“The Careful and Glorious Temple”

07 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Wisdom

How often we find ourselves in challenging interactions during the week!  If you are like me it is more often than you would like, and each encounter tests our ability to stay focused on the best outcome for all concerned.  This can be especially tricky in high-intensity relationships with family members, close friends or co-workers.

In such situations, the Angels encourage us not only to follow proper protocol for healthy relationships psychologically, but to defer to proper energetic care when necessary, as well.  In challenging relationships, this often means not letting ourselves become the doormat upon which others dump their stress or fears.  Instead, we are encouraged to try to shine the Light of hope and courage upon those walking through a dark and challenging portion of their Path.  This must be done mindfully, all the while upholding the integrity of the spiritual Energy we have worked so hard to build in our own lives:

“Do not allow to fall the careful and glorious Temple of your inner space, which houses the Energy and devotion you have so lovingly and carefully created.”

We often tend to undervalue our own worth: the treasure of our bodies, the prize of a contented mind, the Temple of our spiritual essence.  This last gift must be preserved above all else for, indeed, it is the only piece that lasts forever and encompasses who we truly are!  Our life experience is meant to be an opportunity to enhance that inner Temple, adding on to its beauty, sanctity and power:

“Continue to build upon that ever higher-reaching foundation of discrimination, protection and the delineation between your energies and that of another.”

With these words we are reminded that the foundation of our spiritual practice is the ability to discriminate between positive and contracted energies and to protect the wellspring of positive Energy in our lives.  Living a spiritual life does not mean we live the life of a dish-rag, allowing ourselves to be walked all over whenever someone else’s “misery loves company.”  We are called to uphold–and indeed build upon–the foundation of spiritual discrimination and careful energetic protection we have created.

For example, this may mean rather than being a party to another’s victim mindset, we should instead remind her of her power and ability to flourish regardless of life’s challenges.  If we truly want to help pull someone out of the quicksand, we must stay on solid ground ourselves and assist him or her from a place of steadfastness and strength.  To climb in after them only means the downfall of both!

So this year, let us release empty gestures of being “nice at all costs,” which only serve to create disingenuous and debilitating relationships.  My hope is that we preserve our carefully-built Temple of peace, wisdom and devotion, allowing It to serve as a place of refuge and encouragement for those in need.

To read more of the Angels’ Words of Wisdom, please peruse other selections from our Wisdom category or visit www.hopeofthenewage.com/Wisdom

Home Study: The Power of Now, pt. 1

23 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Home Study

This month we begin a new Home Study series which focuses on the importance of being in the present moment.  Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now took the spiritual community by storm at the turn of this century; you may remember Oprah Winfrey extolling the virtues of his other popular book, A New Earth.  If you own a copy of The Power of Now you can follow along at home, but even those of you without your own text will likely be able to check one out at the library if you like.

Today’s text: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Publisher: Namaste Publishing; Copyright, 1999 by Eckhart Tolle

Study pages: pp. 178-188

As the new year unfolds, we have many opportunities to explore and implement our personal Intentions for 2012.  But without presence of mind or what Eckhart Tolle refers to as “being in the Now,” we cannot hope to remember our Intentions at all, let alone put Them into practice.

In order to manifest change in our lives, we must first be mindful of the daily lessons that are seeking to guide us into that change.  Being in the Now means we open to our lives as they are in this moment–not wistfully dwelling on how we wish they would be or how they once were.  On pages 178-179 and page 182 Tolle says (paraphrase),

“Allowing things to be” takes you beyond the mind with its resistance that creates the positive/negative polarities…Remember that we are not talking about happiness here.  For example, when a loved one has just died, you cannot be happy.  It is impossible.  But you can be at peace.  Underneath the sadness you will feel a deep serenity, a stillness, a sacred presence.  This is the emanation of Being (aka our sacred Inner Nature)…When you live in complete acceptance of what is, that is the end of all drama in your life.  (In a disagreement) you can still make your point clearly and firmly, but there will be no defense or attack, so it won’t turn into drama.  When you are fully conscious, you cease to be in conflict.”

An important element in experiencing the power of Now is to stop fighting what is taking place Now.  Try “allowing things to be” while you look within to notice your reaction to what is happening around you.  Knowledge is power, so if we find we are conflicted about our experience, that knowledge gives us the fuel to begin using our spiritual tools to dissolve anger, jealousy or fear.  We must not be afraid of challenges in the Now, because we never know which ones might be special moments of fierce grace waiting to make us strong, selfless or courageous.  Note Tolle’s words on pp. 183-185:

“All suffering is due to resistance.  On the level of form…there are cycles of success and cycles of failure.  If you cling and resist, it means you are refusing to go with the flow of life and you will suffer.  Growth is usually considered positive, but nothing can grow forever…it would eventually become monstrous and destructive.  Dissolution is needed for new growth to happen.  One cannot exist without the other.”

