Tashi Delek!
Greetings!
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. These last two weeks working as a volunteer at the Kalachakra for World Peace has been a thousand steps leading to a single journey. Many of us have now been placed on a path and charged with a simple mission; to live a meaningful and compassionate life.
There is no real way to explain what I experienced throughout the two weeks of teachings and ritual in Washington DC with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. How do you put into words; incredible pearls of wisdom from a highly respected teacher and guru, hours of communicating information to the wandering public, connections made, communities discovered, mobs of people grasping at their chance of redemption and protection, realizations, awakenings, exhaustion and the subway ride to Chinatown... you simply can't.
The story that can be told is the message. Over the many days of preliminary teachings, His Holiness spoke of compassion and selflessness, of religious tradition and moral principle. he spoke of the importance of holding true to your own faith.
"Religious tradition is not like fashion...we often get caught in too many rituals without understanding the real meaning behind them. We must understand the real meaning behind what we do..." HHDL
When speaking of compassion he said; "...with compassion there can be solitude...one can go for many months feeling joyful (when meditating on compassion and living a compassionate life)." HHDL
"Modern life celebrates distraction." HHDL
And so it does...
It was incredible to see how quickly we forgot our teacher and his words. Breaks in between teachings were filled with throngs of people - operating as a mob - grasping for free books and photographs. Frustrated and impatient they freely shared complaints and irritations. On a subtle level, some of the volunteers too were distracted, irritated, and operating from their ego. The energy built until a sudden burst in the middle of an afternoon thunderstorm. Pandamonium broke out within the mob and they began to spiral out of control. And over what? A spiritual symbol meant to aid thier process of ascension. Within this scene we were reminded that you cannot have 'one without the other'. There can be no selflessness without self-centeredness. No love without hate. No moral principle without immorality.
His Holiness says we all want a happy life, a successful life. This is quite simple to achieve.
"Those with a strong moral principle lead a happy, more successful life...with moral principle, you are honest...(there's) more respect, trust...you find more genuine human friends." HHDL
Within the madness that was the mob, there were also sparks of light. Watchings as individuals within the public gladly gave their books away, shared their ritual materials and lively rare gems visiting the booths; sharing their joy and love for others.
His Holiness shared with us Buddha's teachings:
" You are your own Master...I'm providing the path - unless you implement the path, then I cannot give you the goal." Shakyamundi Buddha
Once again I am blessed and humbly grateful to be placed on my path by His Holiness. Now I must follow his teachings like the rest of us and begin to implement the practices, cultivate compassion and hold a strong moral principle.
His parting words:
"This is simply a beginning. Keep in your mind a clear vision - now you must lead a meaningful and compassionate life and develop genuine spiritual friendships. I remember you. Now you remember my wish." HHDL
WIth humble thanks,
Lisa
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
A Step Forward
Standing at the edge of my most favorite creek spot; I marveled at how much it has changed these last three years. When I first arrived at this sacred space the creek was wide and split in two. A sandbank with a large cottonwood tree sat in the center. The creek split and came together again on the other side of the tree. There was a beaver dam in this same split which enhanced the separation of the creek. I was once lucky to see these beavers swimming and playing in the cool water of the spring months. Over time the summer light faded into fall. The beavers left. There was a deer standing in the early morning light of one particular fall morning. She was beautiful and as red as the most beautiful of auburn hair. We stood and watched one another. Practicing mindfulness I stayed fully present and waited for her to make her move. Many months passed. The creek froze over and the ground was covered with snow. The leaves now gone left the trees barren and black against the snow. The water itself was cold and dark; although clear and still flowing. Again spring came...and summer....and fall. Two years passed and the creek bed had shifted. Although still split it was now narrow on the right and the left became wider. The sand bank in the center had collected more grit and stood to be much larger than before. Blue Herons flew above my head and the dragonflies hatched. Last summer I saw two dragonflies mating in the air right in front of me. It was a beautiful connection - the dragonfly which represents all illusion; merging and becoming one. I wondered; when illusion integrates with illusion, does this manifest into disillusionment?
Again months passed...
As I stand here now, once again in the heat of the summer, the creek has almost become one. The split has become a solid bank of sand and grit. The creek has widened and all but taken over the spot I once sat with my favorite oak tree and practiced yoga.
And now I am leaving this space...
This sacred spot has become my refuge. When I need silence, when my mind needs release, when my heart feels pain, when I must shed my tears, when I need to feel my teachers and the Light, when I must connect with my Truth...this is the place that brought these to me. And as I reflect upon these last three years I have awareness that this creek's transformation is reflective of my own. I was split. Split between who I was and who 'I Am'. A dam around my heart center protecting me from the pain of my past. A tree rooting me to the Earth and my own foundation - and yet, the waters of emotion rushing over and around this foundation; causing the pendulum to swing and shift and swirl and twist. The dam came down. My heart opened. There was release. Yes, sometimes the flow came to a sudden stop and sometimes it overflowed its banks and ran out into the Earth. There have been moments of structure and discipline, strength and staying within the boundaries. There have also been moments of rush, and overflow and running out.
