Liberty in the Discipline July 19, 2009

 

So I have tapped in to this momentum to excel and my responsibilities, in the best way possible, keep piling up.  I’m getting up at five am every day to teach and I go back to bed around ten pm after a long day of classes, home duties, writing, reading, and playing around.  Because of my busy schedule I have had to be quite deliberate about arranging time for the things that I need to do in order to be fulfilled and charged up for all those who are counting on me. There is not a lot of wiggle room I might add…

 

This has got me thinking about how can I feel like I have some breathing room in spite of all the goings on of the day.  In fact, I spoke to my friend Colleen about this two weeks or so ago and she told me that she was reading a book on the topic of liberation and discipline.  If I remember correctly these are two points of focus in Miltons’ Paradise Lost.

 

Let’s look at the definitions according to Merriam Webster:

 

Discipline-1: punishment 2 : instruction 3: a field of study 4: training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character 5 a: control gained by enforcing obedience or order b: orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior c: self- control 6: a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity.

Liberty-1: the quality or state of being free: a: the power to do as one pleases b: freedom from physical restraint c: freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d: the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e: the power of choice 2 a: a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant : privilege b: permission especially to go freely within specified limits 3: an action going beyond normal limits: as a: a breach of etiquette or propriety : familiarity b: risk,chance <took foolish liberties with his health> c: a violation of rules or a deviation from standard practice d: a distortion of fact 4: a short authorized absence from naval duty usually for less than 48 hours.

 

As themes, these two  have the connotation of being opposites, yet I find that they have some pretty powerful applications when seen as complementary or used in tandem with each other.  In a yoga practice they can show up as the surrender to the bind in a posture, the freedom of the breath as you move through the primary series, the liberation that occurs when one heads into savasana.  Examples from life include dancing while I vacuum, singing at the top of my lungs as I do the dishes, the simple expression of my wardrobe and music choices as I prepare my classes.

 

For many people there is a discipline that comes along with their jobs.  My friend Colleen is an Architect and apparently in her field she is not expected to peak until she is around sixty!  I mean, that is a long row to hoe my friends.  The same can be said for any number of occupations; motherhood, dance, law, artist, secretary, firefighter, teacher, and banker.  Everyone has a set of rules, a set of tools to use, within their professions.  I think part of the quest is to figure out how to make room for self expression.  How to feel a sense of wonder and excitement about the possibilities for the future in spite of it looking like each day will continue to just run into the very next.

 

What a revelation!  How can we cultivate a sense of liberation in our daily wanderings and at the same time be absolutely focused on the tasks at hand?

 

It reminds me of great jazz.  I used to go to jam sessions in the city and I would hear the most amazing examples of this very idea.  Having mastered the techniques of their instruments each musician was able to let go of the rules and play within a very loose boundary that all involved would respect.  For minutes or hours I would hear the sax, the base, the snare, and the vocals of men and women who would show quite clearly that freedom of expression is alive and well within the framework of the style of sound they all choose to study.  The hours and hours of dedication beforehand made it possible to throw caution into the wind and strive for a connection with the universal creativity.  As a spectator I could here, and feel, the shift in the energy of the room.  That moment when you are all involved in something magical…

 

So for me, and for you, we must strive to find our own liberation within the discipline of our daily lives.  Try breathing with intention, explore techniques, practice patience, and perhaps surrender to the greater framework of your duties. Eventually I believe we will all experience that same sense of magic that the jazz masters seem to delve into with abandon.  

 

Try it out.  Let go of your judgements and expectations and try and sit comfortably in the dynamic life you have created.  Surrender a bit to the natural flow and see if with this new perspective you may learn new ways to be free. Great shifts can occur.  The broadshtrokes are already laid before you and I am betting that it is in the details that you will begin to ignite and shine.

 

Bless you on your journey-

What Are You Living For? July 13, 2009

 

So since I am doing all of this living now, it begs the question, what am I living for… to what end?