So now the question becomes, “If I begin opening to life’s opportunities for growth, even the difficult ones, where does my joy come from?  Where do I find my solace, my refuge, my sense of hope?”  And the answer is, the only place these can ever come from–within you.  On pp. 187-188 Tolle says:

“Things and conditions can give you pleasure, but they will also give you pain…they cannot give you joy.  Nothing can give you joy.  Joy arises from within as the joy of Being…Being takes you beyond the polar opposites of the mind and frees you…”

Make no mistake, Tolle’s words challenge us in a powerful way.  They require we take full responsibility for our condition and the way we experience the world.  So let’s begin our study of The Power of Now by honestly assessing how we feel about the challenges Tolle lays at our feet.  Using a pen and journal or piece of paper, contemplate the following this week:

1. Do I believe it is actually possible to be at peace, even if I am sad or suffering?  When in my life have I encountered such an experience?

2. Have I experienced a time when I was able to avoid drama because I was being very conscious and in the Now?  When?  How did that make me feel?

3. What challenges have made me stronger over time?  How can I remember these when I try to hide from a difficult Now moment?

4. Is it true that the only lasting satisfaction comes from within as the joy of Being?  How can I connect to that more often?

In session two of our Tolle Home Study, we will be diving deeper into The Power of Now and what the author has to say about relationships…don’t miss it!  Be sure to click and follow our blog so you can be alerted when our next discussion commences.  Until then, stay present in the Now!

New Year’s Cleanse

03 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Try this!

It’s one of the most common New Year’s intentions you hear…”This year I want to clean up my diet!”  Yet every January, we find ourselves slow to pick up the good habits we seek.  Here are a few simple ways to cleanse your temple–inside and out!

  • Buy more organic produce–If you are like most folks, buying all-organic, all the time is not an option your wallet can afford.  However, by simply selecting more items than you did last year, you can begin to make some progress in purifying your diet.  I recommend visiting www.foodnews.org for a list of which fruits and veggies are the most contaminated with pesticides.  Commit to buying those as organics.  Then watch your grocer’s fliers and stock up on those items when they go on sale.  A good organic sale will often give you an item at the same price as non-organics, so why not go for it?
  • Start juicing–Buying a juicer changed my nutrition life, and my body has never been happier!  It is obvious that with every glass I am adding easily absorbed, live raw nutrients to my body.  If you cannot afford a juicer, start a “juicer fund” with your spare change.  By year’s end you will be closer to purchasing a model that will help you jump-start next year’s NY intention for better health.  I love the web site of juicing expert Sheree Clark at  www.fork-road.com .  Check out juicer models online and read reviews; there is a machine out there for every budget and preference!
  • Do a cleanse–Lots of people have a preferred method of cleansing, so if you have not tried one yet, start asking around.  Nutritionists do not recommend total fasting, so look for options like juice or raw food cleanses.  I like asking folks in the health food stores what they have tried; first-hand experience is always the best.  And don’t be confused by “colon cleanse” pills that are just diuretics in disguise.  A good cleanse should include lots of organic juices, possibly teas, as well as supplements like antioxidants, fiber (like ground flax) and liver support supplements or herbs.  It may sound like a lot of work, but once you have a method you like, you can reuse the regimen any time of year you want to detox and start fresh!
  • Drink more water–Are you sick of hearing this one yet?  I am adding it here not because it is new, but to share a personal anecdote with you.  I have never been a good water drinker and often found myself going a week on just a few glasses of water.  Then, I moved to the desert and  started drinking water like crazy.  Why?  Ice cubes.  Now I know, I know–many health regimens ask you to swear off using ice or drinking cold beverages for the sake of your digestion.  But hear me out: by adding ice to my drinking water I found myself draining glass after glass, easily twice as much as I had consumed before.  It just worked for me!  Maybe for you, the trick is to add a slice of refreshing cucumber; maybe you like hot water with lemon.  Whatever it is that works for you, start trying options until you find something you like, then always drink your water that way.  If you’re like me, you will find yourself peering into another empty glass, mystified and wondering, “Where did my water go?”  True story!
  • Start body-brushing–Skin brushing is done just before you shower with a special body brush (check your health food store).  You lightly brush the skin in strokes moving toward your heart to stimulate the flow of lymphatic tissue.  Your toxins are then ushered toward the liver for elimination, helping your body stay healthy and happy.  This makes a nice ritual, especially if you are like me and always shower by candle light.  Any day of the week feels like a vacation when you shower with candles, brush your skin lightly before and apply a cruelty-free lotion afterward.  Marvelous!

