Putting it out there...

For the last year I have been trying to steadily pursue my personal passions, in the midst of trying to be a better than average parent, wife and keeping up with never ending housework (not sure if that is a run-on sentence).

The passion that I have had the longest, but that probably I put off the most because of my fear of failing - is being an artist - acrylic painting, specifically.  The reason I have decided to pursue it more lately is: 1) I'm pretty good at it, and most importantly 2) It makes me feel REALLY good when I am doing it.  I am not sure about the art world - there are probably rules and certain etiquette that I must learn as I go - but I can only learn if I put myself out there.  I have met such wonderful people through my forward movement into this unknown "Art World", that have helped me figure out the details - and especially have encouraged me. 

I have now been accepted into two art shows - the first being the Crealde Juried Student Exhibition, and the second The Orlando Museum of Art 1st Thursdays exhibit The Art Of Women being held tonight March 7, 2013.  It is a chance for me to put myself out there, and learn about the "Art World" :)

I was recently watching a movie about the life of Margaret Thatcher called The Iron Lady, and there was a quote in the movie that has stuck with me: "I will never be one of those women who stay silent on the arm of her husband. One's life must matter."  When I look back on my life I want more than having been a better than average parent, wife and kept up with housework. 

Here's to everyone pursuing their passions and revealing how much life matters to them.  Our passions are what keep the light burning within.

"Compelling Soul"

"Kingfisher Perch"

Overcoming the Ego's Love of Drama

     Our egos LOVE drama.  When there is an unpleasant feeling that comes up, our egos have a tendancy to grip onto it.  It wants to extract all the "juice"out of this feeling - who, what, when, where, why and how.  And if we are not conscious - we allow this to happen.  It festers and builds into something bigger than it needs to be - and we then drag it around into all kinds of other areas of our lives - kind of like Pigpen from the Peanuts gang :) 

     I heard a great analogy about the ego recently - the ego is our very own warrior (wish I can remember where I read this - maybe I should Google it).  A warrior fights for what he/she believes in.  Nothing wrong with that, in fact it is quite noble to me.  And what I have learned is that our egos are fighting for our individual beliefs - which reside in our subconscious minds.
    
     Our egos are part of our conscous minds, which handles the decisive/creative aspects of our lives such as: will, perception, reason, intuition, imagination, short term memory.  And these decision and creations stem from the unconcious mind - where we store our long-term memory (in fact everything you have ever done is stored here), and our beliefs about life.  Even the unhealthy beliefs.  These beliefs are imprinted into our psyche.  The beliefs are based on pivitol life events, or repeated thoughts and experiences including ideas that have been passed to us from parents, peers and teachers or mentors.  These are the beliefs that our ego goes to battle to defend. 

      So back to the idea of the ego loving drama - the feelings that come up that create bad moods, that create bad experiences, many times are based on the belief systems stashed away in your subconscious mind expecting things to be a certain way.  So naturally your egoic warrior will defend those pre-determined beliefs.  

     Having this understand about the inner workings of the mind is crucial in helping change the outcome of your life.  Some ways to overcome the drama and be more in control of your feelings include:

1) Practicing active states of AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT.  Being here now.  Which is all there is anyways.

2) Determine if a belief is a healthy one is by asking yourself: "Is this for the greater good of all, or is it kind, or just, or loving?"  You can write your answers and you will tap into a more creative part of your brain.

3) Meditation is a means to harness your focus.  Focusing on your breathe, or on a guided meditation, or on the feeling in your body - you can recharge your battery from the field of pure cosciousness - which is where ALL energy stems from, and potentially acquire wisdom from your deepest self, or spirit.

4) Creative visualization is similar to meditation, but it is where you take a passionate idea and expand on it within your mind's eye - and visualize its development.

What I continue to discover every day, especially the older I get is that LIFE is too precious to waste on bad feelings that take the wind out of your sails.  We CAN recognize the negative feelings quickly, and take the time right then to change the direction of where we are headed.  We may be headed towards a tidal wave, when we can be headed towards Fantasy Island :)

    

The Sacral Chakra

The Sanskrit name for the 2nd chakra is "Svadhisthana."  This word means "dwelling place of the Self" and “sweetness”.

 The 2nd chakra is located in the lower abdomen, about an inch below the navel.