Of course the first thing I’ll say is that ole standard of mine,  (it’s for the love man), but I am quick with myself and ask again with more focused and penetrating eyes.  What are you living for Shelley?

 

 

That one took the breath out of me this weekend, Literally.  I was dancing around the house entertaining the dogs to Keane’s Perfect Symmetry and we were having a blast.  I was in a spin when the lyrics finally made their way into my word processor and I stopped mid breath.  I had to go back and look it up to make sure I heard what I thought I heard.  I laughed a little at myself and then seriously considered the question.

 

 

 

 

In fact, it had actually come up a few times over the past weeks and I saw it as no ordinary occurrence.  Coincidence I think not!  

 

My answer changes on some schedule that is yet clear to me.  Sometimes I think it changes because of the moon and other times I believe it to be my super powers that do the trick.  At any rate, it does indeed shift.  

 

Spiritual Connection

Praise

Love

Atonement

Forgiveness

Gratitude

Honor & Respect

Attention

How it makes me feel

 

 

I mean Someone gave birth to me so I might as well be playing along, right?!…

 

These reasons and many more are the things that I live for.  BUT, … and of course you knew this was all leading somewhere, … I would dare say that question we are all asking ourselves is not just what we are living for,  but what the heck happens next?  I do.  Every day I catch myself thinking, what happens next.  There is this thing that is in my brain that registers the question without my consent or opinion.  

 

I mean that as I am going about my day I find myself thinking on the next moment.  I”m cleaning up around the house and I am thinking of checking my email; I am taking a shower and I am thinking about the playlist I want to put together for class; I am eating and watching a video, driving and singing, talking on the phone and shopping for groceries, and all of this is happening while I am painting in my head and wondering when I will be done with the edges.  

 

There is this impulse that drives us to this mind chatter.  It is to some a distraction.  Now I am not making a judgment about that fact yet because I am still not sold on the idea that it is something to conquer, but I will say that I find it very interesting. Some call it the ‘Monkey Mind’ while others caution against the action at all.  There are those who offer meditation as a point of entry into observation of the thing and those who condemn it and offer ways to avoid it all together.  Many many people talk about it though, this mind chatter.

 

All the thoughts that go through my brain, upon reflection, I wonder if they are indicative of impatience.  I mean, could it be anything else?  What the heck is next on my plate?  What can I shove in now?  How full of everything can I get and avoid the thought that accompanies all of the others and truly address the question of the ages:

 

What is the meaning of life and what happens after?!

 

I can go on and on of the possibilities.  There are many books on the topic, some religious texts even try to offer an explanation.  There are a few that I would suggest for those of you who are interested in holding a book in your hands or that trusty Kindle of yours… Perhaps this impulse, these thoughts, are not a distraction.  Maybe we are hard wired to consider what’s next because that is what keeps us moving forward, striving for excellence, trying to  be the best we can be.

 

As far as I have come today is knowing what I am living for (for the most part).  There is a manner of being in which I wish to inhabit.  I try and spend some time considering what does indeed happen next without letting the mind chatter overwhelm me and take me too far away from enjoying the present moment.  I believe that it is a fine balance, a master juggling act, between living in the moment and on each breath and also being aware that the journey does indeed lead to somewhere.  

 

Over the rainbow perhaps?  Wherever you are in your journey, and wherever you believe yourself to be headed, do enjoy the moment and breath ;0)

 

Hara Om- 

 

 

In Danger of Having a Life? July 5, 2009

 

Palm trees, ocean waves, dog sitting, yoga classes, poker night, farmers market, movies, meditation circles, healing, reading, writing, dancing, and still there is time for stillness?!  I am busier than I have ever been, happier than I’ve been in years…I think I am in danger of having a life-!!

 

What about you?

