Many of us feel fatigued when our personal and professional responsibilities seem never-ending and overwhelming. Sometimes, we even deny ourselves sleep, rest, and personal care in order to take care of all of them. Frequently, our many obligations compel us to forge ahead, ignoring the body's need to slow down, relax, and restore itself. This often leads to a feeling of compassion fatigue where our energies are drained from the "care taking" of others.Taking sufficient breaks gives our bodies an opportunity to let go of tension, fatigue and repair itself. When we allow ourselves to rest and restore, while letting go of our thoughts and … [Read more...]
The Pelican: A Metaphor of Transformation
In Cleveland, Ohio pelicans are rarely seen. Yet, I have been in awe of one particular pelican that took up residence at a lake near my home in Cleveland Heights. As long as I have lived here, this has been the first pelican to visit the Shaker Lakes. Moreover, for a pelican to come this far inland is quite remarkable. Each day since it arrived, I find myself walking through the woods around the lake and pausing, captivated by its elegance, strength and grace.The pelican's sudden appearance is an inspiration, a sign of courage and trust in its journey and in my own. I watch it glide through the water effortlessly even though it carries a … [Read more...]
Trusting the Flow of Divine Energy
Sometimes we can feel frustrated or disappointed when situations don't necessarily go the way we think they should. This may lead us to become more methodical, rigid or even inflexible. Rather than trying to control the situation through sheer force of will, we can choose to trust and align ourselves with the flow of energy that we direct through our hearts. Like surfing, if we simply tune in to each experience, breathe deeply, and allow ourselves to flow rather than resist, we will be able to move smoothly through any wave without falling off of our board.By attuning to the flow of divine energy in our lives, we can let go of our need to … [Read more...]
Soul-Hearted Partnership as a Transformative Path
The artist, Alex Grey suggests that "when two forces unite in love, a third power, a spiritual bridge, opens up to divine wisdom and guidance. He calls this power the Third Force, a potency that shifts a relationship into a transformative path." I refer to this energetic integration of two fully expressed beings, connected heart to heart and soul to soul as "soul-hearted." By being the collective conduit for this energy source, such a relationship can accomplish more than what would be achieved in isolation.Imagine a moment when you have experienced a combined surge of energy with a partner or friend. You may have been dancing, traveling or … [Read more...]
Opening to Deeper Levels of Intimacy
Most of us desire deeper, levels of intimacy with ourselves and our loved ones. Such meaningful relationships and intimate interactions begin with feeling "safe" enough to to freely and openly share our fears and insecurities. Opening up to another person and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable helps us establish the intimate connection we desire.We can let down our guard and the barriers that surround our hearts by establishing absolute trust in ourselves and our connection with source. This creates a foundation for an intimate relationship with another. Trust fosters full self-expression uninhibited by insecurity and opens us to heart to … [Read more...]
Forgiving Our Past
To forgive our past, we first have to face and resolve any unfinished business from our past choices. This means every pattern, choice, and grievance must be examined, like turning over river stones, without hiding behind the facade of excuses. Then, to attain closure, in addition to spiritually releasing our patterns it is also necessary to clean up any physical residue associated with them by getting rid of emotionally charged possessions or gifts, closing bank accounts, changing titles on properties, and letting go of old wedding rings. Releasing the layers of patterns is a lifelong process because their residue never completely goes … [Read more...]
Clearing Unresolved Grievances Opens Us to Spiritual Growth
What I love about inviting in a new year is that it gives us a natural place to begin anew. As the clock ticked down to 2010, many of us paused, reflected, and made new resolutions for the coming year. This is beneficial, yet, for our intentions to manifest, we have to clear our lives of any unresolved grievances that impede the flow of our energies. This healthy clearing process is an essential element of our spiritual and personal transformation.As my husband and I celebrated the new year, we reflected on past grievances and how their resolution had transformed us as individuals and as a couple. We thought of an old "Seinfeld" rerun where … [Read more...]
Reflecting on Your Intentions
Here it is, the winter solstice and a time for reflection and celebration. In many Native American cultures, tribes and families would gather to start up a new year at the solstice and have a special celebration where they would make a request to the Great Spirit to eliminate certain things that they no longer wanted in their lives. As a way of representing this, they would craft six arrows: three to represent the things they did not want and three for the things they did want. They called them "death" arrows and "life" arrows because they held respectfully, the things they wanted to be out of their lives and those they wanted to bring life … [Read more...]
Letting go as the Pathway to Creating Intention
I just spent the last several days with my dearest friend, Debbie at Sunset Beach in NC. On Saturday, as we took a long stroll on the beach, we both had the intent to find some unusual shells. She wanted ones she could place in a "healing" fishing net she was making to represent everything that she had let go of this year. I, on the other hand, desired a sand dollar to grace my path, signaling abundance.Combing the beach for special shells, we had to sort through and pass up a myriad of broken sand dollars and typical shells before making a final choice. When we came across a particular shell, we picked it up, examined it, and decided if it … [Read more...]
Opening Our Hearts in Gratitude
Begin every day by feeling grateful for opportunities to open your heart. No matter what your circumstances, daily bless yourself, your fellow human beings, and the earth; then express appreciation for your unique gifts. This opens your heart and helps you hear the voice of spirit guiding your life. Expressing gratitude for such spiritual guidance inspires you with the knowledge that you are not alone in your journey through life and strengthens your sense of connection with the universe.An affirmation that can be helpful in this regard is the following by poet e. e. cummings reminding us to affirm ourselves and life in this way: "I thank you … [Read more...]