And now we are almost one...
Although there is still a split; the integration is almost complete. The energy has found a way to become one and begin moving in a different direction. The flow of Life is carrying me forward - in a way it hasn't before and in a direction that was unexpected.
There is still suffering. There is still confusion. There is still loss. There is still loneliness. There is still grief and pain and anger. But, there is also still Light. There is Trust. There is Patience. There is Hope. There is Acceptance and Grace and Forgiveness. There is a peaceful contentment that comes with consciousness. Each moment I fall back into my 'old Self' and patterns of my past - consciousness pulls me out of it. Being present with my thoughts and desires keeps me grounded and allows me to come back to a neutral space.
Osho speaks of consciousness:
"We come from the unknown and we go on moving into the unknown. We will come again...Our essential being is immortal but our body, our embodiment, is mortal. Our frame in which we are, our houses, the body, the mind, they are made of material things. They will get tired, the will get old, they will die. But your consciousness, for which Bodhidharma uses the word 'no-mind' - is something beyond body and mind, something beyond everything; that no-mind is eternal. it comes into expression and goes again into the unknown..."
Nature is a direct reflection of this. Perhaps, years from now, I will return to this creekside. It will look different. It will have come and gone - moving into and out of unknown spaces. The animals will grow and populate and pass on and begin again. The cyclical nature of Mother Earth will continue to move forward in an effort to sustain itself. It never questions; it never worries. It never contemplates its path or the direction it is moving. Nature moves, it moves to survive.
And so we must also survive...
For those of you that know me; I am a living example of the intensity of life and the extreme swings of the pendulum of survival. In my own efforts to break through the boundaries of human nature; I have come to know myself. You have seen me experience pain with the same intensity that moments later I experience love. I have shared my journey of healing and the difficulties we face as we leave relationships that have dissolved and the strength we feel when we overcome emotional barriers that have kept us locked in unhealthy spaces. I have been and will continue to be - there for you as you also shatter, fall, drop and dissolve. For my process; it is time now to put all of the pieces of myself together.
I have seen friends, lovers, clients and family - fall apart, act out, over-analyze, criticize. We have addictions, pain...fear. But you also have talent, intelligence, creativity and an overwhelming individuality that makes you unique. Each person in my life mirrors a piece of myself. As we gaze into the mirror that is the person in front of us; ask ourselves, What do I see in them that is also in me?
Our greatest lessons often come from those that we connect with.
Those lessons will appear and re-appear as often as we need them.
Those that we remain connected to reflect both our shadow and light and help us to integrate into our Selves.
And So It Is.
By Lisa Marie Toal
Again months passed...
As I stand here now, once again in the heat of the summer, the creek has almost become one. The split has become a solid bank of sand and grit. The creek has widened and all but taken over the spot I once sat with my favorite oak tree and practiced yoga.
And now I am leaving this space...
This sacred spot has become my refuge. When I need silence, when my mind needs release, when my heart feels pain, when I must shed my tears, when I need to feel my teachers and the Light, when I must connect with my Truth...this is the place that brought these to me. And as I reflect upon these last three years I have awareness that this creek's transformation is reflective of my own. I was split. Split between who I was and who 'I Am'. A dam around my heart center protecting me from the pain of my past. A tree rooting me to the Earth and my own foundation - and yet, the waters of emotion rushing over and around this foundation; causing the pendulum to swing and shift and swirl and twist. The dam came down. My heart opened. There was release. Yes, sometimes the flow came to a sudden stop and sometimes it overflowed its banks and ran out into the Earth. There have been moments of structure and discipline, strength and staying within the boundaries. There have also been moments of rush, and overflow and running out.
And now we are almost one...
Although there is still a split; the integration is almost complete. The energy has found a way to become one and begin moving in a different direction. The flow of Life is carrying me forward - in a way it hasn't before and in a direction that was unexpected.
There is still suffering. There is still confusion. There is still loss. There is still loneliness. There is still grief and pain and anger. But, there is also still Light. There is Trust. There is Patience. There is Hope. There is Acceptance and Grace and Forgiveness. There is a peaceful contentment that comes with consciousness. Each moment I fall back into my 'old Self' and patterns of my past - consciousness pulls me out of it. Being present with my thoughts and desires keeps me grounded and allows me to come back to a neutral space.