 

Have you made time for the things you love?  Do you sit in stillness on a daily basis or hang out with like minded souls?  Perhaps you are all consumed with work and you fall fast asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow.  Would it be possible for you to start enjoying more moments of your life?  Creating space for that life you always wanted, the one that is beyond your wildest imagination…

 

My friend Jason said to me sometime last year that, “there is a reason we all desire to be part of something greater than ourselves, our hearts were created that way.”  To me it meant not only cultivating my connection with my tribesmen and my higher power, but also cultivating my relationship with mySelf.  Participating in the adventure and really experiencing my life to the fullest.  

 

Listen, I know that life is not all rainbows and butterflies.  I mean, I realize I am the girl that brings glitter to the beach for full moon parties, but I am also the girl that picks up poo straight out four doggie butts.  There are some jobs we do because they need to be done, some we do because we want to do them, and some that we love to do.  What I proposition each of you to do is to start experiencing all of these things as the threads of that grand ole tapestry of your life.  

 

Is it possible that your life is flashing past you while you are head down consumed with tasks and trying to check off your to-do lists?  Always dreaming about that next exciting thing all the while distracted by the “must haves” and the “need to do’s?”  Is it just as possible that you could lighten up, give your self some space to play and feeling refreshed you could start choosing to approach your day as an adventure instead of a cross to bear?  Stop the second guessing, dive in feet first, and Woo Hoo Hoo!!!

 

With a fresh perspective you may find that you are actually living.  You might discover that there is a living breathing person sitting in your lap that needs and wants attention and has a million amazing things to experience and offer the planet.  You already have a life man so you might as well sit up and pay attention!  My philosphy (today at least) is this- 

Where are you?

Are you satisfied?

If not, do something about it!

 

I dare you to take a moment and reflect.  I challenge you to look down at your own two feet and notice where you are, what you are doing, and how you feel about it.  Like me, you might find out that there are a lot of really great things going for you.  You may discover that you are radiating in all directions, that you are on the right path (how could you not be) and that all of this is just preamble anyway.  You are already Home my friends.  Already arrived.  

 

You are in fact are Alive…are you also in danger of having your life?!! 

 

 

Be In Your Adventure June 29, 2009

 

Great advice from one of my dear friends today as I was laying on the couch with the dogs.  It crossed my mind that I would like to be more focused as she uttered these words.  It’s true!  It was my Facebook status today and everything…

In yoga we call this Peaceful Abiding, seeing the mind as it naturally is, a way of being present as described and practiced by Buddhists.  

Being in the moment: attention to the sensations of your body, the space that surrounds you, what’s going on deep inside, and perhaps even a connection to that which is greater.  Let Go and Let God as the saying goes.

I think that this is much of what allures us to children.  The nostalgia for our youth is connected to long past freedom to embrace each and every experience as fresh and new.  It was our precocious tendencies that fueled our imaginations & taught us about our surroundings and ourselves.  Every moment counted and we long to return to that.  I do at least.

I forget and become consumed with tasks.  It inevitable occurs to me that I have not sat in silence in a while and then I will return to my meditations.  Great difficulty at first.  I am shifty and distractible.  I use the tools of breath and mantra and will finally come to a point of stillness.  The moment I surrender I feel the healing beginning.  Things come into focus and as my perspective shifts I understand and come into contact once again with my priorities.  Arrived.  

This Peaceful Abiding that shares itself with me in my mediations is what I work on weaving into the fabric of my daily wanderings.  Being in the Moment.  In my Adventure.  I find that the celebration of Gratitude to be the most direct route to this lifestyle.  Professions of Thanks.  The Woo Hoo, the Yippee, and the YAY!!!  Once I am able to observe one emotion, for me it’s the gratitude, I am able to observe an entire range.  A technique I would encourage you to experiment with.

So back to the focus I was worrying over.  I sat.  Just observing.  Breathing.  Okay, I did doze off at one point true, but all in all the act of sitting today was all I needed in order to reconnect.  In fact, I plan on doing it again before I hop into bed.  

 

Be in your Adventure this day.  Let yourself see the mind as it is.  Allow your childlike curiosity to unfold before your very eyes.  

