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THROUGH THE MUD, THE LOTUS IS FORMED!

The lotus has many healing properties and is a symbol of compassion. It becomes this by growing through the mud. Challenges provide an opportunity for you to grow into a source of healing. My ego mind has felt that my life experience has been very challenging the past few months. The ego mind likes to make everything into a problem. How could this be happening to ME? How have I created this experience? It is almost funny, although it doesn’t feel that way at the time.

These experiences are really a gift that has made me humble. Until this year, I did not fully value being humble, because I did not understand it. It is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced, an open heart filled with compassion. Through deep meditation, I came to see that my life experiences are not who I am. They are a journey that I do not have to like, what I should do is love the one who is experiencing it. I am pure being, one with all light and love, as are you. You are not your life experience. If your life experience is not matching your heart’s desire, that is okay, love and forgive yourself. Love and forgive life. Its okay and you are not alone. These challenges are healing you. Love and forgive everything and everyone, even situations.

Your greatest gifts come from these challenges- compassion, love and presence. The experience of being in the mud arises to help you wake up and become aware of your truth. The mud is detoxifying and filled with nutrients. As it pulls out thought form and beliefs that no longer serve you, it is also giving you exactly what you need. It is a remarkable cleansing, that will provide you with more gifts than you could have imagined. It is almost as if the mud or life situation is drawing the old beliefs out of you, giving you an opportunity to change them. As these thought come up don’t judge them- love and forgive them.

It’s in the ruin that the transformation takes place. It is in the transformation that miracles happen. Your transformation is a miracle.

Do whatever you need to care for yourself; practice yoga, meditate, take baths, write, sing and dance! Remember that you are not your life situation; it is just a movie you are watching. As you learn to identify more with your essence/soul/being you will find that no matter what movie is playing, you are still at peace.

Believe that what you already have is what you need. From the highest level you are one with all of your hearts desires, nothing is separate from you. You are loved beyond words.

When situations occur that the mind interprets as bad, you are not being punished. It does not mean that you are less loved; it means that you are MORE LOVED. You are becoming grace. The Divine needs you to be the lotus- the healing light, love and compassion.

When you are willing to be open and loving to no matter what, you are not waiting for a miracle, you are the MIRACLE.

THE POWER OF DEEP RELAXATION… LET GO!

In yoga, Savansana is the deep relaxation where you integrate your practice. You allow the body to relax at a cellular level, revitalizing the central nervous system and easing anxiety. Even if you do not practice yoga daily, you can deeply relax to maintain your energy flow and balance. By allowing your body to be in total ease, you let spirit flow. A lot of us feel underlying tension or guilt when we feel we are “doing nothing,” but by honoring your body and relaxing your mind, you learn to surrender. The Divine wants to show up for you, and spirit has a divine plan for you. By relaxing, you release resistance and experience the knowing that there is no need to continue pushing and struggling against life. Take a moment every day to just be in calm and ease. Melt all of your fears and worries away. Worrying is like praying for what you don’t want. Instead of taking time to worry, spend that time surrendering to the divinity within you. As you go through your day, give yourself the time to let your body function without stress. In the meditative state of deep relaxation you feel oneness of spirit.

It is like the story of the river – if you go with the FLOW you will be brought where you are meant to be. If you hold onto a branch, you will be beaten up by the current. Relax into the flow and create space in your life for spirit to come through. Deeply letting go on a cellular level allows the soul to heal itself; all you have to do is begin to silence the mind and then the healing takes place. In this process your body and mind re-calibrate, preparing you to receive more. Sink in and allow your soul to clear your energy and open you to the flow. Create time just for you, to feel calm and peaceful, creating more ease in your life.

Guided relaxation:

Lay down on the floor or on your bed. Get really comfortable and begin long deep breathing through the nose. Expand the navel as you inhale and allow it to glide back as you exhale. Feel the support of the bed or floor underneath you. Imagine you are sinking into deep relaxation as you continue to breathe. Allow your body this deep healing, as you wholly surrender to the light. Staying present, begin to soften into the breath. Imagine you are butter melting on a hot skillet, every cell sinking deeper and deeper into complete comfort. Relax your eyebrows and your jaw. If you feel any tension breath light into that area and let it dissolve away. Spread this calm feeling of security and support through your whole body and let go. Allow yourself time to just be in this space of deep healing for your body, mind and spirit. Take your time and stay present, and whenever you are ready, gently make your way out of this meditation, feeling refreshed and renewed.

These experiences are really a gift that has made me humble. Until this year, I did not fully value being humble, because I did not understand it. It is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced, an open heart filled with compassion. Through deep meditation, I came to see that my life experiences are not who I am. They are a journey that I do not have to like, what I should do is love the one who is experiencing it. I am pure being, one with all light and love, as are you. You are not your life experience. If your life experience is not matching your heart’s desire, that is okay, love and forgive yourself. Love and forgive life. Its okay and you are not alone. These challenges are healing you. Love and forgive everything and everyone, even situations.

Your greatest gifts come from these challenges- compassion, love and presence. The experience of being in the mud arises to help you wake up and become aware of your truth. The mud is detoxifying and filled with nutrients. As it pulls out thought form and beliefs that no longer serve you, it is also giving you exactly what you need. It is a remarkable cleansing, that will provide you with more gifts than you could have imagined. It is almost as if the mud or life situation is drawing the old beliefs out of you, giving you an opportunity to change them. As these thought come up don’t judge them- love and forgive them.

It’s in the ruin that the transformation takes place. It is in the transformation that miracles happen. Your transformation is a miracle.

Do whatever you need to care for yourself; practice yoga, meditate, take baths, write, sing and dance! Remember that you are not your life situation; it is just a movie you are watching. As you learn to identify more with your essence/soul/being you will find that no matter what movie is playing, you are still at peace.

Believe that what you already have is what you need. From the highest level you are one with all of your hearts desires, nothing is separate from you. You are loved beyond words.

When situations occur that the mind interprets as bad, you are not being punished. It does not mean that you are less loved; it means that you are MORE LOVED. You are becoming grace. The Divine needs you to be the lotus- the healing light, love and compassion.

When you are willing to be open and loving to no matter what, you are not waiting for a miracle, you are the MIRACLE.

THE POWER OF NOT KNOWING!

Throughout my journey around the world the last six months, I have come to terms with the fact that I just don’t know all that I thought I knew. I have no idea what is going to happen past this very moment, so I have stopped trying to pretend that I do. I have transitioned from a place of trying to constantly be the ultimate creator of my reality to seeing that I am a child of the Divine and that I do not really have control over what is divinely planned for me. I do not always know and understand all of the answers that I receive but I trust that the divine is with me every step of the way no matter what. I have returned to a beginner’s mindset, empty and ready to be filled with Universal knowledge. When you come from the space of feeling that you already know all of the answers, you are full and not really open to receive anything new and you limit your growth.

I am currently in the yoga capital of the world – Rishikesh, India, on the Ganges River at the foothills of the Himalayas. I am participating in a 300 hour Hatha Yoga teacher training and spending three of the last six months in India has certainly been life changing. I found from the moment I arrived in India, that I no longer felt like talking about my spiritual beliefs. For once, I wanted to be quiet and deeply listen to what others had to say and felt with no desire to express my own opinion. I also practiced deep listening to the divine during my meditations. This time spent in inner silence has left me like an empty container, ready to be filled with new thoughts, new ideas and even more love. It feels so nice to be the student again.