Osho speaks of consciousness:
"We come from the unknown and we go on moving into the unknown. We will come again...Our essential being is immortal but our body, our embodiment, is mortal. Our frame in which we are, our houses, the body, the mind, they are made of material things. They will get tired, the will get old, they will die. But your consciousness, for which Bodhidharma uses the word 'no-mind' - is something beyond body and mind, something beyond everything; that no-mind is eternal. it comes into expression and goes again into the unknown..."
Nature is a direct reflection of this. Perhaps, years from now, I will return to this creekside. It will look different. It will have come and gone - moving into and out of unknown spaces. The animals will grow and populate and pass on and begin again. The cyclical nature of Mother Earth will continue to move forward in an effort to sustain itself. It never questions; it never worries. It never contemplates its path or the direction it is moving. Nature moves, it moves to survive.
And so we must also survive...
For those of you that know me; I am a living example of the intensity of life and the extreme swings of the pendulum of survival. In my own efforts to break through the boundaries of human nature; I have come to know myself. You have seen me experience pain with the same intensity that moments later I experience love. I have shared my journey of healing and the difficulties we face as we leave relationships that have dissolved and the strength we feel when we overcome emotional barriers that have kept us locked in unhealthy spaces. I have been and will continue to be - there for you as you also shatter, fall, drop and dissolve. For my process; it is time now to put all of the pieces of myself together.
I have seen friends, lovers, clients and family - fall apart, act out, over-analyze, criticize. We have addictions, pain...fear. But you also have talent, intelligence, creativity and an overwhelming individuality that makes you unique. Each person in my life mirrors a piece of myself. As we gaze into the mirror that is the person in front of us; ask ourselves, What do I see in them that is also in me?
Our greatest lessons often come from those that we connect with.
Those lessons will appear and re-appear as often as we need them.
Those that we remain connected to reflect both our shadow and light and help us to integrate into our Selves.
And So It Is.
By Lisa Marie Toal
Saturday, April 16, 2011
2011 Becoming a Buddha
2010 was the year of the spider.
What did you create?
What web did you weave?
What repairs did you make?
It is New Years Eve; another year behind us. The time has come for me to again sit at my desk and tell a tale of the year to come. This tradition began 4 years ago. There is nothing left of the woman I was then. Tired, overworked, disconnected, heavy.
I was longing to break free, to feel light, to become my Self.
Collapse, Destruction, Disintegration, Death, Disillusion, Separation, Loss, Sickness...
Empowerment, Re-construction, Re-integration, Life, Consciousness, Connection, Joy, Health...
And then came silence.
Peace, Meditation, Awakening, Creation, Grace...
Transformation.
Understanding.
Trust.
I was re-born. Re-built. Crystallized.
But, Silence alone will not make you a Buddha.
The mind is often quiet when sitting in mudra, gaze softened and consciousness half asleep.
To experience silence in a crowded tavern full of temptations as tall as a man or as small as a shot of bourbon...that is not a silence that can be practiced.
You must become innocent and learn not to choose.
A tantric philosophy; "What is here is everywhere. What is not here is nowhere." To understand that we are One. To be free of divisions, separation - no limits, no boundaries.
When you know that you are the Self...there is no need for choices.
The Buddha harms no one.
Intention, Compassion, Truth, Light, Healing, Understanding, Consciousness.
There is no easy path to Truth.
One cannot learn it by rote.
Its way cannot be forced.
There is nothing more to do.
Drop everything.
Desires. Drop them.
Needs. Drop them.
Thoughts...drop.
Take your longings, wants, hunger...harness it.
Hold it.
And release it.
Do not choose it. Do not question it.
Do not forgive it. Do not carry its guilt.
Do not feel remorse. Do not deny it.
Do nothing.
There is no easy path to Truth.
It cannot be found in the physical world
for permanence is a dream
from which the Buddhas have awakened.
Four years later...
I have loved and lost.
I have been disappointed.
I have been surprised.
I have been inspired.
I have inspired myself.
I have been conflicted.
I have had friendships take too much
and relationships give too little.
I have embraced my sexuality.
I remembered myself.
I have learned to be patient.
I have learned how to trust.
My greatest defeats became my greatest lessons.
The more I reached; the less I got.
I re-connected.
I found hope.
I've experienced success, pride, teamwork and achieved the difficult with the help of others.
I learned to be alone.
I've stared temptation in the face...and lips...
and have said no...and yes...
I've prayed...
and prayed...
and prayed...
You say; what about 2011?
First, ask yourself again;
"What have I created?"
2011 is what you want it to be.
2011 is what you want.
2011 is.
We will laugh.
We will cry.
We will climb a mountain...or 2 or 3.
We will go somewhere we have never been.
We will fall in love.
We will meditate...again.
