very day about her working hard to change herself, taking ownership of her “stuff” and ultimately becoming the person she “wants” to be. I added: “the person you ARE.” She hesitated, and sort of frowned with her response: “Wellllll… I’m not so sure, there are still things I’m trying to get rid of.” Hearing this, I reminded her that while it is true that awareness is half the work, acceptance is also key. We can shift, we can change, but there will always be a “shadow” side. Note: this does not mean a “bad” side. But in this humanistic, dualistic world we live in, there is a flip side to everything. Unfortunately, we tend to think we are supposed to be “happy” or “good” or “succeeding” 100% of the time. We can surely aim towards perfection, but with a knowing we will never be perfect. It is within this paradox that we find peace. So when Joni speaks of the demons and the angels, she reminds us that we truly need both aspects, the light AND the dark. We cannot “get rid” of one without getting rid of the other; therefore we cannot “have” one without the other. From Joni’s depression came some of her greatest work. By shining light upon her dark side, she manifested beauty.
By embracing our own “flip” side with compassion and non-judgment, we begin to understand and accept that darkness in others. By shining light into our darkness, the shadows cease to be threatening, without threat; there is no fear – without fear, a world of endless possibilities awaits!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Birthing A Dream
Imagine... and suddenly anything is possible. Realize your dreams!
Creation Creating, this is who we are. This is WHAT we are. Every creation begins with a thought and every thought is born from purusha, the deeper, divine self that resides within us all. This movement of thought turned to action is the creative process manifest, and from this, like the powerful, exploding cumulus clouds billowing from vapor into form, our world exists. This is the golden thread that connects us all. This is the eternal unfolding.
Our dream of building a sanctuary in Costa Rica has been unfolding for quite a while. We finally sold our house where we had lived for 15 wonderful and cozy years, and now we are very close to purchasing land. As we are getting into the nitty-gritty and logistics of buying land in Costa Rica, an adventure in and of itself, I have been finding it my meditation to surrender to the process while staying strong in my, space – the Buddhists call it the middle way, or for you yoginis out there, sthirasukha: maintaining ease within a steady and alert state. A challenge, indeed! But this morning, as I was finishing my sadhana, I found the (ok, maybe not-so-original) metaphor that helps me stay the course: I feel pregnant with possibility! I am holding this seed of a long-time dream close at my tan tien, like an expectant mother, falling in love with her not-yet-born baby. My heart swells with the idea of being able to build a truly sacred space where people can come to find… well, whatever it is THEY are searching for. And, along this journey, I will embrace the challenges and hold fast the love for this seed. Even when I feel the heaviness of the overwhelming load of challenges and responsibility, I will bring gratitude for it all because every single moment means the seed is growing within a healthy spiritual and emotional environment. The power of this intention will carry forth the very energy that will ultimately sustain the dream in it’s fruition!
By bringing love, compassion and patience into everything we do, every idea we have, every creation we intend – even if in the end if things don’t look as we imagine (and they probably won’t!) – we might succeed in manifesting a healthier world… Keep the dream alive!
Friday, December 4, 2009
When The Fog Lifts
Face it... and suddenly you are meeting the authentic you.
The other night I awoke to the nearly full moon, brightly shining down upon me through the high windows in our bedroom, like a spot light - I was “on”. So, I allowed La Luna to bathe me in her luminescence as I followed the sensations into my body, which led me to explore some thoughts about identity. Suddenly, facebook came to mind. The name alone opens up a whole new vista for reflection on the subject of the Self. This captivating, global venue where it seems everyone is coming together, appears to be storming the world wide web to extreme proportions. I, too, have an account and visit the site intermittently and each time I do, I can’t help but be drawn into this open-door community. I am driven to share what is going on in my life and I want to learn more about the other “faces” as I peruse their profiles and photo albums, getting glimpses into otherwise unknown territory. And then I think about identity and facebook and can’t help but see the paradox: each one of us a singular entity (or so it appears) steering our “vehicles” this way and that, donning fashion and hairstyles, cars and homes, jobs and friends, ideas and beliefs – announcing it all at this collective domain, where here, it seems we all begin to melt into one - the virtual matrix of the collective unconscious manifest? A big nut to swallow, yes, but as we are led to come together in this time of great global and cosmic transition, will it be the internet that is ultimately the vehicle that teaches us that we are truly all one? Perhaps - or is this virtual collective identity our mere cinema verité projected onto a misty backdrop? And if so, when the fog lifts, will we still know who we are? I suppose only time will tell, as it always does. In the meantime, I pose the question for pondering… who are you? Truly…
The other night I awoke to the nearly full moon, brightly shining down upon me through the high windows in our bedroom, like a spot light - I was “on”. So, I allowed La Luna to bathe me in her luminescence as I followed the sensations into my body, which led me to explore some thoughts about identity. Suddenly, facebook came to mind. The name alone opens up a whole new vista for reflection on the subject of the Self. This captivating, global venue where it seems everyone is coming together, appears to be storming the world wide web to extreme proportions. I, too, have an account and visit the site intermittently and each time I do, I can’t help but be drawn into this open-door community. I am driven to share what is going on in my life and I want to learn more about the other “faces” as I peruse their profiles and photo albums, getting glimpses into otherwise unknown territory. And then I think about identity and facebook and can’t help but see the paradox: each one of us a singular entity (or so it appears) steering our “vehicles” this way and that, donning fashion and hairstyles, cars and homes, jobs and friends, ideas and beliefs – announcing it all at this collective domain, where here, it seems we all begin to melt into one - the virtual matrix of the collective unconscious manifest? A big nut to swallow, yes, but as we are led to come together in this time of great global and cosmic transition, will it be the internet that is ultimately the vehicle that teaches us that we are truly all one? Perhaps - or is this virtual collective identity our mere cinema verité projected onto a misty backdrop? And if so, when the fog lifts, will we still know who we are? I suppose only time will tell, as it always does. In the meantime, I pose the question for pondering… who are you? Truly…
Sat Nam (truth is my/our identity), my friends!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Releasing the Negative Charge
Unplug... and suddenly you are feeling the voltage!