In my yoga teacher training theory class we had a discussion on what yoga really is. We were told that we do not have to accept anything as our truth; we can test it and see if it works for us. I feel the following definition resonates deeply with me and brings deeper layers of love and truth into my practice.

Yoga is how we merge our individual spirit with the Universal spirit. On the deepest level our souls already are one with the Universal spirit and Yoga is the effort that we make to feel that oneness. Yoga is not only what happens in class when you sit on a mat. Yoga is a way of life; it is being present moment by moment. Yoga is for everybody and is not just for creating more flexibility in the body, but more so for trying to become flexible in the mind. Flexibility in the mind allows you to open and expand your awareness. The ultimate goal of yoga is reprogramming so we can let go of the lies we were told and rediscover our truth!

Spending 300 hours practicing Hatha yoga has really expanded my awareness. I feel the most powerful part though has just been being in India. You really have to surrender to the nature of India while you are here as everything is so unpredictable. The power and internet will often randomly go off and just when you think you make one plan, next thing you know you are off on another plan and you don’t see why until afterwards. Not knowing has allowed me to stay in presence as the experiencer. I am here having an experience and I am a child of the divine, so I do not have to know every step before it is laid out in front of me. As long as I keep my faith in the divine I know that I am always brought to exactly where I am supposed to be.

Rishikesh is on the Ganges River and sometimes at night we go sit on the river and meditate. The Ganges River is so massive and powerful because the motion of the current just keeps flowing. I feel it whispering to me softly….let go, let go, let go. The more I sit by this river and expand my awareness, I feel my truth expand in my heart. Traveling also helps you reprogram as everything is new and different. You have to become accustomed to a new way of being as you dive into another culture. We are convinced that we do things “right” in our culture, but then you travel and see that others are convinced that they are the ones who really have it “right.” Who really does? I believe everyone is right in their own way and if we only see OUR own way the whole time, we don’t really expand our perspective on life. Putting yourself in a situation where you are experiencing new things and seeing new perspectives is how you become like a child again, filled with enthusiasm and wonder for the unknowing. You ask questions more freely to satisfy your endless curiosity and life seems so fresh and new because you realize that there is still so much that you don’t know or understand. You see that it is in the not knowing that you really know. There is so much innocence in the beginner’s mind and it truly leads to life with more inner peace.

The more we surrender to the fact that our minds do not know all that they think they know, the more we open up to possibility. When we flow like the river holding onto nothing, we are presented with so many options and we are actually open to see what the divine has in store for us! And what actually shows up is often much better than what our minds ever thought possible.

Love,
Hillary

JUST BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SEE IT, DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT THERE!

Have you ever gotten stuck in the illusion of the physical reality around you and felt that you are not being truly loved and supported?

What helps you see the love through the illusion?

I have been traveling the world for the past six months and have been blessed with the opportunity to see places that before this trip I only dreamed of. I have swam in the most glorious waterfalls, hiked the Atlas Mountain in Morocco, took a camel ride through the Sahara Desert and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and prayed at the Wailing Wall and The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. I have seen so much and have had so many expansive experiences that I can’t even process how much I have changed on this trip. I have pushed so far past my comfort zone that I don’t even know where it is anymore.

Going on a pilgrimage of this nature is by no means a vacation. I can no longer even keep track of all the times that I have cried, thought that what I needed would not show up and even thought I was going to die. I have had to jump and trust that the net would be there so many more times than I wanted to. I never really knew if I would be supported in each new place that I arrived in, or if the money I needed to keep going would actually come.

Even with all the ups and downs and perceived chaos that I have experienced, I remain SO incredibly thankful for every moment of this trip. I have been forced to face all of my greatest fears – from bugs, to heights, to being rushed to a small hospital clinic in India and have to receive five Iv’s – but I have not shied away for a second; I faced them head on. When I was in the hospital in India, I was so hysterical and scared that all I could do was cry and pray. Even though I could not see the angels all around me, I knew that they were there. In my mind I thought I am going to die, but in my heart I knew that I would be okay. It was by far one of the biggest emotional releases I have had in my life, but it allowed me to integrate a very powerful lesson.

No matter what I experienced on this trip, in my heart I always knew that the divine was with me, but it was my mind that had trouble believing what it could not see. So many times I felt like turning back, but I had come too far for that and even though it was scary to keep going, I knew that I had to. When I was first trying to figure out whether to continue my trip from India to Spain, I met a beautiful and graceful woman who told me to just jump and that the net will always be there. While in Spain I met another American girl who was doing the same thing I was – jumping and trusting. I told her about my travel situation and it turned out she was finishing a similar experience and she again mirrored the advice of the woman in India: just jump – the net is already there. This really resonated. I did some inner reflection and came to the realization that if everything is made of pure consciousness, which is the energy of the divine, and the divine is made of love, then the ultimate nature of this reality is pure love. It was like a light bulb went off in my head, of course the net is already there and even it is made of love!

When life feels challenging remember this: just because you cannot see something does not mean it is not there. Even though you cannot see Spirit does not mean that Spirit is not with you. Even if you cannot see all the money you want to see in your bank account does not mean that you are not supported.

You can choose to believe in the physical reality (the third dimensional world that you see with your eyes around you) or the metaphysical reality (nonphysical energy made of Spirit/the Divine). As human beings we are experiencing both realities simultaneously.

I feel that putting your faith in the illusion of the physical reality only creates separation and the idea that there is not enough. When you put your faith in spirit and the metaphysical reality instead, you are putting your faith in love. And this is where all the miracles happen.

So many times over the past six months I have had to pray and just trust. Every time a fear thought came up, I put my faith in love instead. Even if I could not see love in that moment I could always feel it in my heart. By being present with my fears and sending them love, I finally feel like I have released the idea that I am not supported by life on the deepest level possible. Instead, I have fully stepped into believing that life ALWAYS brings me everything I need exactly when I need it. All you need is faith in what you cannot see.

Love,
Hillary

MY JOURNEY UP ARUNACHALA HILL – THE MOUNTAIN OF SHIVA!

This divine journey began at Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram.

Sri Ramana Maharshi is known as one of the greatest sages of modern time. He experienced a deep spiritual transformation at the age of sixteen and left home to Arunachala Hill in search of his father. He later said, “When I left home; I was like a speck swept by a tremendous flood, I knew not my body or the world, whether it was day or night.” Sri Ramana Maharshi led a very simple life, many people thought of him as the most natural person they ever encountered. He mostly taught through silence, and frequently asked students to inquire, “Who am I?” This would bring them back to source, the divine within the heart. Sri Ramana left his physical body in 1950; but people still come from all over the world to practice His teachings in His Presence. Sri Ramana Maharshi saw many instances take place which cleared all of his doubts about the magnificence of Arunachala hill. Those who walk his path have a direct experience of the power of this hill.

Shiva manifested himself as the Arunchala hill, saying, “As the moon derives its light from the sun, so other holy places shall derive their sanctity from Arunachala.” Shiva is a Hindu deity, known as the omniscient yogi, the transformer and the destroyer. Shiva creates destruction in positive ways; by destroying the ego and false identification with form, helping to release old habits and attachments.