Woo Hoo!  Yippee! YAY!!!…

Gotta Have Something June 22, 2009

Time is On my Side by The Rolling Stones:

 

A great set of lyrics that caused me to sway from side to side today as I was working on my point, shoes that is.  It was no sooner than I had latched on to the supposed meaning of those words did Biffy Clyro’s  As Dust Dances smash its way across my left brain compelling me ponder.  I am not usually a fan of alternative punk.

The Lyrics start something like this…”There’s a man on the corner selling dozens of bones
Every type of bone except the one that I want, Ever think what your eyes do they’re trying to sleep, But where your tongue rests, is it against your teeth…”

 

That got me meandering for a bit wondering if there are things that drive you crazy and cause you to chase your tail, full force and dog like, like I do.  

While you think it over, here is the video of said great song to enjoy at your leisure.  Much Love- 

“…And now it’s bigger than us
It’s bigger than everything it decides to touch…”

Summer Vacation June 14, 2009

Expect the Unexpected

 

There have been many requests for details about my life here on the sandy ocean shores so…So far this is what I have expereinced on my summer vacation:

Held a Parrot

Sound Healing Meditation with Life in Balance

Ate my first Lobster

Beach Side Prayforming

Indoor Volleyball

Planted an Herb Garden

Hung a Hammock in the Yoga Pagoda

Dinner Party and Late Night Boat Ride

Bicycle Bar Crawl- two bridges, Riverside Park, and Waldo’s By the Sea

Full Moon beach side make out session

1920’s building The Grenada

Yoga Bootcamp

Wedding on a 3 story paddle boat off of Cape Canaveral

Dancing and Sunday night Jazz at Costa D’Este

Laughing Yoga with a Scientist

Spring Solstice at Sunrise- there was yoga, chi gong, & baptisms all on the beach

Mid-Afternoon Naps

Thrifting, Thrifting, Thrifting

Reading under the trees on Memorial Island

Rocket Launch

Farmers Markets- Friday downtown and Saturday beach side

Tea and Chi- tasty little tea shop in Historic Downtown

Contemporaries at the Vero Beach Museum

Concert at Unity Church with the talented Shawn Gallaway

 

The list continues to grown and I am grinning from ear to ear at my good fortune.  People are friendly, the art community is thriving, the yoga continues to grown, and I am falling in love with a flower and fruit eating dog named Ernie.  Life is a blessing and I am learning a valuable lesson here- Expect the Unexpected ;0)

 

 

Letting Go June 5, 2009

Sometimes you just got to laugh at yourself!

 

Over the past two weeks I have been running in circles.  Don’t get me wrong, I have been insanely busy and I am feeling more and more valuable as the days speed by, but because of this break neck pace I have fallen into a few scenarios that have left me surprised and delighted.

Most of you know by now that I left NYC at the top of the year to find some peace and quiet on the sandy beaches of Florida.  The life I had in New York, though a blessing in many ways, was starting to leave me feeling anxious, tired, and down right cranky.  Clearly a liability in my profession and an annoyance in daily life.  

What has thrown me for a loop however is that I am still as busy as hell!

Turns out that it was not the schedule I kept, the company, or the apartment that were slowly driving me nuts.  In fact, I would argue that there is more work in front of me on a daily basis now.  There is a hunger here for the things I have to share and the responsibilities I have, though totally different, require a focus and balance on par with running a successful life and business in the city.  This all comes as a surprise.  I had thought that by leaving where I was, finding a bit more quiet and nature, that I would have more time & energy and that I would be able to make this “grand decision” of what I wanted next in life.  

 

LMAO!  

The to do list is still long, I still have to make a living, I still require time to read, play at art, hang out with friends, and stare into space.  Today in fact I am in charge of two old lady greyhounds, a mini poodle, a shitzu, a cat, hamster, and a fish.  I have an appointment at lunch, another in the afternoon, I am meant to meet up with one lady for a Zumba lesson, another for dinner, and I just got a call from a yogi friend of mine that there is Chi Gong on the beach at sunset…

It all boils down to this: No matter where I live or what I do for a living I will be busy with the things that will make it all worthwhile.  I can manage a life and a lifestyle that is satisfying no matter where I choose to plant my feet.  I can share my talents with others, contribute to a tribe and a family, have time to play, to reflect, and in all of this the Universe will continue to throw surprises my way.  The same is also true for you!