These simple practices can be started any time of year, so be sure not to overload yourself.  One of my favorite techniques is to grab my day-planner and schedule myself to begin a different type of purification each month.  January is more water, February is body-brushing, March is juicing…By the fall, you’re on your way to a healthier, more radiant body that makes you smile and say, “I love my temple!”

Happy health to you in 2012!

Home Study: Oneness, pt. 3

02 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Home Study

Today we begin the third and final installment of our Home Study of the book Oneness, by Rasha.  If you have not already caught up on parts one and two of our series, I encourage you to visit them to help provide a foundation for today’s discussion!

Today’s text: Oneness, by Rasha

Publisher: Earthstar Press; copyright, 2003

Study pages: pp. 47-48; 50; 52-53

In part one of our “Home Study: Oneness” series, we noted that in any moment of conflict there is an opportunity for us to pause and take a breath before reacting in haste or judgment.  Part two examined how such a heart-centering response allows us to connect to our Higher Truth, from whence we can then speak our perspective without attachment to how others might receive it.

But if you are a passionate, emotional person–as many of us are–this may all sound unrealistic.  You may be thinking, “I’m not a robot; where are the feelings supposed to go while I try to implement these spiritual techniques?”  In today’s reading from Oneness, we see that the feelings are not supposed to “go” anywhere.  They are meant to be felt and experienced, understanding that we are in a human incarnation, after all!  On page 47, we contemplate why dramas arise at all (paraphrased):

“It is essential that the peeling back of the layers of experiential history imprinted within your cellular structure (releasing of old emotions, traumatic body memories, etc.) be accomplished systematically and completely so that you are able to liberate yourself from the constraints of the themes (victimhood, unworthiness, etc.) that characterize this lifetime.  Were this cellular imprinting to remain unreleased, the energy patterns would continue to trigger repetitions of situations calculated to stimulate dramatic emotional responses in areas where resolution may have been achieved.”

What this is saying is: if there is an area of old energy/trauma/fear that has NOT been healed, the old energy triggers a repeat of situations like those in the past in order to stimulate total release.  Until we have fully purged ourselves of the old patterns (such as responding as a victim, lying to avoid intimacy or valuing material wealth above spiritual growth), we will keep intersecting opportunities to engage those themes.

So as we said before, we are not supposed to be like robots when these repeat performances emerge.  We are meant to feel the feeling and engage our Truth in a  conscious way so that past pains may finally be purged from our systems.  We are meant to feel…the question is, how much?

Our challenge is in finding the appropriate balance between wanton emotional rampages and the total repression of emotions.  Our goal is the ability to allow our emotional responses to flow through us without them becoming us.  This means we do not attach meaning to them, blame to them or authority to them.  We simply notice their rise and fall, and move on toward a conscious Connection to the Source in that moment of challenge–as best we honestly can.  All this takes place so that we can purge ourselves of the old patterns we once held (p. 47-48):

“It is entirely to be anticipated that dramas transpire that bring into definition and absolute clarity the key emotional issues with which you have been working toward resolution in recent times.  It is in your highest possible interest that you permit yourself the experience of these emotional responses in order that the corresponding patterning can be eliminated from your energy field.  By resisting the inclination to repress such responses, one is able to make a shift to a new level.”

In the end, we begin to see that interactions function as tools for energetic release–sometimes our release, and sometimes that of someone else.  It is critical that we not become self-righteous and begin to judge another’s emotional mannerisms, simply because we know there is more going on than meets the eye (p. 48-49):

“The dramas into which you may be drawn as either observer or participant may not need to be taken at face value.  It may well be that you have been cast in the role of trigger for release work in which another being is engaged…Approach with gentleness and compassion the beings with whom you share this time, for each of you is performing to the very best of his abilities…It is far too easy to see the flaws in another being.  Rest assured that your own performance is equally marred…and the tendency toward the necessity to appear right only serves to undermine the objective.”

Finally, I would like to stress that repeat performances of certain dramas are not necessarily an indication that something is wrong–as long as you are using your spiritual tools and being conscious during times of conflict.  In fact, intensification is a sign that things may be right on track for you to gain freedom from such sand-traps (p. 50):

“Expect the pattern to continue to repeat itself for some time to come as you bring to the surface and release the layers of vibration held within your energy field…Familiar episodes of dramas intensify as you delve deeper into the process of release (and) does not indicate that you have failed.  Escalating intensity indicates a progression in the release work being undertaken.”

Let’s take a moment to apply all these principles to our own lives.  Using a pen and journal or piece of paper, contemplate the following:

1.  With whom do I tend to have recurring dramas over the years?

2. With each of these people, do I tend to vent in an openly aggressive manner, or do I repress my feelings (passively aggressive)?