The color orange is associated with this chakra.

The 2nd chakra is associated with creativity and procreation.

 It also governs emotional and sensual aspects of our lives.

The organs/glands/parts of the body associated with this chakra are:

• Reproductive organs
• All liquids in the body - the circulation of blood, urine, menstruation, tears
• Hips, sacrum, low back
• Kidneys

The element for the 2nd chakra is water, thus the association with the liquids of the body. Water flows, moves and changes.  A balanced 2nd chakra allows us to do that also.

(Source: http://www.nothingbutyoga.com/2nd-chakra.html)

 The 2nd Chakra level primarily focuses on:

- Balanced emotions which promote a sense of self-worth that allows one to accept all the good, including abundance and prosperity, into his or her life - and regard for personal ethics.

 - Balanced sexual energy generates romance and healthy sexual relationships.

 - All relationships are healthy, and they are based on trust and mutual respect.

 "Honor one Another"

 -The Desire to Create something physical, outside of oneself, develops at this level, and drawing, painting, writing, and music are excellent outlets for this desire.

 - Feelings of wellness, plenty, pleasure, and joy - and personal power to fulfill our dreams.

 Imbalances in the 2nd Chakra:

 - “Living in your head,” being out of touch with what your body is telling you, and denying yourself pleasure. 

 - Anorexia, bulimia, drug and alcohol abuse, and other addictions are attempts to nurture oneself in this kind of emotionally disconnected or detached state.

 - Sexual dysfunctions are also directly related to imbalances in the 2nd Chakra.

 - An underdeveloped 2nd Chakra can manifest as distrust, resentment, fear, apathy, pessimism, and anti-social conduct. It can also show up as continually worrying about what others think and always following the crowd.

 - An overactive 2nd Chakra can result in lustful, arrogant, or conceited behavior, and an aggressive desire to control others

 (Source: http://www.chakramid.com/second_chakra.html)

 

Questions related to 2nd Chakra

 

1) How do you define creativity?  Do you allow yourself to fulfill creative endeavors?

 

2)Are you comfortable with your sexuality?  Are you strong enough to honor your sexual boundaries?

 

3) Do you negotiate your ethics depending on your circumstances?  Do you allow yourself enough time to respond to a request so that it honors your personal ethics?

 

4) A you a controlling person?  Do you engage in power plays in your relationships?

 

5) What is your philosophy on money? Do you have a healthy view point on money?

 

6) What goals do you have for yourself that you have yet to pursue?  What stands in your way of acting upon those goals?

 

7) Do you have a relationship with yourself?  How valuable do you make yourself feel?

(Source: Anatomy of the Spirit, Caroline Myss)

Sacral Chakra Affirmation

I love and enjoy my body. I have healthy boundaries.  I am open to experiencing the present moment through my senses.  I am passionate.  I feel pleasure and abundance with every breath that I take. I nourish my body with healthy food and clean water.  I know how to take care of my needs. I value and respect my body.  I am open to touch and closeness.  I allow myself to experience pleasure.  My sexuality is sacred.  Emotions are the language of my soul.  I take good care of my physical body.  I am at Peace.

(Source: http://www.chakra-anatomy.com/sacral-chakra.html)

Sacral Chakra Meditation

Let us begin by paying attention to the quality of our breathe.  Reset your breathing by doing a series of deep abdominal breathing.  Exhale completely, and Inhale very slowly for 6 counts – holding for 2 counts – and exhaling slowly for 6 counts.  The key is to take your time.  Allow your breathing to return to a normal rhythmic pace, but still breathing deeply from your diaphragm.  Allow your breathing to be your guide into how totally you permit yourself surrender into this meditation.

With your mind’s eye, I want you to imagine yourself floating down river in a beautifully hand-carved and painted canoe.  The canoe has vibrant hues of orange with swirling designs that accent the hand-carved wood details.  You are seated in a comfortable body hugging seat, and the canoe has a lovely canopy above that helps soften the bright orange sun, allowing you to notice the cool breezes in the air.  There is a gentle current in the water that is slowly moving your forward, without any need to paddle.  Along the journey you are surrounded by beautiful vegetation, colorful flowers and towering trees with dangling vines all around.  There is various floral fragrances in the air – making the air sweet and revitalizing.  In front of you is a delicious bowl of fruit salad and a tall bottle of water.  As you eat the fruit you can taste all of the different flavors of the different fruit, and you feel nourished and refreshed.  You reach down into the water and feel the coolness and the gently flowing current.  You splash some water on your face and it perks you up.