Our journey up Arunchala Hill began at Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram. I was with my friend Lora Nova, Swami Agung and a few of his students. I connected with this place the instant I arrived. I prayed and meditated in the ashram with tears of joy running down my face. Then we began our voyage up the massive Arunchala hill. As we made our journey up we encountered many monkey friends. We did have to watch our things as the monkeys are really not too friendly ;). We stopped first in a small meditation room where we sat in silence; and then wrote down prayers on paper that we would use to make Puja, a prayer offering. Here we asked a guide, who was a truly radiant young man, fast as a gazelle, to take us to the cave where Sri Ramana Maharshi spent most of his time in divine enlightenment. We followed our guide up to the cave. It was such an honor to sit in the cave where this great enlightened master spent so much of his life. Here we made Puja, prayer offering by burning all the prayers we wrote. Then we sat in meditation, blessing the prayers.

I heard a voice come through me saying that we should ground our energy into the mountain through our grounding cords and bring this powerful energy of truth and love into our hearts. Anyone can ground anytime, anywhere. You simply breathe and imagine that a tail is growing from the base of your spine into the center of the earth, spiraling down deeper and deeper as you send love to Mother Nature and then feel her love coming back up into the grounding cord, all the way up into your heart. It is said that every mountain has a heart and we connected our hearts to the heart within the mountain. It was a powerful experience to connect with the energy of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Shiva in this cave. A feeling of complete peace washed over me.

We decided to continue all the way up to the top of the Mountain of Shiva. As we walked we were surrounded with beautiful lush green trees and saw stunning views of the city below. The hike was beginning to get dangerous and my dear friend Lora offered her hiking shoes to one of the students on the excursion with us. Lora walked barefoot and Swami Agung said, “Lora is a top fashion designer in NYC, mainly of shoes, and here she is hiking the Mountain of Shiva barefoot.” We all laughed. Lora is a very spiritually evolved being and this was a testament to her humility.

Arunchala is the path of self-enquiry and as we hiked, Swami Agung kept reminding us that life is a journey, not a destination. The hike got very steep and there were a few times when I thought that I would be too scared to continue. In this highly aware loving space I could see through the fear and kept climbing up the steep rocks. At this point my knee began to hurt really badly, I thought from the steepness of the hike until I lifted up my yoga pants to see that I had been bitten by something! I did not know what, but the bite was so swollen that it looked as though I had two knee caps. My first reaction was to think that I was bitten by something poisonous since I had never seen a bug bite swell so badly. Then came the trail of fearful thoughts: I am hours up this mountain in India; there is no way for me to get down; I could die on this mountain. For about thirty seconds I felt like crying. Then I asked myself, “Who am I?” In highly conscious space I could not attach to fear; I saw right through all of my fears. I could see that I am not my body. I fully surrendered and said out loud, “If it is the highest plan that my physical body dies on this mountain, then that is what will be.” I knew in my heart that my divine purpose had not yet been fulfilled and that I would continue on my journey, literally and metaphorically.

We continued all the way up until we reached the top of the mountain of Shiva. We were greeted by more monkeys. I looked down to see vast luscious green fields as far as the eye could see. I never imagined India would be so beautiful. The top the mountain is covered in ghee – burnt butter to honor Shiva. We sat and meditated, feeling this magnificent energy. I meditated on destruction and realized that everything that happens that seems bad, always creates good. The Divine is always leading us to where we truly need to be. All we have to do is connect with the love that is all around us and have humility – life is a journey not a destination. When in doubt ask yourself, “Who am I?”

Namaste,

Hillary

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF YOUR LIGHT BEING SEEN!

Upon arriving to India, someone told me that they felt some energy blocking my heart. That I was holding something back. I could also feel that this was true. I wanted to spend time alone and hide, since I was feeling too sensitive to be seen. I wanted to protect my energy, and kept feeling the desire to slouch instead of allowing my chest to be open. There are ebbs and flow in life and it is important to trust your intuition when you feel the need to close yourself off. But you must also ask what that feeling is trying to tell you. There may be something that needs to come up and be healed.

I knew there was something I needed to look at, so I took a bike ride to see where the road would take me. I ended up in sitting in a school yard watching kindergartener’s play. I am staying in an eco-conscious town called Auroville in India; there is a freedom here that allows you to go be wherever you want. I saw and heard the children playing and they seemed very happy. This made me think of myself as a small child. I had not thought of my childhood in many years, as I always try to live in presence.

When I was a little girl I was so sensitive that I would cry every day, literally every day. My parents moved around all the time and I went to over twenty schools before even starting high school. I was always the new girl and I often would go hide and cry in bathrooms. I was so shy and did not want to be seen; I felt so alone, like everyone was judging me. In looking into the feeling of wanting to close myself off, I saw that it came from my childhood.

A few days later I went to a very sacred place for meditation. In this place I felt a rush of love and compassion wash over me. I felt that many people are afraid to shine their light. Afraid to be seen as they are really are. That is the feeling that had made me want to close off my energy. In that moment of divine stillness and peace, I heard: do not be afraid of your light being seen, it is the light of the Divine.

The brilliance in every one of us is the Divine, yet we are somehow afraid to shine the Divine’s light. The light that is in you is the light that is in me. There is nothing to fear. Whatever your talent or form of self-expression, let it be seen! This allows the Divine to be seen. We are the divine children of the Divine; underneath the illusion of this human experience is Oneness.

Something has happened to us all at one point or another that has made us shut a part of ourselves down. We are afraid to shine the light within us, as if it would be rejected. How could the light of Spirit be rejected? There is no way to reject the light that is within us all, we are united in this light. In the illusion on earth it seems as though we are all separate. This is where the fear comes from – fear that your “separate” light and energy may be rejected. Your light is not isolated; it is the one light of the creator. The Creator’s light cannot be rejected. When you shine the light of Spirit within you it awakens others to the light within them. This encourages them to shine and to be themselves! How would your life be different if you allowed yourself to be seen for what you truly are?
I pray that we, the divine children of the Divine, awaken our self-love and compassion to see the divinity within ourselves and all. I pray you see your brilliance and chose to be gentle with yourself.

Namaste, Hillary

LOVE FROM AUROVILLE, INDIA – CITY OF THE FUTURE!

I am in a place so magical that I had not even heard of a few months ago. I had to almost pinch myself the first few days here; it feels like a whole different world. Auroville is called the city of the future and is located in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India.

Auroville wants to be a Universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity. Auroville does not belong to one person, but to humanity as a whole. To live in Auroville one must be in willing service of divine consciousness. Auroville is a place of unending education, of constant progress, bridging the past and future. A place for researching the embodiment of human unity, it is not an ashram but a town. It was built in 1968, and started as just a desert but now has over two million trees. This is what happens when you build something with love – it grows beautifully. Auroville is a place of diversity with people from 43 different nationalities living in peace. Sometimes we feel stuck in our lives, like there are no options. There are many paths and keys which open doors to awareness, love and presence. Help is always there. As we walk our paths we find that the Divine left us many reminders of our truth along the way. We just have to be aware enough to see them.

The realization of unity is what humanity needs. If you get angry at someone else and hurt them, you are really hurting yourself, since we are all one. The goal of human unity has not yet been reached on this planet or in Auroville. As they say, you see things as you are, not as they are. It does make me smile to know that there is a town on this earth, built upon peace with the purpose of raising spiritual awareness and experiencing Universal oneness. It grows at its own speed because it is growing with our level of consciousness. You can feel good knowing there is a place where people are living in harmony, plus sending love to you and all of humanity. Working toward the evolution of consciousness- underneath this form we are all One, all united. Open to finding the keys that will open doors in your life. As you expand and find ways to make yourself better, you help the whole of humanity.