3. What could I say to express my natural emotions to these people, while still being respectful of them as individuals on their own Journeys?

4. After a difficult encounter, how can I allow my emotions to come out safely? (ex. journaling, talking to a counselor, exercise, speaking my mind to the Higher Realms in prayer)

5. What is a mantra I can use to honor the other person’s Journey and let the drama go as best I can? (ex. “May they find their Truth and I find mine,” or “I honor his need to reach Understanding at his own pace.”)

6. When I see a drama begin to repeat itself, what can I say to my mind to reaffirm that this is just an opportunity for growth and not a life-or-death situation?  (ex-“Been there, done this, ready to do it again!” or “Welcome back, old bugger…I know you!”)

Over the past month we have investigated how challenging interactions allow us to grow spiritually.  You may wish to print and save our study of these pages in Oneness to review the next time you find yourself in a dramatic encounter with someone!  This book has many other powerful insights to share as well, so I hope you will take the time to peruse a copy at your leisure.

Our next Home Study course will dive into the book, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.  Many of you have heard of this book and some may own it; copies are also likely available at your public library.  We will begin our study of this book in just over two weeks, so plan to secure a copy before then if you would like.  Remember, I will provide paraphrases and excerpts if you do not have a book by the time we start.  For those of you who finish your Oneness, pt. 3 homework ahead of schedule, you can read ahead in The Power of Now.  Our pages of interest will be pp. 178-188.

See you in a few weeks–and remember our mantra: Energy Underlies Everything.

Home Study: Oneness, pt. 2

19 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Home Study

In part 1 of our Home Study of the book Oneness, we talked about how to conduct ourselves energetically when confronted with difficult people or circumstances.  By first pausing to connect to our inner stillness, we can then respond from a place of self-awareness and Truth.  To review that lesson, please visit “Home Study: Oneness, pt.1.”

Today’s lesson discusses what our goal for any challenging interaction can be.  Is it to convince others of our point of view, abdicate our power to the person with the loudest voice, tolerate an unappealing compromise?  From the standpoint of spiritual growth, the answer is “none of the above.”  Let’s learn more…

Today’s text: Oneness by Rasha

Publisher: Earthstar Press; Copyright, 2003

Study pages: pp. 43-45

Background–Most of us know how tempting it is to want to be right–or at least be viewed by others as being right.  What results is an endless parade of interactions rooted in this deep need for affirmation.  When we are able to convince others of our point of view we feel validated; when we must acquiesce to another’s reasoning, we feel devalued.  Even when we “agree to disagree,” there is a sense of dissatisfaction when no clear victor claims the spoils of our emotional wars.  Yet, most of us believe there are no other options when it comes to managing relationships and challenging circumstances.  In fact there is another way, but our hearts have to grow into it, as described in Oneness, page 43:

“Once you have transcended your inclination to stage repeat performances of the dramas that have dominated your life (read: we choose to repeat our life dramas!) you are able to move forward to the next phase of the work at hand.  The choices you encounter from this point forth represent opportunities to translate discord into harmony…to transcend the need to be ‘right’ in deference to the possibility of emerging with a sense of completion.”

What this is essentially saying is that we start seeing challenges as opportunities not to win, but to stop playing the game entirely.  Instead of using an argument to convince others you are right, you can manage a disagreement by stating your Truth and allowing others to agree or disagree as they see fit.   On page 44 we read:

“Your objective now is to recognize all encounters as the opportunities for achieving harmony that they truly are.  By presenting your own perspective without attachment to outcome, you allow the optimum outcome for all concerned.  By planting the seed of your intent without the need to force it into fruition, you best serve your own interests as well as those of others.”

Of course, the problem comes when we are deeply attached to a certain outcome, so for some of us a bit of preparatory homework must be done; let’s back up a moment and discuss it.  As we know from the Grace and Clarity article, “Resistance = Suffering,” resistance in the form of attachment and aversion causes us to suffer.  When we insist things go our way or we insist others refrain from actions we deem unacceptable,  we are in resistance to any outcome but the one we consider appropriate–and suffering ensues.  So before some of us can speak our perspective “without attachment to outcome,” we must do some deep inner work of surrender.  I find practices that cultivate surrender like offering devotion to the Divine and cultivating faith that “all is in divine order” help us achieve freedom from attachment.  Once we are at that point, we can move to the final step of the work as described on pp. 44-45:

“The objective (in a moment of conflict) is not to win or be right, but rather to recognize that the current choices determine what the next set of choices are to be.  Winning, losing and begrudging compromise are recipes for repetition of the same script with a different cast of characters (sound familiar?!)  But once you become attuned, you will find that you are less concerned with triumphing than with maintaining equilibrium.”