We will ask questions.
We will find our own answers.
We will re-connect with our soul mate and see them as if for the first time.
We will find our teachers.
It will not be easy.
It will not be downhill.
It will not feel comfortable.
But...
It will be fantastic.
It will be unexpected.
It will bring you joy.
Your Buddha will be born.
What did you create?
What web did you weave?
What repairs did you make?
It is New Years Eve; another year behind us. The time has come for me to again sit at my desk and tell a tale of the year to come. This tradition began 4 years ago. There is nothing left of the woman I was then. Tired, overworked, disconnected, heavy.
I was longing to break free, to feel light, to become my Self.
Collapse, Destruction, Disintegration, Death, Disillusion, Separation, Loss, Sickness...
Empowerment, Re-construction, Re-integration, Life, Consciousness, Connection, Joy, Health...
And then came silence.
Peace, Meditation, Awakening, Creation, Grace...
Transformation.
Understanding.
Trust.
I was re-born. Re-built. Crystallized.
But, Silence alone will not make you a Buddha.
The mind is often quiet when sitting in mudra, gaze softened and consciousness half asleep.
To experience silence in a crowded tavern full of temptations as tall as a man or as small as a shot of bourbon...that is not a silence that can be practiced.
You must become innocent and learn not to choose.
A tantric philosophy; "What is here is everywhere. What is not here is nowhere." To understand that we are One. To be free of divisions, separation - no limits, no boundaries.
When you know that you are the Self...there is no need for choices.
The Buddha harms no one.
Intention, Compassion, Truth, Light, Healing, Understanding, Consciousness.
There is no easy path to Truth.
One cannot learn it by rote.
Its way cannot be forced.
There is nothing more to do.
Drop everything.
Desires. Drop them.
Needs. Drop them.
Thoughts...drop.
Take your longings, wants, hunger...harness it.
Hold it.
And release it.
Do not choose it. Do not question it.
Do not forgive it. Do not carry its guilt.
Do not feel remorse. Do not deny it.
Do nothing.
There is no easy path to Truth.
It cannot be found in the physical world
for permanence is a dream
from which the Buddhas have awakened.
Four years later...
I have loved and lost.
I have been disappointed.
I have been surprised.
I have been inspired.
I have inspired myself.
I have been conflicted.
I have had friendships take too much
and relationships give too little.
I have embraced my sexuality.
I remembered myself.
I have learned to be patient.
I have learned how to trust.
My greatest defeats became my greatest lessons.
The more I reached; the less I got.
I re-connected.
I found hope.
I've experienced success, pride, teamwork and achieved the difficult with the help of others.
I learned to be alone.
I've stared temptation in the face...and lips...
and have said no...and yes...
I've prayed...
and prayed...
and prayed...
You say; what about 2011?
First, ask yourself again;
"What have I created?"
2011 is what you want it to be.
2011 is what you want.
2011 is.
We will laugh.
We will cry.
We will climb a mountain...or 2 or 3.
We will go somewhere we have never been.
We will fall in love.
We will meditate...again.
We will ask questions.
We will find our own answers.
We will re-connect with our soul mate and see them as if for the first time.
We will find our teachers.
It will not be easy.
It will not be downhill.
It will not feel comfortable.
But...
It will be fantastic.
It will be unexpected.
It will bring you joy.
Your Buddha will be born.
Monday, May 24, 2010
My Visit to New York City
Namaste All! As always I hope this finds all of you well and in good spirits. I have just returned from a 5 day trip to New York City. My main goal was to attend a 3 day teaching with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. I'm not sure how to begin to express my feelings about this trip. I am overwhelmed with Inspiration and Light. I am filled with Gratitude that I was able to take such a journey within the constraints of mundane life...and still more grateful to have the beautiful friends and connections in New York that made my trip a delicious treat.
There is no city more fantastic than New York. As the Taxi driver took me past the city I was overcome with emotion. The energy...it is so Full. I cannot describe it other than it feels like a 'launch pad' to the world. Full of amazing food, amazing shops and even more amazing people. I have wanted to go to New York my entire life...for many different reasons, at different times. But it is His Holiness that finally brought me here.
For those of you that have known me; you know that I took a journey last year to see the Dalai Lama speak for the first time. Each time we are in the presence of an Enlightened Master, it changes us. And much for me has changed. Since my visit with him a year ago my world has been blown apart. All of which was purposeful and even the challenging and uncomfortable has been beautiful and transformational.
In this year I have been manifesting yet another visit. My hope was to come to New York to see him and some of my dearest clients whom I had never met in person. The energy of the city was no match to the awesome power and presence of the Dalai Lama as he stepped out onto stage at Radio City Music Hall. Again, I was filled with emotion. As he first stepped up onto his seat, tears streamed down my face. Between the city I had dreamed of visiting for years and the presence of His Holiness; I was home.