The perfection of this setting allows you to experiences your many senses.  The views and the sounds and the smells and the tastes and the feeling re-vitalize your sense of self.  You realize the importance if taking time to tune-into your senses, inspiring your spirit so that you may create a life for yourself and those that you share a life that you can feel proud of.  You may reinvent the ways that you live – so that you may experience as many different realities as possible.  So that you may live from your deepest form passion…

Take this time for yourself dwell in your place of self.

The Root Chakra

Chakra is a Sanskrit concept meaning “wheel of energy.”

 As the energy wheels spin, each one generates a vortex that interacts with the world around you, generating influence into your environment and receiving energy and information into your own system.

"Muladhara" is the Sanskrit name for the first chakra, literally "root".

It is located at the base of the spine and draws energy from the earth.  When the root chakra is balanced in a person then they are said to be grounded in the earth’s energy.  The color red is associated with this chakra.

An unbalanced first chakra will make it very hard to settle down, to rest, or to relax. Your root chakra literally connects you to the ground.

 Muladhara is your survival program.  In our modern world we think that these things are luxuries, but sleep, food, and a safe place to feel quiet and nurtured are needs.  In fact, the chakra system corresponds almost exactly to the hierarchy of needs developed by Dr. Abraham Maslow.  At the base of the hierarchy are food, safety, and shelter.  If you are feeling a bit frayed around the edges, maybe it's time to get back to your roots.

Physical Location - base of the spine
Purposes - kinesthetic feelings, movement
Spiritual Lesson - material world lessons
Physical dysfunctions associated with base chakra - lower back pain, sciatica, varicose veins, rectal tumors, depression, immune related disorders
Mental/Emotional Issues - survival, self esteem, social order, security, family
Information stored in base chakra - familial beliefs, superstitions, loyalty, instincts, physical pleasure or pain, touch
Area of Body Governed - spinal column, kidneys, legs, feet, rectum, immune system

(Source: http://whisperingworlds.com/ayurveda/chakra_guide.php)

Questions to ask yourself about your Root Chakra balance:

·         Do you take pleasure in your family and your groups of friends?

·         Do you enjoy the companionship of your colleagues?

·         Do you feel a close connection to the earth?

·         Do you have a sense of belonging?

·         What about practical day-to-day living – is it easy or would you rather live in the realm of ideas, dreams, and myths?

·         Do you feel safe?

·         Are your basic needs (food, shelter, clothing) met? Or, on the contrary, are you overwhelmed by having too many possessions?

Here are some ways to bring life back into your first chakra.

·         Take a walk.

·         Sleep.

·         Take time to really enjoy a meal.

·         Get a foot massage.

·         Organize the space you occupy.

·         Get into Hatha yoga, especially the slow, deliberate kind.

·         Take time for silence.

·         Surround yourself with the color red.

·         Spend time in nature until you feel settled.

(Source: From: Feeling Stressed? Settle Into Your Root Chakra to Feel Better: An Ancient Energy System with Modern Applications, by Elizabeth Danu)

Root Chakra Affirmation

I am safe, I trust in the natural flow of life. I take my natural place in the world content in the knowledge that all I need will come to me in the right time and space. I am secure and grounded in the physical form and give thanks to Mother Earth for the nourishment, shelter and stability she gives me.

Root Chakra Meditation

Let us begin by paying attention to the quality of our breathe.  Reset your breathing by doing a series of deep abdominal breathing.  Exhale completely, and Inhale very slowly for 6 counts – holding for 2 counts – and exhaling slowly for 6 counts.  The key is to take your time.  Allow your breathing to return to a normal rhythmic pace, but still breathing deeply from your diaphragm.  Allow your breathing to be your guide into how totally you permit yourself surrender into this meditation.