Love,
Hillary

NON – JUDGMENT!

We are judged from the day we are born by our skin color, weight, our facial features and we don’t even know who we are yet. As we start to identify with being a human, we start to judge ourselves. As begin to judge ourselves, we also start judging others. On the spiritual path we learn that there is only light. If we are all truly light, then why do we judge the forms that the light comes in? This is an important question to ask. We are almost trained to judge- that comes from an ego mind space that is constantly trying to compare and decide whether we are better or worse. This is almost funny because there is no better or worse, there are just different forms of the same source energy.

I was talking to my father last night and he told me how he used to get upset when he felt like people he cared about were not experiencing life or living in negativity. Then he realized that it doesn’t matter. We are here to experience that which does not exist outside of being a human. It took pressure off of him when he came to understand that no matter what someone is undergoing in this particular lifetime, they are learning and growing from it on a soul level. When they go back to Universal oneness, it will make no difference. There is no point in judging their experience. They are pure, whole and learning what their soul wants to learn in this lifetime. No situation is good or bad – it all depends on how your view it and how your mind labels it.

No matter what you or anyone else is experiencing at this time, you are learning and growing from that experience. We are here to expand our consciousness. You are successfully living as a human being and learning what your soul wanted to master in this lifetime. Non- judgment opens to you to the vastness of experience. Observing life as it is without the need to label it.

A Course in Miracles says: “You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgment. When you recognize what you are and what your brothers are, you will realize that judging them in anyway is without meaning.” It goes on to say, “It is possible to look on reality without judgment and merely know that it is there.”

We are all going through a mass healing and now is the time to accept and see the light in each other. Judging only strengthens the ego mind. Notice when you are comparing yourself to others, tell yourself: we are all of the same light. When you choose the path of the light, you illuminate this human experience and can see it for what it truly is. Life is one big play in which the creator is dressed up in many different costumes. There is no reason to judge the form – it is all one.

Breathe deep and completely relax, imagine that you are pure love and light. If you can see the light in yourself, you can open to seeing it in others. When you know that all is light dressed up in different ways, you drop the judgment. Feel the light that you are and know that there is no reason to judge anything.

OPEN TO FEELING LOVED AND SUPPORTED!

There is just something so yummy about allowing your spiritual practice to be a place where you simply receive light and connect to Universal love. I love manifestation techniques and setting your intentions to create your desires. If you always use your spiritual practice as a means to create something you want in your life, then you are still working when you should be receiving! You are one with everything. Taking time to release your own form and just be in that ONE loving vibration of consciousness – feels so good. Let go any ideas of who you are as an individual and take time to feel the connection to the whole.

Those of us on a spiritual path are blessed with the ability to connect with spirit and divine love on this earthly plane. Take time in your yoga or meditation practice to let yourself to fully unite with divine love. Allow your fears and worries to wash away, clearing your subconscious and opening your heart to pure love. We chose to walk the path of light, which leads us to inner peace.

You are a unique expression of the creator and always will be, but in that moment of meditation just allow yourself to be one. This opens room for spirit to create through you. Release all desires and expectations. Tap into the pure bliss of this present moment and you will find so much love waiting there for you. As they say, you are a spiritual being having a human experience. Enjoy being human – love yourself just as you are. In this human experience, you feel the illusion of being separate. You are blessed with the ability to go within and be brought back the oneness that is your true form. When you step into this space of oneness and divine love it helps you to clear any ideas that you are not good enough or that you do not have enough. You are good enough and you do have enough. You are one with all the goodness and abundance there is. During these times of doubt it is important to allow support in. Sometimes you think you need so many things to be happy, when what you really need is to feel loved and supported.

Practice:
Get comfortable and begin deep breathing. Bring your energy to your third eye point in between your eyebrows.

I know that nothing in this room is solid – everything is energy. I release all form and open myself to feel the vibration of love that is within and all around me. I let go of any ideas of separation. I know that I AM pure love. I ask divine love to heal every cell in my body. I ask that my eyes see love, my heart feel love, my mind perceive love, my voice speak of love, and my touch give love. There is only love; I ask to become a higher source of love.

Feel your heart opening as you completely melt into the vibration of pure love. Close your eyes and stay here as long as you like.

WHEN THINGS SEEM TO BE FALLING APART, MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING!

I have had quite an experience this week after being in NYC during Sandy. I was in lower Manhattan for days with no power and used that time to do a lot yoga and meditation by candlelight. I spent time reflecting, sending light and prayers to all the people affected by Sandy. I know that many people felt their world was falling apart. As I returned home, it seemed as though everything in my life was falling apart. I stayed strong in my prayer and meditation and asked for guidance on my next steps, knowing that this is only an illusion that is creating miracles. That is when I was reminded by my beautiful friend about the process of chemicalization. Bestselling prosperity author Catherine Ponder wrote a lot about Chemicalization; her books always help me shift my awareness.

“You’ve heard it said that things have to get worse sometimes before they can get better; that the getting worse process is actually a part of the improvement process; that what seems failure is actually success being born in the situation. That’s chemicalization! Chemicalization sounds like a negative process, but actually it is a very positive one – a natural, normal one. Though it is an uncomfortable experience, it is worth going through, because it is always a sign that cleansing is taking place.

Something higher and better always results from this experience. When these periods come, remind yourself, this is nothing to fear. This is not evil. There is only good at work in this experience. Healing is now taking place in my world. I rest, relax and let it.” As you nonresistantly meet chemicalization in this way, very soon brighter conditions will appear.” – Catherine Ponder

When it seems that everything is falling apart, that is when miracles are truly happening. Even though these changes may be scary, there is a divine healing taking place that is creating better situations for you. I have been through this process before and it is challenging. When you stay aligned with faith knowing that there is a divine plan unfolding, you allow this process to go much smoother. Hold on to the belief that the Divine loves and supports you. Trust that these shifts in your life are bringing you closer to your heart’s desire. You may feel sadness arise as your release old patterns of attachment. Love yourself through this and give yourself space to do whatever you need in the moment to support yourself, whether it be going on jog, yoga, meditation, a bath, reading, chanting mantras. Try talking to someone who can give you a higher perspective; allow the support in. By releasing sadness, you are opening to more joy – let it flow. This is a time of change and unwavering faith. Despite appearances the Divine is working in your favor to help you grow and create more. Beneath the illusion of this human experience is pure Love and Light, -there is nothing to fear.

Mantra:
I trust the Divine loves and supports me unconditionally. I am open and ready to be guided in the direction of my heart’s desires.

STEPPING INTO THE VIBRATION OF FEELING LUCKY!

I have been working with the vibration of feeling lucky, and being open to synchronicity. When you step into the energy of feeling as though good things happen to you, you are opening yourself to infinite possibilities. The Divine has a hard time bringing your heart’s desires to you when your mind is stuck in a place that says “you do not deserve it” or “you are not good enough.” Those thoughts are not true! You are one with the divine creator and you deserve to live a happy life. It is easy to get stuck in the thought pattern that good things do not come to you, because if that is your belief, it is exactly what you have been creating. Your past thoughts are creating your present reality. So if you change your presents thoughts from “I don’t get what I want out of life” to “I am lucky and amazing things happen to me,” then you are opening the space to receive what you truly desire. We are here to enjoy our lives!