So now what?!

Well, I’m letting go of the notion that there is some grand decision to be made.  I turns out that I have already made it.  I made it when I was a little girl playing dress up in the mirror.  When I spent hours reading The Hardy Boys in that old wicker chair.  As I wake up each and every day and give thanks.  Every time I meet the eyes of another.  In the moments on the ocean.  Naps mid afternoon.  As I stroll through the farmers market to pick out next weeks menu.  As I laugh, tweet, write, bitch, and moan.  In every moment of my life I am simply LIVING my life.  

“Where ever you go, there you are”  So timeless and so true.  I have to remember to focus on what is right in front of me and let go of the idea that there is some next big step that I need to take.  I must breath and enjoy the here and now and let the future unfold as it will.

 

So as I get ready for another day in paradise I want to leave you with this- I met artist Shawn Gallaway last week and his music touched me.  A day after his concert there was a Maya Healing Circle that we were both invited to join and he sang his song “I Choose Love” for us at the close.  I think it is the perfect mantra for my next bit of the journey and I wanted to share the message with each of you.  Wish me luck on staying connected to the “living” I am doing right where I am!!

 

 

 

You are my life and I am thankful for you.  

Hara Om, 

Shelley ;0)

Agape May 23, 2009

According to About [dot] com, “Agape (ah-gah-pay) is the main word used for ‘love’ in the New Testament. There are three principal Greek words which can be translated as “love” in English, each with different connotations. The two most common were eros, which refers to sexual love, and philos, which means friendship or brotherly love (eros does not appear in the New Testament, but philos does). Agape was the least used in Greek and least specific in its meaning.”

According to my preacher growing up it meant unconditional love, affection without care of reward, good stewardship, charity, and the occasional secret note left in someone’s pocket.  In fact, I still leave secret notes lying around in hopes that they will bring love and light to the day.

 

Participate

Over the past few weeks I have been in an affair with this expression of love.  In fact, it was not until I was lying on my acupuncturists table the other day that the word floated up from my past and proved a relevant label for my current trajectory.  I had been working towards giving more.  Sharing.  Building a yoga community without seeking reward or recognition.  In fact, I believe that I can change the world if I could just get more and more people “on the mat” so to speak.

In hopes of opening the doors to that particular revolution here in beautiful Vero Beach I have tried to be available to people, whenever possible, for some of these one on one Agape sessions.  By sharing my time with others outside of the traditional yoga class model there has been a level of receptivity that is astounding. 

I was delighted when a scientist and his doctor dad wanted to do laughing yoga on the beach, when I was able to work with one of our young veterans in the living room at a dinner party while listening to MC Yogi, at the spontaneous walk on the beach during a thunderstorm with a carpenter, and the endless conversations that take place now daily.  There is even a yoga “boot-camp” that the local woman’s gym is hosting that I will spearhead.  Six weeks of killer asana with women of all backgrounds and fitness levels. Through simple one on one connections an entire landscape of teaching opportunities have manifested right under my nose.

 

Experiment

Not only do I find all of this deeply rewarding, I am constantly reminded of the Divine connection we have with each other and that the ability to manifest change is as simple as reaching out.  I agree to barter with a young professional who would otherwise find classes cost prohibitive and the Universe sends me a present in the form of a beautiful woven basket.  I carry said basket to a dinner party which prompts a conversation about where it came from, the healing industry, and that unravels into an unexpected sadhna.  I offer my extra blueberry muffin to the man on 45th street who sells watermelons and he in turn gives me one for dirt cheap.  

We wish to reach out, to be seen, to hear, and be understood.  We are striving daily for connection because, I believe, we instinctively know that this is the surest path to a connection with that which is greater.  