Maintaining equilibrium–who knew that would become my big spiritual goal?  It sounds so NON-mystical, so unimpassioned, so full of…allowing.  And that is exactly what it is designed to do.  At this stage of the energetic growth game, our goal is not to win but to allow, thereby minimizing our own suffering/resistance and stepping into the Divine Flow.  To get clear on what we must do to get there, take a journal or piece of paper and consider the following:

1.  How often do I need to be right when in a disagreement?  Who do I usually feel compelled to convince?  Whose validation do I need the most?

2.  When I get into an argument, what can I say to myself to remember this is an opportunity for resolution, not a battle to be won? (ex. “Equilibrium, not victory” or “Speak your Truth and let go!”)

3. With which topics do I have the hardest time surrendering the need to be right? (ex. politics, family history, past hurts)

4. Who will I likely discuss those topics with in the future?

Once we get a sense of what our trigger topics are, who we usually discuss them with and how we will remind ourselves not to engage in battle, we are on our way to success.  I call it, “zooming out:” the willingness to see a conflict not as the interaction at hand but as the energies being exchanged and the damage being done to one’s equilibrium.  Still, there is balance to be had–repression is not the answer, either.  In the final installment of our Oneness Home Study, we will talk about how repressing your emotions  can actually slow your spiritual progress!

Ritual to Release and Renew

17 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Practicum

December is filled with beautiful opportunities to mark our turning from darkness to Light.  Rituals of lights are performed in Hanukkah, Christmas, Winter Solstice and New Year celebrations, providing us with many chances to honor our personal growth.  Whether you choose to observe them in solitude or in the company of loved ones, ceremonies give us a method for paying tribute to the transformation in our lives.  Here is a simple ritual you can enjoy alone or with others which turns your hearth into a place of ceremonial celebration!

You will need:

A wood-burning hearth or stove (a basket will do if you have neither)

One or more candles, music and aromatherapy to create a blessed atmosphere

Twigs or small sticks

Notepaper and pens

Start by creating a sacred space.  Simply light one or more candles, select some soothing music and fill your space with captivating aromas.  You may wish to use an aromatherapy spray, light some incense or simmer a natural potpourri on the stove by combining water, cinnamon sticks, cloves and a dash of nutmeg.

Gather your group or your own thoughts and select a stick or twig symbolizing something you wish to release from your past year.  It may be a feeling, a painful interaction with someone, an unhealthy personal habit or a phase in your life.  Share aloud what your item symbolizes, imbuing the stick with your deep desire to release old energy.  Then lay your twig in a cold or crackling hearth; if you have no fireplace, simply lay the stick in a basket.  If you are practicing in solitude, allow ample time to share with the Higher Realms everything you wish to release.  If you are in a group, each person can take turns discarding as many symbols as they would like until all feel complete.  Then, if the hearth is cold take a moment to light it, silently watching the refuse of the past year transform into pure Light and Energy.  Items placed in a basket can be ceremoniously scattered in Nature following your ritual.

Once all Releases have been expressed, it is time to affirm your Intentions for the new year.  I recommend from one to three Intentions; any more than four and it is difficult to  remember all the things you are trying to achieve.  This leads to unnecessary guilt and shame when priorities are set but never accomplished.  Have few enough Intentions that you can memorize them quickly and call them to mind repeatedly over the coming year.

Taking a pen and paper (I like sticky notes, which can be immediately posted for reference), write down your Intentions.  The more succinct you can be, the easier the Intentions will be to memorize.  For example, bringing more compassion into your relationship with Nathan can be simply written as, “Compassion toward Nathan.”

I encourage my students to select at least one Intention relating to their spiritual practice; make your Journey a priority each year and you will find you grow more quickly.  These might be praying or mediating with more discipline, opening your heart to Divine Guidance regularly or other goals that deepen your Connection to Goodness.  Finally, read your Intentions aloud.  If practicing in a group setting, have each person read just one Intention they feel comfortable sharing with others.

Close your ritual by offering gratitude and asking the Higher Realms to bless your Intentions.  Be sure to save your paper and keep it close for your reference.  I like to rewrite my Intentions on two or three sticky-notes, placing one in my office, another in my car and another in my home.  This reminds me to check in with them again and again and not to forget them as the months roll by.  Our Intentions are meant to unfold within us over the entire year, until the next time we are ready to Release what no longer serves and Renew our connection to  Divine Light.