I felt like something that had been missing or empty in myself all my life was finally full.
And so his teachings began. In fact, his first words were, "Where do I begin?" And this, of course, was followed by his wonderful laugh. He did begin. He spoke of the 6 billion people on the Earth and the billions of sentient beings that inhabit our planet; all with the strong desire to achieve happiness. He said it was our 'Right' to use our sophisticated intelligence to bring more happiness into our lives and yet we choose to bring in suffering and misery. His words; "...it is a kind of self torture...it is silly..." He also spoke of religion. He spoke of how important he felt it was to hold true to your own religious traditions. He said so many are quick to change to something new. His view on this was to stay on the path of your faith and integrate the new teachings with your already chosen foundation. His humor was found in him speaking of teaching a Buddhist class as a buddhist monk in a non-buddhist country...he said; "strange?". The teachings over the three days were intense. A lot of information and a lot of great common sense knowledge. I am certain to share more with you as time goes on. I was lucky enough, on the third day, to turn a corner I had not before and run into the secret service. A small gathering of people around them as the Dalai Lama was making his way to lunch. I was able to capture him in a photo not 10 feet from me which you see above. He smiled and bowed to all of us. I cannot describe his energy except to say his presence was felt with every being there in that space. As always, there is much to say, share...I will in time. I can share with all of you today that I have returned to Colorado with clarity and purpose. The vision I have for my life is more clear than it has ever been. The path laid before me may not be entirely revealed but I do have a heading. I hope that I can bring this inspiration, this hope...this light to all of you as we connect over the coming months. There is much to do. To my wonderful friends that I now have in New York...Namaste...these are the moments that we are filled with joy in our choice to inhabit this world and filled with just as much anticipation in what we can do to change it.
In Light, Lisa
There is no city more fantastic than New York. As the Taxi driver took me past the city I was overcome with emotion. The energy...it is so Full. I cannot describe it other than it feels like a 'launch pad' to the world. Full of amazing food, amazing shops and even more amazing people. I have wanted to go to New York my entire life...for many different reasons, at different times. But it is His Holiness that finally brought me here.
For those of you that have known me; you know that I took a journey last year to see the Dalai Lama speak for the first time. Each time we are in the presence of an Enlightened Master, it changes us. And much for me has changed. Since my visit with him a year ago my world has been blown apart. All of which was purposeful and even the challenging and uncomfortable has been beautiful and transformational.
In this year I have been manifesting yet another visit. My hope was to come to New York to see him and some of my dearest clients whom I had never met in person. The energy of the city was no match to the awesome power and presence of the Dalai Lama as he stepped out onto stage at Radio City Music Hall. Again, I was filled with emotion. As he first stepped up onto his seat, tears streamed down my face. Between the city I had dreamed of visiting for years and the presence of His Holiness; I was home.
I felt like something that had been missing or empty in myself all my life was finally full.
And so his teachings began. In fact, his first words were, "Where do I begin?" And this, of course, was followed by his wonderful laugh. He did begin. He spoke of the 6 billion people on the Earth and the billions of sentient beings that inhabit our planet; all with the strong desire to achieve happiness. He said it was our 'Right' to use our sophisticated intelligence to bring more happiness into our lives and yet we choose to bring in suffering and misery. His words; "...it is a kind of self torture...it is silly..." He also spoke of religion. He spoke of how important he felt it was to hold true to your own religious traditions. He said so many are quick to change to something new. His view on this was to stay on the path of your faith and integrate the new teachings with your already chosen foundation. His humor was found in him speaking of teaching a Buddhist class as a buddhist monk in a non-buddhist country...he said; "strange?". The teachings over the three days were intense. A lot of information and a lot of great common sense knowledge. I am certain to share more with you as time goes on. I was lucky enough, on the third day, to turn a corner I had not before and run into the secret service. A small gathering of people around them as the Dalai Lama was making his way to lunch. I was able to capture him in a photo not 10 feet from me which you see above. He smiled and bowed to all of us. I cannot describe his energy except to say his presence was felt with every being there in that space. As always, there is much to say, share...I will in time. I can share with all of you today that I have returned to Colorado with clarity and purpose. The vision I have for my life is more clear than it has ever been. The path laid before me may not be entirely revealed but I do have a heading. I hope that I can bring this inspiration, this hope...this light to all of you as we connect over the coming months. There is much to do. To my wonderful friends that I now have in New York...Namaste...these are the moments that we are filled with joy in our choice to inhabit this world and filled with just as much anticipation in what we can do to change it.