Try it out over the next week.  Begin to do simple things for others.  Think of how you might contribute to your family, your community, your co-workers even.  What tallent have you hidden that you could start spreading freely?  What talents do you possess that you could start sharing in a new environment all together?  Do it without expectations and yet DO pay attention.  The Universe will shift and you will notice that in turn you will start to receive expressions of love from others without thought of payment.  You will begin to notice that as you have started the momentum of Love that Love will perpetuate itself.  Things will manifest right under your nose-!!

 

That’s it.  All I have to say.

Be Blessed, Be Bold, Be Loved (and Love) ;0)

Start a Revolution May 12, 2009

Seth Godin has some great ideas.

According to him, to change the world all one has to do is Challenge the status quo, build a Culture, and Commit to the cause.

So how does that translate into my life?  

Here I am espousing this idea, do I have proof that I have tried it?  Though I am still in the baby steps of my journey I have found a few ways to implement these ideas in to the fabric of my life.

 

Challenge the Status Quo

At 21 I packed all my bags and moved to New York City to become an actress when everyone said it couldn’t be done and it was a waste of time and talent.  Spending seven and a half years in the Big Apple it turns out I didn’t have the stomach for it.  The drive was no longer there, and trust me, without the drive to be an actor in NYC it just isn’t gonna happen.  What did happen however is my life changed for the better.  By making the decision to take that initial leap of faith, to challenge the ideas of my family and small town community, by trying something new, I set into motion a course of events that I couldn’t have imagined I would have been a part of seven and some odd days earlier.  

By meeting one person who introduced me to another person who introduced me to another person I found myself on the doorsteps of Sonic Yoga.  As many of you know that part of my journey is the most pivotal to date.  I became the studio manger of a successful and grounded yoga community, I blossomed as a teacher, I learned more about myself on the yoga mat than I did in any other previous environment.  I had a home, friends, a cat, dancing till dawn, plans for sunday brunch, the respect of my peers, and every now and again a cute boy who was willing to make out with me.  And yet, I decided to challenge the status quo a second time by walking away from it all.  

I had this itch to try something new.  To live my life as a wanderer.  To teach yoga the world over.  To jump in feet first and change the world one community at a time.  To be like the yoga rockstar teachers we read about in Yoga Journal without waiting ten years to build a massive following.  I didn’t want fame, I wanted to make a true difference. Not much of a plan some people said.  Most however expressed versions of pride, elation, and encouragement.

As soon I made the scary decision to leave there was a series of events that unravelled in front of my eyes.  An opportunity beyond my wildest dreams was offered and I simply packed my bags, got on a plane, and moved once again to a place that I knew nothing about.  As I write this I am sitting on a beach listening to the waves and enjoying a cold tropical beverage.  This is the life-!!  A teacher dear to my heart, Jeffrey Duval, said once “make room for the Universe to move.”  Oh boy, was he ever right.  ;0)

 

Build a Culture

What kind of culture am I building?  One that revolves around Understanding at every opportunity, that encourages people to show Compassion, develop Insight, a culture that begs the question, “How can I Love and Contribute?”  

In my yoga classes I ask people to step outside of their comfort zones and explore the edges of their practice.  I do this by offering options, by asking people to make noises and laugh, allowing  themselves to be silly and then perhaps they will continue to embrace their playful side once they leave the mat.  

I often have my hands all over my students too.  Not only am I big on adjustments, I just don’t think we are touched enough.  We need more positive physical moments.  Holding hands, a hug, playing footsie under the table, leaning your head on a fellow humans shoulder, a gentle massage.  We live in a hyper sexualized culture when it comes to marketing and yet there is still this taboo around physical intimacy.  I believe that if we offered our loving hands to each other, if we embraced in a compassionate hug, a pat on the back, if we actually encouraged each other to feel comfortable in our collective skins then we just might change the world.  

 

Staying Committed to the Cause

So far so good.  I am teaching in a new city, one that has been super receptive to my style and philosophy.  