With your mind’s eye, I want you to imagine an enormous, strong towering tree with its branches raising high into the sky.  The roots of this large tree spread deep underground, anchoring the tree into the earth.  Imagine that your body too has roots, going down from the base of your spine plunging into the depths of our planet and spreading out, just like the roots of that tree. These roots are the essence that will, enable you to draw into your body the positive frequency of mother earth.  Feel the awareness of the energy from the earth feeding your roots and absorbing into your body. Imagine the cooling, healing water and nutrients in the earth nurturing your body with unconditional love, and healing any wounds from your past.  You are empowered and strengthened by this experience.  Take this time to further this experience on your own and imagine your root chakra or red energy wheel spinning clockwise at a steady, natural pace.

Manifesting Miracles

"You can have a grievance or a miracle. You cannot have both." ~ A Course in Miracles

What sounds better to you, a grievance or a miracle?  We all prefer the miracle ;)

However, we have the tendency to wallow in “manufactured misery”, or what Martha Beck refers to as “Dirty Pain”.  This is when we take a detour off of the route to our objective – and our ego sounds the alarm.  This is when the manufacturing begins; when we start to complain about how much longer it will take or how much harder it will be...

“Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” ~ Marianne Williamson

“When you fail to follow the exact guidance of your GPS, it automatically creates a new route for you.  So does God.” ~ Marianne Williamson

If you look back on the deviations to your path, 9 times out of 10 it was a blessing. 

So, imagine if you actually practiced FAITH, and trusted that the changes in your path are blessings.
And what if, instead, you focused on the quality of your inner state of being. 

Your INNER ETERNAL SELF...

Ponder this: Within the finest form of yourself that you can ever imagine – lie the miracles that you would love to witness unfolding right in front of you in your life.

Here’s something else to ponder: You manifest miracles by projecting them.

How do you do this?  The more you tune into the higher, creative vibrations that you are capable of, the more confidence have in recognizing JOY, PEACE, LOVE.

The greatest way to experience and re-familiarize yourself with this Pure Divine Energy that you possess internally is through stillness and silence.  Meditation is a way to tap into this silence.

The more your practice this “recharging” – the more familiar you are with the feeling and you may begin to choose activities that activate this feeling. 

Another way to practice this feeling is by Giving and Receiving Love.

“Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle.”      ~Marianne Williamson

“Real love isn’t passive.  We need to put as much powerful proactive and intentional energy behind our love as some people put behind their hate.” ~ Marianne Williamson


Tips for Meditation:

The quality of your breathing is the first step in allowing yourself to relax into a meditative state.  It should be deep abdominal breathing expanding down in your belly, and exhaling by emptying all of the air down through your belly. (Like a baby breathing)

The second is the quality of the feeling inside your body.  There may be a buzzing or tingling sensation that lets you know you are tuning into your inner energy field.

Meditation

We always begin by doing a series of slow, deep abdominal breathing – exhale completely first – then slowly begin to fill your lungs for a count of 6 – hold for 2 counts and exhale for an even count of 6.

Repeat this 3 more times.

Now allow your breathing to return to a normal rhythmic pace, but be sure and breathe from your diaphragm just below your rib cage.

As you breathe and relax, focus your attention to the space between your two eyes.  Allow all of your attention to go here.  This will activate your mind’s eye – and allow your creative energy to flow more freely.

And now if you will imagine yourself standing within a beautiful valley, surrounded by towering mountains all around you.  The valley is quite wide, and full of trees, greenery and beautiful cottage homes.  The sun is shining brightly overhead and there is a nice cool breeze in the air.  It is truly an exquisite day.  You notice you are standing on a natural path and you feel compelled to walk along the path towards a clearing up ahead.  As you approach the clearing you notice a large plot of soil that is tilled and appears to be ready for planting.  Near the clearing there is a red wagon that has several small buckets that are holding many different types of seeds.  You see a note on the side of the wagon that says – Happy Gardening!  So you decide, to begin to plant the seeds into the soil.

As you plant each different type of seed, you are flooded with a deep sense of Hope for what is yet to come along in your life.  You feel a sense of serenity and faith in the abundance of experiences that you will have a chance to be part of.  You are also aware of the life force that is in each seed that is planted.   And you feel immense hope, love and support for the success of each seed.  Each seed represents a miracle of life, and Love is the nourishment for its growth.  After you have finished planting all of the seeds – you decide to sit in a nearby reclining chair and ponder all of the miracles that you have sown with the Pure Divine Loving Energy that you naturally possess.

Take this time now for yourself and expand on this feeling of being a miracle producing eternal being.