In Light, Lisa
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
My Heart
As I sit before you - my Teachers - I wonder how I measure up? I wonder if I have heard your voices or followed your wisdom? Have I failed? Have I passed? Is there a test or am I the only one testing - Testing myself? So many layers of life stripped away - like petals that have lost their life. And yet what remains is real - delicate, soft - timid of the light. If I were to be touched I may withdraw and yet there is a longing to be held. There is no more waiting. No more 'letting go'. The freedom of liberation stands before me - my life spread in front of me like a feast for kings. The questions of which way do I go? or What do I do? no longer exist. Instead, in this stillness it is clear. I am here. I am doing. I AM. We must follow the synchronicities. We must trust the signs. We must dance with Life. It is time to live. To honor the freedom of consciousness by making good choices, providing strong answers, testing ourselves and living our own truth - however it may look.
You tell me, "You cannot fail. You create the perfection that is life. Each action, choice, reaction, step is the 'way of things'."
You say, "There is great life, Love. Divine Partnership. A rare few will last only a moment. Some a lifetime. Many will last precisely as long as it must to serve and honor the soul."
I must trust now, that even if no one comes; that my life is full. That if I am not accepted; that I am whole. If I am disappointed, disconnected or disengaged that I am One.
O Great Buddha, my heart is raw; like a wound from sandpaper rubbed on skin. You lay the lotus petals of your teachings on my heart and it feels your tender touch. The morning dew of your grace drops into my heart center like tears from my weeping face - and I am healed. Show me your light. Fill my heart. Allow me to accept myself.
You tell me, "You cannot fail. You create the perfection that is life. Each action, choice, reaction, step is the 'way of things'."
You say, "There is great life, Love. Divine Partnership. A rare few will last only a moment. Some a lifetime. Many will last precisely as long as it must to serve and honor the soul."
I must trust now, that even if no one comes; that my life is full. That if I am not accepted; that I am whole. If I am disappointed, disconnected or disengaged that I am One.
O Great Buddha, my heart is raw; like a wound from sandpaper rubbed on skin. You lay the lotus petals of your teachings on my heart and it feels your tender touch. The morning dew of your grace drops into my heart center like tears from my weeping face - and I am healed. Show me your light. Fill my heart. Allow me to accept myself.
February
Happy February! I almost cannot believe how quickly the first month of the year has gone. I hope that this month's newsletter finds everyone well and with a great start to 2010.
Being that it is February; I felt it was only fitting that this month's focus is on relationships and relating. As Valentine's Day fast approaches we cannot all help but be distracted by the hearts, balloons and flowers filling up our neighborhood grocers and markets. For some, this holiday will be filled with new love; while others are trying to forget. Some of us may be cynical about the V-Day holiday, while others may tap into their 'romantic at heart' selves. However you choose to experience Valentines Day, it is important to remember what relationships are, what they mean and how to hold them in the highest of consciousness.
Many of us had a roller coaster of experiences with matters of the heart in 2009. There were incredible soul connections made and lost in the same breath. Some of you finally found 'the one' and some of us are still discovering what we want in a partner.
I can share, that in this last year, I learned how important it is to be present with those we connect with. To 'relate'. To stop 'projecting' what we think will happen or what we think the other person feels and instead; to listen, to feel, to be conscious in the connection. Many times we can get 'caught up' in what we desire...lust, sex, wanting...instead of learning to Trust, building an understanding, and connecting on a deeper level. If we truly listen to each other and hold each other in a realistic light; we will find out who that person really is and what their connection really means. Ultimately, each person we connect with is a mirror reflection of who we are. For those that we are attracted to: They are showing us our own beauty. For those that we find an intellectual connection: They are showing us our own intelligence. For those that we share a spiritual connection: They are showing us a new layer of ourselves.
Each relationship and connection that I experienced in the past has brought me to who I am today. Each man removed another layer of past belief systems and patterns of behavior that no longer served me. No matter how difficult or how easy, how light or how dark; I learned more about myself from the beautiful mirrors presented then I could have alone.
I was told by Spirit; "Each relationship, each soul mate, is brought to an individual to serve their growth. Sometimes it can serve your growth more to be apart then together. Sometimes learning comes from having an experience last. No matter what the outcome, you were brought together to be changed."
Whatever your relationships are in your life at this time; take the time to have gratitude for who has been brought into your field and for the many lessons you are learning from it.
I look forward to what 2010 has for me in the world of relating. My lesson, as could be the lesson for all of us; is to learn how to appreciate each connection brought to us and to release it without regret or sadness when it is complete. To love without attachment and without expectation. To embody unconditional love. Osho speaks to this in the most beautiful of ways:
"First meditate, be blissful, then much love will happen of its own accord. Then being with others is beautiful and being alone is also beautiful. Then it is simple, too. You don't depend on others and you don't make others dependent on you. Then it is always a friendship, a friendliness. It never becomes a relationship, it is always a relatedness. You relate, but you don't create a marriage. Marriage is out of fear, relatedness is out of love.