As far as work, some of our minds tell us that we cannot do something if we believe it won’t make us any money. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. See if it makes you feel better to ask, “What do I want to create in this human experience because it would be fun?” Nothing lasts forever besides source energy and you are source energy! So, what would you like to create, for no other reason that it would be fun for you to experience it? Instead of harping on, ask “How can I create the life that I want to live?” Try asking yourself, “How can I step into a vibration that makes me feel lucky, so that I can open to accepting all the goodness that is out there for me?” This takes some time to wrap your mind around, because the ego mind likes to keep us small and make us feel as though we don’t have hope. It’s the voice of spirit that guides you in the direction of your highest good. Learning to differentiate between these voices takes practice. In most cases, if it feels good and loving, it is your Spirit or your higher-self communicating to you. If it doesn’t feel good and motivational, it is probably your ego mind trying to keep you down. When you notice that the chatter in the mind does not feel good, simply recognize that chatter is not the truth. Then affirm your new thoughts.

Affirmations:
I am ready to accept guidance from my higher self. I am open to allowing Spirit to bring divine coincidences or synchronicity into my life. I know that I am here in this human experience for a reason – to fulfill my higher purpose. I am lucky and open to Spirit guiding me to create my highest good. Thank you.

TOOLS FOR MAINTAINING YOUR ENERGY FLOW!

We have all been around people and in places where the energy felt less than desirable. My brother asked me a while ago to write about how I maintain my energy flow around “undesirables”. A lot of the emotions that we feel are not even ours. If someone walks by you feeling sad or angry and all of a sudden you begin to feel sad or angry, that emotion may not even have been yours to begin with. There are tools that you can use to clear energy out of your space that does not belong to you. Many people are energy sensitive. It is beneficial to know whether the emotion you are feeling is coming from you, or from someone else. I use the three techniques below to clear my energy. They may sound a little bit out there, and may take some getting used to, but try and keep an open mind. I have been working with these tools for years and they have helped me to stay balanced.

BREATHING IN LIGHT: Prana is life force energy and when you are breathing you are bringing that energy into your body. Begin by taking a deep inhale, expanding the navel, as you imagine that you are bringing in light from above you. Exhale allowing the navel to gently glide back, and relax. Inhale breathing light from above the head and imagine that light is coming into every cell of your body. Exhale and let go, releasing anything that is not of the light. Inhale and breath light into your Aura- energy field around the body. Exhale and release. Breathe this light into any area of the body that needs it; the mind, the body, the soul, etc. Beautiful things can come from tapping into the power of your breath.

GROUNDING: Grounding your energy connects you with Mother Earth, clears your energy field and restores balance. Breathe and begin to center your energy with each inhalation and exhalation. Now, imagine that a tail is growing from the center of your spine, spiraling down into the earth. As you continue to breathe, feel the energy moving and the tail spiraling deeper and deeper into the earth. You may feel a sense of restored balance. As you practice grounding you will feel the connection and love from Mother Earth coming up through your grounding cord.

ROSE TOOL: I learned this exercise from one of my Spiritual teachers, Jim Self. It is one of the best tools I have come across for clearing my energy, and it involves using your imagination! The rose has a very high vibration that is only in alignment with divine love and your highest good. To begin, breathe deeply, and after each inhale, exhale deeply and inhale again. Close your eyes and think of the last time that you saw a red rose. It may have been in a garden or in the grocery store. Picture in your mind’s eye the green stem and the red petals. Imagine this single rose is about two and a half feet in front of your face. Continue the circular breath and command the rose to clear any energy out of your field that does not belong to you. You may feel this energy gathering into the rose and clearing anything that does not vibrate with love, joy and your highest good. After a few more breaths, imagine exploding the rose, like fireworks. Know that you have cleared that energy from your space. This may take some practice but it is a wonderful tool. You can also use this tool to gather your energy back up by commanding the rose to collect any energy you may be missing. When you feel it is collected wholly, explode the rose bringing your energy back into your field from wherever you may have left it.

These tools take practice, so try to be gentle with yourself. Know that the more your practice, the more real they will become. If you are feeling harsh energy you will have these tools in your bag to help you clear and release the energy.

We are all made of divine love, whether we are expressing it in this moment or not. When you come across a person who is not in a space to express their divine love, you have an opportunity to reflect their truth back to them. You don’t even have to say anything; even a loving smile can make a big difference. The more you ground and clear, the more you learn to maintain your energy flow and become less affected by other people’s energy.

Love Love Love

EMBRACING UNCERTAINTY!

For so long I’ve felt the need to always know what was going to happen next. Always trying to plan and create my next move in life. Now for the first time in a while I have become comfortable with uncertainty. I believe that by being happy in the moment you are creating more happiness. My faith in that is enough. Living in presence with the goal to inspire and be inspired feels so much better than trying to force what you think is for your highest good. The truth is that The Divine loves and knows what is in your highest good and will guide you there. If you can let go of the desire to need to know, you can allow yourself to truly be happy in the moment. When you feel connected to light, you can embrace the moment and witness the beauty that is within and all around you.

You never know what is right around the corner until it arrives. Trust that your dreams are coming true. If you have a desire, The Divine wants to fulfill that desire. By learning to enjoy the present moment, you are living your life now. Your life is now, in this present moment, and always will be in this present moment. If you can be content now, you will carry on that feeling into every future moment. Breaking down the illusion that your life will begin once your dreams come true and embrace the fact that your life is now, no matter what you are experiencing. By releasing the need to know you may find yourself living in the wonder, trusting that whatever comes next is for your highest good. You are loved and supported more than you know. Take a moment and witness the grace in what you are now experiencing. Through harmony with your spirit you can embrace the present moment, knowing the next will unfold beautifully. There is excitement in not knowing what will come next. With an awe inspired view you can live in the magic of uncertainty.

DEDICATING TO YOUR PRACTICE!

Lately I have been feeling so much gratitude for my spiritual practice. Many powerful spiritual teachings that were kept secret for so many years are now available to us, and we now have more access to knowledge than ever before. This knowledge gives us the opportunity to live a life in divine connection with the Divine; all we have to do is take time to devote to our practice. Yogi Bhajan always said “keep up,” which refers to keeping up with your spiritual practice. He also said, “If you don’t go within, you go without.” Only temporary happiness comes from our external experiences. True lasting bliss comes from connecting to the light within you. During conscious connection with Spirit you receive joy-filled calmness. Your true nature is to be happy. Happiness comes from within.

My appreciation for my spiritual practice grows every day. It is a space for me to let go, clear my mind and connect to the love that is within and all around me. To stay uplifted you must dedicate yourself to your practice. In doing so, you are uplifting yourself so you can uplift others. Your spiritual practice can include yoga, meditation, chanting mantras, and reading, deep relaxation, anything that makes you feel good. The purpose is to feel good, and in doing so you are creating more good feelings. I feel so much gratitude toward my spiritual practice because it makes me feel so loved, free and alive. It helps me to remember that there is a deeper purpose to this experience, and that I am connected to the divine spirit that lives in every one of us. Making the commitment to your practice is making a commitment to yourself – to live life from the heart, being open to all the goodness that is out there for you.

It is your choice to decide to take the time for yourself. Instead of thinking of it as a chore, come from a space of gratitude; feeling thankful that you have an opportunity to care for and enrich yourself. Now is the time to create spiritual habits. Connecting with your soul fills your life with purpose, so be strong, keep up, and bask in the satisfaction that comes with having a dedication to your practice and being dedicated to yourself.