“Resistance = Suffering…”

11 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Wisdom

This is the time of year when many of us interact with friends and family members we do not get to see at other times of the year.  Some folks we wish we could see more often, others we choose not to spend time with on purpose.  Perhaps they bring up difficult emotions in us: fears, resentment, reminders of a troubled past.  Other times we avoid seeing loved ones because there is the feeling that we or they are not living up to the other’s standards.  We are afraid to disappoint or be disappointed, so it seems easiest just to avoid one another entirely until the holidays dictate we all reconvene.  However, instead of experiencing disingenuous interactions this holiday season, consider the possibility that you can truly open your heart to those around you–even those who have caused you to feel conflicted in the past.  How?  Enter the magic ingredient: allowing. 

We hear from many spiritual traditions that resistance is the root of all suffering.  Sometimes we resist the way someone is acting, which means that we have an aversion to what that person is doing with his or her life.  Other times we resist someone changing their ways because we are attached to the way they used to behave and we want them to stay the same forever.  Aversion (“I don’t want that!”) and attachment (“I want that back!”) are the two main branches of the tree of resistance.

Here is what the Guides have to say regarding how we feel about others and how releasing our resistance can help create more harmonious relationships:

“Resistance in the form of attachment or aversion is the root of all suffering–ever.  Release your attachment to what someone is and they are free to become more.  Release attachment and you, too, will be free.”

Of course this sounds easier said than done!  Take, for example, the child who becomes a drug addict or the partner who decides to have an affair.  It is difficult to allow when we deem such actions inappropriate.  But allowing does not mean that we become the doormat of society.  We can still speak our boundaries clearly and uphold them, while simultaneously allowing others to have their own lives.  Remember, too, that allowing is not the same as acceptance.  Allowing does not mean that you condone or accept someone’s actions as proper or appropriate.  It simply means that you acknowledge that person’s right to choose, which is the freedom that all sentient beings possess.

I have come to realize that when I become attached to who or what I think someone should be, I am actually resisting an experience that might lead them to tremendous growth.  Simultaneously, when I have an aversion to someone changing their ways, I must realize that I am holding them back from the route–however circuitous it may be–that may in time lead them to their greatest self-awareness.  And let us not forget: some of us have to learn through pain.  There are always those who must hit rock-bottom before bouncing back up again.  This may be the case for some of your loved ones this holiday season.  Instead of feeling sad for them, know in faith and confidence that all find their way eventually.

It is a tricky business, allowing, but it can be done.  Consider making time each day this holiday season to ask the Divine to help you allow certain loved ones to be who they are.  Spend some time affirming that each soul is on a unique Journey of self-discovery which will inevitably lead them home.  Turn your loved one over to the Divine, asking the Allness to care for, encourage and guide that person as he or she travels through life.  Always be sure to end with gratitude, giving thanks for some of the blessings on your own path.  Then continue undaunted as a positive role model for others, standing firm in the faith that all will eventually arrive at a place of Truth and Understanding.

Home Study: Oneness, pt. 1

05 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Home Study

The study of spiritual texts comprises one of the most basic facets of spiritual education and illumination.  To help introduce others to manuscripts I have found life-changing, I am delighted to introduce a new Home Study section here at Grace and Clarity for your convenience.  Every week or two, we will dive into insightful passages from books authored by some of today’s leading spiritual teachers and intuitives.  You can follow along with a pen, journal and your own copy of the text, or simply take notes on passages straight from the Home Study page.  Be aware that the books I will be featuring have changed my life, becoming well-worn volumes in my personal library and are well worth the purchase.  If you find a particular book inspiring, I encourage you to support the author and purchase a copy of your own!  And now, to begin our first Home Study assignment–read on!

Today’s text: Oneness by Rasha

Publisher: Earthstar Press; Copyright, 2003

Study pages: pp. 34-38

Background–We are beginning a study of how to respond to interactions which create resistance in us.  Combustibility may arise due to a person, an activity or a location.  In this section of Oneness, we start by simply noticing the intensity of our experience and taking a breath in at that moment.  Here is a paraphrase from pp. 34-35:

When unbalanced, step back for a moment.  Withdraw your energies and cease conscious interaction with all that surrounds you.  Allow your awareness to guide you to a place of stillness deep within.  Become centered in the silence of that space.  Breathe deeply through your heart center and detach from the circumstances that have engaged you.  Allow yourself to feel the Light Energy of unconditional Love as It fills you completely.

Making that choice in the face of adversity is a learned reaction that you are encouraged to adopt and to practice in response to life’s dramas.  Shifting your Energy in this way serves to dispel the spiraling wave of diminished vibration that draws you ever deeper into imbalance.  Taking conscious command of the moment is the strongest possible response you can make, regardless of the nature of the circumstances.