Imagine the amount of unproductive energy we receive everyday simply from the beliefs we carry within us - the thoughts and ideas that we feed and that in turn, feed us. Beliefs and ideas, mind you, that keep us from accomplishing our greatest desires, or from embracing our own special gifts. Everyone of us possess certain belief patterns that have been ingrained in us from an early age by our family, community or culture that literally keep us, as adults, from becoming our most whole and highest selves. These beliefs go so deep, that most of us are completely unaware of them because we want to follow the rules. But do we ever stop to question if those rules might no longer apply? Think of all those ideas or beliefs that bring you nothing but grief, and then imagine how free you would be if you could disengage from those beliefs so they no longer had a hold on you. These beliefs are where we plug into our reality. If we are plugged into the idea: "The only way I can make a living and survive comfortably, is to keep working at this job I hate." or "I'll be able to take that dance class when the kids are out of school because they need me now." we make this our reality. Not right or wrong or good or bad, but the idea is to consciously understand that we are "choosing" that reality. For someone else the scenario could be "This job really stinks and I'm setting my intention to find another, better job - no matter what - or I'll learn to live with less." or "I'll figure out a way to learn how to dance, even if it means I buy a DVD and get up an hour earlier." What is it that sets us apart from one another in these ways? What is it that makes one person more successful, more healthy, more happy than another? Is it money? Beauty? Wisdom? Cultural background? Of course any and all of these things can play into it, but ultimately it is about what we believe; about how we see ourselves, our family, our community, our world and how we believe our family, our community our world sees us. So, by unplugging from those beliefs that no longer resonate for us, and connecting with our deeper potential, we can step up our energetic voltage and begin to follow our path towards truth and contentment and begin to live more empowered and more satisfying lives - particularly in these changing times.
Sat Nam!
Imagine the amount of unproductive energy we receive everyday simply from the beliefs we carry within us - the thoughts and ideas that we feed and that in turn, feed us. Beliefs and ideas, mind you, that keep us from accomplishing our greatest desires, or from embracing our own special gifts. Everyone of us possess certain belief patterns that have been ingrained in us from an early age by our family, community or culture that literally keep us, as adults, from becoming our most whole and highest selves. These beliefs go so deep, that most of us are completely unaware of them because we want to follow the rules. But do we ever stop to question if those rules might no longer apply? Think of all those ideas or beliefs that bring you nothing but grief, and then imagine how free you would be if you could disengage from those beliefs so they no longer had a hold on you. These beliefs are where we plug into our reality. If we are plugged into the idea: "The only way I can make a living and survive comfortably, is to keep working at this job I hate." or "I'll be able to take that dance class when the kids are out of school because they need me now." we make this our reality. Not right or wrong or good or bad, but the idea is to consciously understand that we are "choosing" that reality. For someone else the scenario could be "This job really stinks and I'm setting my intention to find another, better job - no matter what - or I'll learn to live with less." or "I'll figure out a way to learn how to dance, even if it means I buy a DVD and get up an hour earlier." What is it that sets us apart from one another in these ways? What is it that makes one person more successful, more healthy, more happy than another? Is it money? Beauty? Wisdom? Cultural background? Of course any and all of these things can play into it, but ultimately it is about what we believe; about how we see ourselves, our family, our community, our world and how we believe our family, our community our world sees us. So, by unplugging from those beliefs that no longer resonate for us, and connecting with our deeper potential, we can step up our energetic voltage and begin to follow our path towards truth and contentment and begin to live more empowered and more satisfying lives - particularly in these changing times.
Sat Nam!
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