CREATING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK!

Happiness is less dependent on outside circumstances and more dependent on our outlook on life. How do we develop a more positive outlook on life? Science has now proven that we can shift our thought patterns. By practicing new ways of thinking you can reshape your nerve cells and change the way your brain works. Isn’t that fascinating? We can actually change the way our brain works! Here are some ways for you to start creating an outlook that makes you happy to be alive.

Meditation is a powerful tool that helps you to release the subconscious thoughts that can build up and create clutter. When your mind gets too full, you start to feel overloaded and stressed. Through meditation, you clear the clutter and bring in clarity. Through this clarity you are able to focus on what you want to create instead of getting distracted by the constant inner dialog in your mind. Meditation is how you connect to The Divine – it is in this connection that you are filled with everything you think you are missing. Aligning with the Divine provides love and faith that you cannot receive from any other place. It is that love and faith that gives you a positive outlook on life and creates happiness.

Yoga releases stored up cellular stress from the body. It is a science that connects your soul to the Divine. It is so much easier to be happy when your physical body feels good. Yoga rewires the mind towards positivity by allowing you to be fully present in the moment. Ask yourself: is everything okay in this moment? Then realize the fact that you are always in this present moment. Everything is always okay. Yoga connects the mind, body and soul through postures, breath-work and presence. This presence allows you to face life challenges with faith.

Reading enlightening books fills your mind with new ideas that make you excited to be alive. Studies have shown that the brain cannot really distinguish between reading and experiencing something in real life. Bringing enlightening thoughts into your mind shifts your perception and gives you a whole new outlook by opening up your imagination. Fill your mind with inspiration! Your happiness depends on the quality of your thoughts.

Your mind is not your enemy- it is your friend! Love your mind and fill it with the stuff that makes you feel good! Live in the mystery, so your mind can become a tool that serves your soul in truly enjoying your human experience. If you create a mental outlook of faith and a heart filled with compassion, you have the Divine’s recipe for true happiness! It is not our outside circumstances that are creating our happiness – it is our outlook. We create our own happiness. All you have to do is make the decision to be happy! Take the steps to cultivate a positive outlook, which allows you to shine! YOU deserve to live a life filled with joy.

CREATE SPACE FOR THE DIVINE TO GUIDE YOU!

I hear so many stories of why people feel they can’t meditate- not enough time, too hard to focus, it doesn’t work for you. All of these are just stories that your mind tells you; they are not the truth. You are fully capable of developing a meditation practice. Each person has nearly 15,000 thoughts per hour, which are nearly 360,000 thoughts per day. Many of these thoughts are unconscious. The purpose of meditation is to clear the mind of unconscious thoughts. When you clear your mind of this unnecessary noise, you create room for The Divine to come through. The mind is like a box and once it gets full, you can feel overwhelmed. Through meditation you open the lid to this box and release the mind clutter. Once the unconscious thoughts are released you can begin to create your reality with consciousness.

Meditation is so simple. Just sit or lie down and breathe in and out. Tell yourself that you are only going to do this for a minute, so you can quiet the mind and completely relax into it. As you breathe, open yourself to The Divine. Feel the connection and focus your awareness in the center of your head. Continue breathing. Feel as though a box in your mind is opening and allowing you to release. Let go of anything that no longer serves you and allow The Divine to fill you with love and guidance. Try it out for a few minutes each day and then build up from there. Allow meditation to be a time when you fill yourself back up. Take the pressure off. There is no right or wrong way. Go with what feels good to you. Try giving the mind a break and step into the heart. Focus on the love from The Divine and as you continue to breathe, you will feel your energy moving from the mind into the heart.

This is my ultimate goal – to live through the heart, one with The Divine. In stillness you are allowing your mind to empty, which creates the space for The Divine to guide your way. That is why I take the time every day to allow myself to feel the love and joy that comes from this connection. You deserve to spend time alone seeking divine guidance from within. It is so simple… connect with The Divine through stillness. Meditation is a personal practice that allows you to become one with all that is. Just breathe and have your only goal be to feeling the love from The Divine. Play, have fun and reveal all the love and beauty within you!!

JUST CHOOSE LOVE!

There is only love or fear of love. It is your choice. We are eternal beings, so there is nothing to fear. We are made of pure love, which cannot be destroyed. Our ability to love is unlimited; it is only limited by our perception. Once you open your perception to the idea that we are all one in the vibration of love, you begin to fall in love with yourself. You are one with all that is, yet you are a unique expression of love. You are the One you are seeking, the One beloved. When you become love, you attract your partner, because you are being your own partner. Become what you seek. There is no rejection or loss to fear when you accept that the flow of love is never ending- it is inside of you.

In self-love you understand that you are absolutely lovable. When you feel how lovable you are, you draw in love all around you. You deserve to love and be loved. Believing in the love within you creates room for another person to love you. Begin to see yourself as you want to be seen. Allow your reflection to show you the grace that you are, be the mirror that reflects pure love.

When you treat yourself as your beloved, you are showing up as you would want your partner to show up. This creates the model of what you deserve. You do not need another person to feel love. When you release the fear of needing someone else you open to true partnership- not one where you are trying to draw the love out of each other, but one where the love overflows unto each other like a vast river. What you see as real, will come to be real. By seeing yourself as love, you become love. Adore yourself as your beloved would adore you. To receive love you must give love; start with giving this love to yourself. There is no longer a need to chase love outside of yourself; the love you seek is within.

Let go of fear and become the love that you are. Start by doing the things that you would want your beloved to do for you. Here are a few things to try; take a bath and listen to romantic music, buy your favorite flowers, when you look in the mirror see the love shining from your eyes, when you are going to sleep breathe love in and out and know that is what you are. Listen to guided meditations and affirmations on being love. You are a beautiful manifestation of light in the Divine.

TRUST BRINGS SECURITY!

How would you live your life if you trusted even more? How would you feel if you knew that no matter what you would be loved and supported?

The truth is you are! You can transform and heal any situation in your life with the energies of love and trust. Many of us seek security, yet with the ever changing Divine we feel that we cannot truly be secure. Security comes from trusting. Let go of the need to plan everything. Trust in the field of infinite possibilities. Sometimes the Divine has a better plan for you than you could have ever imagined. There is a divine plan for you. When your mind asks you what is going to happen next, tell yourself that whatever comes next is going to bring you more joy and fulfillment. When you choose presence and happiness that is what you attract.

Osho says, “Trust is, not knowing that everything will be alright, but knowing that everything already is alright.” Everything is always alright in this present moment. The Divine is made of love; everything that happens is for your highest good. There is no other way to happiness than to be HAPPY; there is no other way to trust than to TRUST. Feel the vibration of fully trusting – it is liberating! The Divine wants you to fly and will be there to catch you if you fall. When you step into the unknown with trust, you gain clarity that allows you to make conscious choices. Choices that support you thriving! Choices that are made out of love not fear. Lay your trust in the love of The Divine. See the showering of love and miracles that pour back to you.

You are loved just as you are. You can trust that your highest good is unfolding in every present moment. Trust the unknown. Trust in yourself. As you trust, you create more security; The Divine is working for you.