You relate; as long as things are moving beautifully, you share. And if you see that the moment has come to depart because your paths separate at this crossroad, you say goodbye with great gratitude for all that the other has been to you, for all the joys and all the pleasures and all the beautiful moments that you have shared with the other. With no misery, with no pain, you simply separate."
Below I have shared some words of wisdom that I believe embody the beauty of relationships and the heart.
Until next month...
Love and Light,
Lisa
Being that it is February; I felt it was only fitting that this month's focus is on relationships and relating. As Valentine's Day fast approaches we cannot all help but be distracted by the hearts, balloons and flowers filling up our neighborhood grocers and markets. For some, this holiday will be filled with new love; while others are trying to forget. Some of us may be cynical about the V-Day holiday, while others may tap into their 'romantic at heart' selves. However you choose to experience Valentines Day, it is important to remember what relationships are, what they mean and how to hold them in the highest of consciousness.
Many of us had a roller coaster of experiences with matters of the heart in 2009. There were incredible soul connections made and lost in the same breath. Some of you finally found 'the one' and some of us are still discovering what we want in a partner.
I can share, that in this last year, I learned how important it is to be present with those we connect with. To 'relate'. To stop 'projecting' what we think will happen or what we think the other person feels and instead; to listen, to feel, to be conscious in the connection. Many times we can get 'caught up' in what we desire...lust, sex, wanting...instead of learning to Trust, building an understanding, and connecting on a deeper level. If we truly listen to each other and hold each other in a realistic light; we will find out who that person really is and what their connection really means. Ultimately, each person we connect with is a mirror reflection of who we are. For those that we are attracted to: They are showing us our own beauty. For those that we find an intellectual connection: They are showing us our own intelligence. For those that we share a spiritual connection: They are showing us a new layer of ourselves.
Each relationship and connection that I experienced in the past has brought me to who I am today. Each man removed another layer of past belief systems and patterns of behavior that no longer served me. No matter how difficult or how easy, how light or how dark; I learned more about myself from the beautiful mirrors presented then I could have alone.
I was told by Spirit; "Each relationship, each soul mate, is brought to an individual to serve their growth. Sometimes it can serve your growth more to be apart then together. Sometimes learning comes from having an experience last. No matter what the outcome, you were brought together to be changed."
Whatever your relationships are in your life at this time; take the time to have gratitude for who has been brought into your field and for the many lessons you are learning from it.
I look forward to what 2010 has for me in the world of relating. My lesson, as could be the lesson for all of us; is to learn how to appreciate each connection brought to us and to release it without regret or sadness when it is complete. To love without attachment and without expectation. To embody unconditional love. Osho speaks to this in the most beautiful of ways:
"First meditate, be blissful, then much love will happen of its own accord. Then being with others is beautiful and being alone is also beautiful. Then it is simple, too. You don't depend on others and you don't make others dependent on you. Then it is always a friendship, a friendliness. It never becomes a relationship, it is always a relatedness. You relate, but you don't create a marriage. Marriage is out of fear, relatedness is out of love.
You relate; as long as things are moving beautifully, you share. And if you see that the moment has come to depart because your paths separate at this crossroad, you say goodbye with great gratitude for all that the other has been to you, for all the joys and all the pleasures and all the beautiful moments that you have shared with the other. With no misery, with no pain, you simply separate."
Below I have shared some words of wisdom that I believe embody the beauty of relationships and the heart.
Until next month...
Love and Light,
Lisa
Friday, January 8, 2010
2010 The Year of the Spider
Creation. What do you create? When you look back at 2009; what did you create last year? What was the energy of your 2009? What do you want 2010 to be? What are you creating in these early moments of the year? Yes, that's correct...YOU CREATE EVERYTHING. In the true spirit of creation I have chosen the focus of 2010 to be the 'Year of the Spider'. The Spider is one of the most beautiful totems. Spiders are elegant, beautiful, complex. They carry eight legs and their body is shaped like an eight...infinity; representing the limitless possibilities of the Universe and the great Maha Shunya or the 'Great Void'. They spin webs. Creating beautiful and intricate spirals of color and light. The Spider holds the energy of the feminine, the Goddess; of creativity, thoughts and ideas. Spiders represent beauty and fear, danger and grace within their small bodies and their ever-expansive webs.