I try to “be the change I wish to see.”  That’s it.  I try and live it, breath it, and mean it.  I look people in the eye when I speak to them.  Build them up.  Offer a loving hand, a hug, or a shoulder.  I listen.  

By doing these things I learn more from my day to day encounters than I ever considered possible.  Opportunities to contribute seem to materialize from nowhere.  I feel valuable.  I even start to feel lucky and grateful that this is my life.

It has not been easy.  I miss my friends from home and my tribe in New York.  I miss my cat and my apartment.  I miss my art studio space and the chance to paint to loud music at all hours of the night (these days I am sharing a house with a young child and her mum)  I miss a bit of autonomy but what I have gained just blows me away.

Who knows where the wind will take me next, but here in the now I am happy and healthy.  There are hugs, there is yoga, there is the beach, laughter, and full moon parties.  There is a small tribe that is expanding in all directions and it turns out they were just looking for someone to lead.  I am so happy the Universe entrusted this particular job to me!

 

Three Steps

Sound like an easy plan to make a radical change in this reality we call life.  Interested?  Watch this 18 min TED talk with Seth Godin to find out more.  I hope it inspires you, as it did me, to take your ideas to the next level and leverage people with passion to truly change the world-!!

 

(Click here to see full TED talk)

 

 

 

 

Let us Pray May 4, 2009

Mason Jennings, Jack Johnson, and Matt Costa

 

We are All One

 

Three men signing about the Fundamental Truth.  I love that.  

It makes me smile, giggle in fact.  I have been listening to this song over and over all day because it just lifts my spirits.  God is so big, so awesome, that as humans we are forever trying to describe this beautiful energy we call God.  Through art, dance, words, songs, in the way we arrange our homes, our dinner tables, in the way we interact with our fellow man, sometimes we even sit in stillness and in everything we do we are in fact expressing our Divine Nature.  We are actually living out loud and in each moment proving that we are part of an Amazing Creation.  This reality that we participate in has so many flavors, colors, chords, and beats that there is only One truth- it is All God.

 

National Prayer day is this Thursday

Prayer is the act of communicating with a god or spirit in worship. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one’s thoughts and emotions. The words used in prayer may take the form of intercession, a hymn, incantation or a spontaneous utterance in the person’s praying words. Praying can be done in public, as a group, or in private. (wikipedia)

 There are churches, mosques, temples, yoga studios, beaches, forests, mountains, hills, and valleys.  Find a place where you can feel grounded and open.  Take a few deep breaths.  Submit yourself to the still small voice inside and listen.  Enjoy a conversation with God on this day.

 

I’m ready, but not much of a worship service type person.

Interested in participating but need a few alternative ideas?  Okay, Sure!!

Journal- you can just start writing about your day and see where it takes you.  Perhaps you can write ten things you are grateful for and ten things you would like to see manifest in your future.

Take a walk- see the space that surrounds you.  Feel the ground under your feet.  Breath in the air.  Observe.  Hum.  You can take your pet with you and see the space through their perspective.

Sing your favorite hymn or rock song- so many of my favorite songs seem to connect me to a place of pure joy.  Try singing a few of yours and perhaps you will find yourself in the flow.  Your very own praise and worship service!!

Dance around- when Shelley sings, Shelley dances.  The opposite is also true.  I encourage you to try it.

Sit in stillness and observe your breath- you can stare at a candle, play with a rock in the palm of your hand, count the inhales and exhales.  Take a moment to be in this very moment in time.

 

This is my prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 
to be understood as to understand; 
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; 
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  St Francis of Assisi

 

So today, however you pray, wherever you worship, whatever name you give God (my brother calls him Padre) it is my wish for you that you feel the Divine Spirit move through you.  I pray that you are safe in your homes, satisfied in your work, in love with your family, and at peace with your Self.  I pray all of these things in the name of the Good Lord.  May the Universe shine upon you and yours

 

- Namaste