Practice:
Lie down on the floor and relax completely. Breathe in the energy of trust. Feel how much you trust the floor beneath you to support you. Continue breathing and imagine that you are filled with more love and trust. Radiate this energy throughout your body. Feel yourself fully immersed in the light of trust, feeling confident and secure. Feel weightless, free, calm and in the flow of The Divine. You are this flow. Now imagine living this way, completely trusting.

LOVE EVERY EMOTION!

Lao Tzu says, “What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.” We must all go into our cocoons sometimes to reflect and create more of what we are seeking. During this time of self-reflection, we often feel emotions that we don’t want. We are taught that it’s bad to feel frustrated, sad and angry. However, we learn from these feelings. Instead of asking why we are feeling this way, we need to love ourselves for it. Love every part of what makes you the beautiful being that you are. If we did not go into our cocoons once in a while, we would not be able to come out and fly freely and beautifully. It’s okay to feel sad once in a while. Sometimes we need time to process and release. We always just want the good feelings; happiness, love, laughter. On the other hand, how would we know how good it feels to be in love if we had never felt missing love? How would we know how good it feels to laugh if we never cried? Embrace every part of your being because you are perfect, no matter what emotion you’re feeling. These emotions are not for the mind to figure out; they are for the heart to heal.

We are blessed as souls in a human body to feel every part of this experience. There is divine beauty in allowing yourself to feel. You no longer have to pretend to be this perfect person who is happy all the time, if you are sad sometimes, love yourself through it and open to the support all around you. Through honoring your feelings and nurturing yourself during a down time, you fully embrace the joy and freedom of being alive. You are growing from every experience and constantly re-creating who you are. Cells die and are re-born; you are always becoming a new you. If you find yourself drawing into a cocoon, please love the fact that you will be coming out a new butterfly. If you do the spiritual work, you become open, expanded and ready for more. You are loved and supported beyond your wildest imagination. The beauty of being in this human body, is feeling. Ebb and flow, play with the feelings; it’s your time and opportunity to re-create yourself with more love.

Practice:
Lay down, breathing long & deep. Completely relax and breathe light from Spirit into your heart, as you exhale allow that light from your heart to surround your body as if you are in a cocoon. Use your imagination, there is no right or wrong. Trust your Spirit to do the work for you. Continue this process with long circular breathing, when thoughts come up, repeat out loud: Even though I am feeling ______, I completely love and accept every part of myself. Then let it go.

Allow it to be an inner journey of discovering, loving and accepting your true feelings. The courage to be yourself is in the strength of your heart. It takes bravery to love every part of you. You have the power to transform any feeling through a heart opened and filled with love.

HOPE IN A BALI ORPHANAGE!

Children are a blessing to the world. Their hope and sense of wonder shine so brightly. I had the life changing opportunity to spend time with some of beautiful Balinese children today. We practiced yoga, meditation and danced together. Most of these children were forced by their parents to be beggars on the streets of Bali. They each have a touching story of how they have gotten to this place. You hear the story and wonder how they can smile so beautifully after all they have been through. I admire their courage, no matter how harsh life has been, to still allow spirit to flow so freely within them. They are beautiful spirits who have chosen a difficult journey, which I pray will bring them to a place they can only dream of.

This is the unique gift of children, no matter what has happened they, still believe. They still love and they still smile because they have hope. They know they have a chance to create something better. That’s all they need is a chance. Some of them want to be yoga teachers and they truly are magnificent yogis. Spending two hours with this beautiful group has changed my life forever. These kids are so talented and creative; it is amazing that they are being given the education that will allow them to create the lives they dream of. I am thankful to the founders of Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak Foundation; The Divine has sent angels to earth that have dedicated their lives to giving these children the love and care they deserve. Each child hugged me, saying thank you and I love you. When I left I gave the girls a pink heart chakra crystal and told them to always remember how loved and beautiful they truly are.

I hope you always hold on to your sense of wonder. No matter what has happened in the past keep your hope for a better tomorrow as these children have. Smile and open to the true blessings all around you. Hope is in every smile. When you open to see how blessed you are, you can take a look around and see what you can do to uplift others. We are all one big family.

CREATING PARADISE WITHIN!

We all want to live in paradise. Why not create it within ourselves? All the love and happiness you need is right inside of you. Expectations and worries keep you attached to the outside world. When you release them, you fall into boundless love and joy – the truth of your being. Serenity comes from being the real you. When you connect with your spirit, you are joining with all that is. In this space you realize you are not alone, you are one with everything. Your paradise within is your place to go and be free of all concerns. No matter how busy you are, you deserve to spend time cultivating inner peace and freedom. Visualizing your inner paradise is a great way to begin manifesting your outer paradise. You are planting seeds that will bloom in every aspect of your life. Inner changes produce outer changes. If this resonates with you, set a time to take your “vacation” once a day or a few times a week. The more you give to yourself, the more you will be able to give to everyone else. The world is a mirror. To see beauty outside, you must first see it within.

Completely let go of any resistance and surrender to divine healing. Allow The Divine to recharge you. Set the intention to see the beauty within.

Take five deep breaths. Expand the navel on the inhale and allow the navel the glide back on the exhale. Connect upward, breathing white light in through the top of the head and down into the body.

Imagine a beautiful place that relaxes you. It could be a beach, a lake, a forest or any place that comes to mind that makes you feel good. Feel yourself going deeper inward with each breath.

Breathe and call upon the energy of Universal love and surround your inner sanctuary with love.

One by one bring in the energies of safety, abundance, presence and freedom.

Hear the sounds, feel the energy and fully immerse yourself in this moment. Let the rest go. This is your time to be free and play!

Stay here as long as you would like and come back often to your own inner paradise.

WHY YOU SHOULD JUST LET GO & TRUST!

It is 6 am in Bali, Indonesia. I am awakening to the sound of a rooster crowing, feeling divinely connected to spirit and nature. Bali is so heart opening. Sitting, breathing, being. There is pure simplicity that runs through everything. No pretending here, just real. Talking and connecting to Balinese people you see no guard; they are in full acceptance. The Balinese start the day creating an offering for the Gods, normally flowers and rice. It’s beautiful to see people who put their connection to spirit above all else. As I transcend human influence, I ponder the truth. I am presence; I am connected with all that is. Our minds try to make everything so complicated, yet it is simple.

Finding serenity is returning to your natural state. Letting go of the need to try so hard, we realize that we don’t need to put so much effort into creating safety and everything that we think we need to be happy. In truth you are always safe. If you are connecting with Spirit you will always be happy. It feels so good to let the rest go. This life is temporary. By not attaching to circumstances; you create room within yourself for The Divine to flow through; go with this flow. Trust, The Divine has a beautiful plan for you. As we release our judgments and attachments, we open to all the magic The Divine has in store for us. Let go and Let the Divine fill you with everything you think you are missing. You will find that you are not missing anything; you are more whole and complete than you could have imagined.

There are so many light beings holding the space for love and transformation. Allow yourself to feel this support. Once you tap into the Universal energy you will feel the connection with all that is. Every time you feel as though the world is stacked up against you, let go and realize the world is and will always be constantly changing. When you are not attached to outcomes, you release resistance, allowing the Grace of The Divine to create for you. Be what you truly are. You will find yourself bigger, brighter and more loved than you ever imagined.