Although the above description of Energy-shifting may sound like a visualization best practiced in meditation, the fact is such Energy shifts can be executed in any moment of challenge.  Even as another shares with you his or her disappointment or confusion, you can take a deep breath and center yourself in the silence of your inner stillness.  You can cultivate patience or forgiveness even as they speak.  If this is not possible, start by simply taking a deep breath and noticing your state of contracted emotion.  In time, you will be able to inch your way toward being more in tune with your emotions, eventually learning to temper them and finally being able to turn them into a lighter Energy such as compassion.  That said, take out a journal or piece of paper and let’s look at some specifics:

1. What two situations, people or events are most likely to make me feel contracted (angry, resentful, sad) during the week?

2. Close your eyes and imagine yourself taking a deep breath while that encounter unfolds.  What energies can you cultivate to shift out of that tense emotion? (compassion, gratitude, etc.)

3. Now imagine the situation again, with you responding from these Higher Energies.  What might be a response you could offer? (ex- “I might need some time to digest this.  Can we talk again later?”  “I feel very upset right now but I can also hear what you are saying.  Can we discuss this some more?”)

4. List some recurring emotional dramas that keep resurfacing over the years (ex-conflict with a sibling, resistance to authority).

5. What response could I use the next time this situation occurs?

Know that as we become more skillful in our responses to challenging interactions, we slowly defuse the toxic energies that can build over time.  The more we can identify our patterns of unhealthy reaction, the more likely we are to avoid such circumstances to begin with.  In the coming days, try recalling your notes from this study session when a challenging situation presents itself.  You may even want to put up a post-it note where challenges are likely to occur (work, in the car, etc).  Do your best to be on the look-out for chances to use your newfound awareness and response.  Next time, we will discuss how to allow an outcome that serves the Highest Good of all–even in difficult situations.

Judge not…

29 Nov 2011 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Practicum

If you are like most spiritual practitioners, you judge the quality of your spiritual Connection randomly throughout the day.  Sometimes this happens precisely during a moment of contraction (“Why can’t I stop thinking while I lie here in Shavasana?”  “I know I should be patient with my children, but all I want to do is scream!”).  Other times we judge our spiritual integrity after the fact (“I can’t believe I let my coworker pull me into that old gossip habit again!”  “Why didn’t I see that angry outburst building inside me ahead of time?”)

The judging voice within works overtime, day in and day out.  Whether we are at work, with family or enjoying leisure time we are constantly judging not only our spiritual practice but almost everything else in our lives.  From physical appearance and personal success to the way others live their lives, judgment is a pervasive part of the human experience.

Yet, when it comes to spiritual practice it is critical we learn to release judgment.  Why?  Because our Connection informs every other area of our lives.  In keeping with the Angels’ Wisdom shared in “The Ebony Fan,” consider taking some time this month to observe just how much the voice of judgment blares through your mind.  One friend of mine calls this voice The Ridiculer; the Guides have referred to my inner critic as Mr. Blackheart.  No matter what you call it, if you listen for that familiar voice you will find it is almost always belittling and degrading your spiritual progress.

If you are lucky enough to notice judgment as it happens this month, try simply observing it.  This is the best place to begin since, initially, it will be almost impossible to silence the inner critic.  Start with the small step of noticing that your judging voice is present.  Ask yourself if there is even a tiny bit of wiggle room: Is it possible to divert your attention to something else in the room?  Could you just get yourself to think of someone who loves you or makes you smile?  If not, fine…just keep observing.  But if you are able to get that tiny bit of wiggle room, you might be able to slither out from under the judging voice that has you pinned to the ground.

If you find yourself judging a spiritual shortcoming after the fact, spend some time with a journal this month noting what happened and what the judging voice in your mind had to say about it.  For example you may note, “Last Thursday I was unkind to a friend and I am sitting here now judging that action.  I should have been more patient and kind and I am judging myself for not being so.”  Then brainstorm about what may have triggered your negative response at the time–as well as why you feel the need to judge it now.  Investigating judgment after the fact is like entering a doorway: it opens up an opportunity to examine, from a less combustible frame of mind, what our motivations may have been and how we can make leaps in our understanding for future encounters.

Over time, you may be able to catch yourself in a judging moment as it unfolds.  Although examination after the fact can be helpful, true progress is made when we begin to act more skillfully in the challenging moment itself.  Progress begins with noticing the voice of judgment, then gaining what little wiggle room we can by diverting our attention.  Mindfulness then deepens as we learn to wiggle more fiercely, perhaps using a deep breath, a prayer for help or an affirmation of gratitude to shift ourselves out of judgment and into expansive awareness.  Eventually, we watch the whole cycle of judgment diminish in scope as we offer ourselves compassionate affirmation that–more and more–we are doing our very best.

