Permission to break with tradition: Give each other permission to take time for yourselves and each other. Be open to creating new experiences and breaking the predictable patterns of what you've always done around the holidays. Take a short get-away, give each other massages, and spend more relaxed time together.Communicate your needs: Take turns sharing your vision of the holiday season. Listen to each other with non-judgment, acceptance and respect and without interruption. Create an atmosphere of safety where each of you are able to be vulnerable and speak from your heart what your needs and desires truly are at this time of year.Be … [Read more...]
Opening Our Hearts in Gratitude
Begin every day by feeling grateful for opportunities to open your heart. No matter what your circumstances, daily bless yourself, your fellow human beings, and the earth; then express appreciation for your unique gifts. This opens your heart and helps you hear the voice of spirit guiding your life. Expressing gratitude for such spiritual guidance inspires you with the knowledge that you are not alone in your journey through life and strengthens your sense of connection with the universe.An affirmation that can be helpful in this regard is the following by poet e. e. cummings reminding us to affirm ourselves and life in this way: "I thank you … [Read more...]
Autumn’s Beauty Reminds Us to Look Within
"Oh God, make me an autumn tree if I must die." - Esther PopelAs I looked out my front window this week, I witnessed the blazing scarlet leaves of my Japanese Maple tree. Excited to experience this gift sensorily, I stepped outside and let the color wash over me and fill me with its life force. In that moment, I reflected on the beauty and transitory nature of life itself.Through an act of divine synchronicity, I was talking with a friend and he shared a similar experience with walking through a magnificent golden leaf pile and feeling overcome with its beauty. He reflected on the leaf's life cycle and how he had read somewhere that it mimics … [Read more...]
Sustaining a Positive Flow of Energy
"Heal the World, Make it a better place, For you and for me and the entire human race..." - Michael JacksonWhen we sustain a positive flow of energy, we hold steady in the midst of the natural twists and turns of life. There will always be external circumstances that challenge us in ways beyond what we think we are capable. However, when we pause, open our hearts, and release all reactivity, we realize these moments are divine opportunities to transform our lives.We are the source of the inner and outer landscape of our life. The quality of it is determined by how we direct our energies especially through the choices we make every moment. We … [Read more...]