INVOKING SELF-LOVE & COMPASSION

Compassion is one of the most beautiful parts of being human. It is the soft space where you let go and allow yourself to be the love that you are. Compassion is an essential part of spirituality; it is what we do when love takes over. Compassion allows you to understand what others are going through and love them just as they are, not as you expect them to be. Yoga and meditation practice develops this compassion in the heart. Yoga is more than a physical exercise – it is a way of life, which allows you to see through the eyes of love. During yoga poses you are urged to breath, let go and quiet the constant chatter in the mind. In this quiet space you see from a different perspective that we are all one. We are all beings of pure love and light doing the best we can to find our way back to our true essence in this physical form. In yoga postures you can develop compassion for your body by silently saying to yourself: “I know you are doing the best you can and I love you and except you just as you are. As I honor my physical being, I honor myself, for my physical being is the temple that houses my soul.”

Once you develop compassion for yourself, you can spread it everyone else. Once you can see yourself through the eyes of love, you can see everyone else through the eyes of love. Take a moment to think of all you have been through in this human experience. Send yourself love and admiration for how far you have come. “Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” – Buddha. My favorite way to send love and compassion to myself is to lie in bed and place both of my hands over my heart center. As you fully relax, breathe light into your heart. As you exhale, relax even further and let go, coming into presence. Say to yourself, “I love you and I forgive you. I love you and I forgive you. I love you and I forgive you. I love and except myself just as I am.” Continue to breathe and imagine a glowing green light inside of your heart chakra; imagine this light circulating clock wise and expanding. Green is the color of the heart chakra. Breathe and continue to feel your heart opening. Realize that you have enough love inside of you to love the whole world. Continue breathing and allow the love to expand.

Another powerful way to step into compassion is to call upon ascended master, Kuan Yin. She is the embodiment of compassion and the Goddess of mercy. Kuan Yin always hears and answers our prayers. The mantra that invokes Kuan Yin and compassion is: Om Mani Padme Hum. Repeating this mantra out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Kuan Yin. Merely saying her name, Kuan Yin or chanting Om Mani Padme Hum invokes her compassion, bringing protection and healing into your life. It is said that all the teachings of Buddha are translated into this mantra. Om Mani Padme Hum is pronounced: (OM MAH-NEE PAHD-MEY HOOM). The mantra cannot be literally translated but it roughly means, “The jewel of consciousness is in the heart’s lotus” or “Hail to the jewel in the lotus flower”.

As you love yourself, you awaken your love for humanity, creating more compassion in the world. This compassion heals and awakens others, creating heaven on earth. Love and light is now more than just a cliché – it is a state of being.

HOW I MET MY SOUL PARTNER!

This journey of my life began in January 2013 when I went to Auroville, India for one month. Auroville is one of the most healing places I have ever been to and I woke up every day to the sunrise, feeling a deep profound connection to the divine. One of the most heart opening experiences I had there was meeting a man named John Peter who has Polio and teaches yoga to 100’s of Orphaned children in Pondicherry, S India. I went with him to meet all of these bright eyed children and before I left made sure they all had soap, pens, laundry detergent and notebooks, which they desperately needed. I had known before but this experience reminded me how deeply I wanted to work with and help children. Before leaving on this trip to Auroville, my whole life had fallen apart and I felt like I had lost everything that mattered to me and was forced to start back at square 1. When the month was over in Auroville, I knew I had nothing to come back home to, so I decided that I would keep traveling. I was invited to go visit one of my dear guy friends, Greg, in Seville, Spain. I did not have much money at all but I knew once the month was up in India that I was not going home. So I went to Spain, jumped and trusted that the Universe would be there. It ended up being the best choice I could have made. Seville is like walking through a fairy tale and I was staying with someone who felt like my older brother. I felt safe, loved and surrounded by beauty which was just want I needed.

My dear friend Greg is quite the adventurer as I am. He had always wanted to take a trip to Morocco, Egypt and Israel. Within a few days our tickets were booked and we decided to go. Seeing the Pyramids of Giza and being in Cairo during that dangerous time was something I will always remember. After Egypt we flew to Israel and saw the holy sites in Jerusalem, went to the Dead Sea, and hung out on the beach in Tel Aviv. While in Tel Aviv I posted a picture of the beautiful beach on Facebook. When I arrived back to Seville two days later I saw a comment from Michael Eisen on that same picture.

I had seen many of Michael Eisen’s blogs on The Daily Love and knew that he ran an organization called the Youth Wellness Network. I did not even realize that we were friends on Facebook. I knew the second I saw his comment that he was the person I needed to talk to about helping more children through Yoga in North America. I sent him a private message on Facebook telling him a little about myself and the kids I was working with in S. India. He replied right away and gave me his e-mail address. I wrote him more about my story and my desire to help youth. We found out through the first few e-mails that we had many things in common and were only a month and a half apart in age. We set up a time to Skype on a Wednesday and kept e-mailing each other up to that day. In one e-mail that he sent me I could tell that he was feeling that this could also be a romantic connection between us and when I went to sleep that night, I could feel his energy with me, as if he was watching over me and sending me love. I knew that we had a deep connection.

By the time we did Skype it was obvious that the Divine had put us together for more than just a business partnership. Within two Skype calls Michael was thinking of coming to visit me in Spain and I was also thinking of going to see him in Toronto and although the desire to see each other was very strong, we both decided to be patient and waited to see each other. In past relationships we had both rushed things too much too soon and felt it was finally time to let go of that habit. I had already decided to go do an advanced Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh India; since my experience in South India was so magical I wanted to go explore North India. I had planned years before to do a trip to Rishikesh, but it did not come together then. I always knew in my heart that I wanted to do go to Rishikesh and do a yoga teacher training before I decided to settle down and create a life with someone.

Michael and I continued to Skype while I was in Rishikesh every day, even though the internet connection was sometimes not strong enough we cherished every moment we could spend together virtually. Unfortunately, my time there ended up not being what I had expected and instead turned out to be the most challenging experience of my life. I ended up in the emergency room twice and at one point did not know if I was going to leave the hospital alive. All I could do was go into the deepest surrender of my life, and it was Michael’s love and nourishment that really kept me going through the hardest of times.

After six weeks in India I finished the yoga teacher training and felt so relieved that I had made it through the struggle. Michael and I were so in love with each other even though we had not even met in person yet. We had been skyping for three months and had decided early on into my Rishikesh trip that I would come straight from Rishikesh to Toronto to meet him in person. Leaving India was so surreal and I was so ready and excited to meet Michael. When I arrived at the baggage claim in Toronto I was overcome with nerves. I wished there was an escape route but there was no way around it; I had to go out and meet this person that I felt knew and understood me more than anyone in the world. This person that I truly felt I was meant to spend my life with. I put on a guided love meditation on my iPod and just walked and breathed. And there he was as I walked through those sliding doors, standing there holding roses looking at me with such warmth and love. My nerves instantly eased and we hugged for a long time.

There were challenges along the way and it was not always easy, but five months after I arrived in Toronto, Michael proposed. 2013 was certainly quite the year for me! I was forced to let go of everything so I could end up arriving where I was really supposed to be. It took a lot of FAITH and A LOT of stepping outside of my comfort zone. But now I am with the person that I truly feel was chosen for me by the divine and he is more than I ever knew was possible.

There are many peaks and valleys in life, but trust me when I say – even if you are going through the worst of the valleys, as I was at the beginning of 2013 – if you trust your intuition, have faith and jump (even if you don’t know if you will be caught in your mind), the Divine will always have miracles waiting for you!