Once we come to that point, we are less likely to have anything at all to judge later.  The whole spiderweb of dark, condemning energy naturally shrinks back until it is more manageable.  We intuitively avoid wasting our spiritual vitality on cannibalistic judging habits and instead practice the forgiveness, encouragement and compassion which help us grow and awaken to our Highest Selves.

The Ebony Fan

27 Nov 2011 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Wisdom

Journey along the spiritual Path for any length of time and you quickly realize that it is not a flat, featureless trail.  The Path to self-awareness usually presents us with alternating hills of challenge and cool valleys of repose.  Often referred to as the spiritual roller-coaster, these are the fluctuations associated with fading in and out of spiritual awareness.  One moment we are compassionate and wise, the next moment we are suspicious, resentful and afraid.  A wonderfully down-to-Earth spiritual teacher named Adyashanti calls this the “I got it, I lost it” experience.

For many seekers, especially those just starting out, there is an unfortunate misunderstanding about this naturally undulating experience.  It is the myth that in a “real” spiritual practice there are no longer such variations; all is peaceful within us and we are forever content.  But this is nothing more than a fallacy.  Even the masters affirm that contracted emotions can continue after realization–they are simply not invested with meaning or allowed to sever one’s Connection with the Divine Reality.

For many years I, too, believed that the back and forth of my spiritual state was a sign that my Journey was hopelessly flawed.  Recently I asked the Angels and Guides about this roller-coaster phenomenon.  Here is the encouraging explanation They shared with me regarding the spiritually elevated state:

“The problem is not that you cannot sustain it.  The problem is that you resist that its nature is not to be sustained.”

These eloquent words simply mean that the problem is not my spiritual condition, it is the fact that I judge my spiritual condition as unacceptable.

The Angels immediately reminded me that change is the nature of all things.  It does not really matter if we accept it or not, the nature of the Universe is to ebb and flow.  Please be aware that in the spiritual context, ebb and flow do not mean “good” and “bad.”  Rather, ebb refers to Reality in Its state of rest or potentiality while flow indicates activity or manifestation.  It is the nature of the Universe in all areas–including physical manifestation, mental understanding and spiritual Evolution–to ebb and flow.

The invitation, then, is to acknowledge that the ebb and flow of our spiritual condition is not the problem.  The problem is that we believe it should be different.  Therefore, instead of judging the ebb and flow of our spiritual state, the Angels encourage us to see that there is no “better” or “worse” in our inner condition.  Everything simply is.

To illustrate this point, the Angels used the analogy of an ebony fan.  Imagine that the spiritual experience is like a woman’s ebony fan, ornately decorated by hand.  Sometimes it is closed, sometimes partially open and sometimes it is fully expanded.  It does not matter whether the fan is open or closed, it is still an exquisite work of art.  You would not judge it to be better or worse when open as opposed to being closed; regardless of its condition, it simply is. 

Most seekers judge their spiritual experience vertically: an illuminated state is imagined to be higher on the “spiritual scale” and therefore better, while a state of contraction is lower on the spiritual scale and therefore worse.  Make no mistake: there are more and less skillful ways to live.  There are states of being that incur fewer ramifications later (more skillful) and states of being that create a lot of drama and many ramifications later (less skillful).  But in Universal Reality, these are not considered to be better or worse than one another, they are simply more or less complex or efficient.

The Angels encourage us to throw away the old vertical spiritual paradigm and open our minds to a whole new way of viewing our spiritual experience: Is it more or less skillful?  When we are filled with an Energy of compassion, we are in a more efficient and skillful state; we do not say or do things we will have to apologize for later.  This expansive state should not be considered “better,” it is simply more efficient than a contracted state, wherein we may say or do something we will later regret.  Just like a fully opened fan is no better than a partially opened one so, too, is our expansive state no better than our contracted one.  It is simply more skillful in its use of Energy.

If we will accept this new paradigm we can begin to adopt a new, non-judgmental perspective: “I simply am.  This is what is today.”  Can we take steps to be more skillful?  Absolutely–and we should, any time we can.  Can we use the tools in our spiritual tool box to create a more efficient spiritual condition?  Indeed.  But it is important that we slowly shift our belief system away from the sense that “I am ‘good’ when I am expanded and I am ‘bad’ when I am not.”  The tension that arises from such judgments only creates more problems.  In the end, judging our spiritual progress just means that we are piling more snow on top of the mountain we are trying to shovel through as we grow and evolve.

So give yourself a break.  Commit to seeing your practice as a constantly flowing work of art, like a dancer’s fan opening and closing with  symbolism.  Some days you will be proud as you look back, some days maybe not so much.  But what matters is that we are trying, all of us, to make a difference as we grow.  What matters is that we see the beauty and artistry in the ongoing dance–regardless of the step we are on at the time.

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