We too, spin a web. We spin the web of life, illusion, maya. What kind of web is up to us. The sticky, dark, damp web similar to that of Shelob's lair is much different in comparison to the elegant strings that taught us acceptance of others in Charlotte's web. Each action, each word, each choice in our life is one strand connecting us to the next experience. When we choose to create from a space of Love and Acceptance; Trust and Grace, we begin to spin a web of light. It brings new experiences, connections and 'happenings' into our lives with a beautiful synchronicity. When we 'react' from our egos and our minds we tend to spin a web full of sticky goo that bonds us to karma, drama and unconscious acts.
Ask yourself; what am I creating? What web am I spinning? And who am I inviting into my web?
By choosing to take responsibility for your actions...for your 'creations'; there is clarity. The curtain begins to lift on the play that is your life and you suddenly 'see' what role you have been playing. There may be an energy of discomfort as you go through this process. This is only natural. It brings you to a space where you begin to ask; how can I 'unspin' my web of illusion? How do I make conscious changes that will clear the 'stickiness' from my space? As simply as a spider builds their web; you can dismantle yours. It is done one segment at a time. Taking each small piece of your life that is stuck, thick or gooey and transforming it into a strand of light; through contemplation and conscious acts.
As the elegance of the spider carries the energy of Creation; she also carries the energy of the Feminine and the Goddess. As we move from the Paternal energies of the past decades into a maternal space we will find our connection to the yin, the feminine, is ever present in our daily lives. The yin is the receptive. She carries the energy of patience, self-care and fertility. She holds the energy of Spring, when the Earth begins to blossom and the fertile ground begins to awaken from its long winters sleep. This year is learning to receive the abundance that has been given to us; to 'hold' the energies that we share with others. The compassionate and unconditional energies of the Great Mother Goddess will be sure to touch us all in 2010 and bring us closer to ourselves.
And so we move into another year. This year is filled with Hope, Light, Grace, Acceptance, Trust and Patience. For some there will be leaps of Faith and for others; letting go. We will learn how to build relationships, create openings for new beginnings; find creative ways to dissolve the past and build for our future. We will be challenged, as always, to live for our highest good. We will learn lessons. We will be brought the 'unexpected'. We will surrender all that we thought we knew. Some questions will go unanswered and others will be revealed. We will take on new identities and tear down the walls of our old 'Selves'. As the wheel of maya spirals around you and as time itself speeds up; remember to take a moment to remember the spider and to take control of the web you weave in 2010.
We too, spin a web. We spin the web of life, illusion, maya. What kind of web is up to us. The sticky, dark, damp web similar to that of Shelob's lair is much different in comparison to the elegant strings that taught us acceptance of others in Charlotte's web. Each action, each word, each choice in our life is one strand connecting us to the next experience. When we choose to create from a space of Love and Acceptance; Trust and Grace, we begin to spin a web of light. It brings new experiences, connections and 'happenings' into our lives with a beautiful synchronicity. When we 'react' from our egos and our minds we tend to spin a web full of sticky goo that bonds us to karma, drama and unconscious acts.
Ask yourself; what am I creating? What web am I spinning? And who am I inviting into my web?
By choosing to take responsibility for your actions...for your 'creations'; there is clarity. The curtain begins to lift on the play that is your life and you suddenly 'see' what role you have been playing. There may be an energy of discomfort as you go through this process. This is only natural. It brings you to a space where you begin to ask; how can I 'unspin' my web of illusion? How do I make conscious changes that will clear the 'stickiness' from my space? As simply as a spider builds their web; you can dismantle yours. It is done one segment at a time. Taking each small piece of your life that is stuck, thick or gooey and transforming it into a strand of light; through contemplation and conscious acts.
As the elegance of the spider carries the energy of Creation; she also carries the energy of the Feminine and the Goddess. As we move from the Paternal energies of the past decades into a maternal space we will find our connection to the yin, the feminine, is ever present in our daily lives. The yin is the receptive. She carries the energy of patience, self-care and fertility. She holds the energy of Spring, when the Earth begins to blossom and the fertile ground begins to awaken from its long winters sleep. This year is learning to receive the abundance that has been given to us; to 'hold' the energies that we share with others. The compassionate and unconditional energies of the Great Mother Goddess will be sure to touch us all in 2010 and bring us closer to ourselves.
And so we move into another year. This year is filled with Hope, Light, Grace, Acceptance, Trust and Patience. For some there will be leaps of Faith and for others; letting go. We will learn how to build relationships, create openings for new beginnings; find creative ways to dissolve the past and build for our future. We will be challenged, as always, to live for our highest good. We will learn lessons. We will be brought the 'unexpected'. We will surrender all that we thought we knew. Some questions will go unanswered and others will be revealed. We will take on new identities and tear down the walls of our old 'Selves'. As the wheel of maya spirals around you and as time itself speeds up; remember to take a moment to remember the spider and to take control of the web you weave in 2010.
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