Sunday 29 January 2012

Shifting Sands

It is all too easy to become lost and disorientated when trying to navigate the ebb and flow of the currents of life. Sometimes we can feel lost in an eddy or a maelstrom, unable to break free. Other times we can lose the wind in our sails and feel a deep sense of frustration with the apparent stillness and inertia.

However, when we look beneath the surface to the Core, we realise that we are not lost, but we have been allowing ourselves to become jostled by the surface currents of life. Like a buoy in a stormy sea, we can be bounced around, but we are still anchored, and once the storm has passed, it is likely that we will still be in the same place as before.

So, we have a choice. We can allow ourselves to get lost in the chaos of life or we can sink beneath the surface and connect to the stillness that resides there. Being still is like being a tree; our roots are strong and firm, yet still full of life and energy. It is rare (!) to see a tree rushing around trying to get a million and one things done in order to get to class or work...

Trees are what they are. They seed, they grow, they flourish, they seed, they drop leaves, grow buds or fruit, and then they die. Yet looking at this magnificent species in such a mechanical way takes away their grandeur, their essence and their magic. So, instead we choose to sense the life and the power of the tree, which brings us a deeper sense of meaning and understanding. So why do we not apply the same wisdom to ourselves? Why do we rush around trying to get everything done, never pausing to consider the magic and the joy of being alive?

Becoming lost in the currents of life is human, but we each have a vast landscape within to retreat to, to seek out answers and to heal. We need to tend the garden within, but it is important not to remain focused on the ½ an inch around our feet, for we need to explore new terrain from the wild mountains to the ocean depths. Our inner landscape belongs to us, and we are own Creators, so why place limits on something that has none?

If we can tend our inner world with love and respect, and spend time in reflection and celebrating the joy of life, we can begin to become One with ourselves and our true nature. Then we do not have to bounce around powerlessly in eddy’s and maelstroms, we can choose how to react, and come from a place of inner wisdom rather than a place of outer panic or angst.

Gandhi once said ‘In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness...’ 

It is time to realise that everything around us is within us, and the more we awaken to the Truth of this, the more we can move beyond feeling rudderless and directionless. We can begin to live consciously and mindfully, and we can allow every new experience to feed the seeds we have planted within, like the rain nourishing the earth. It is time to blossom into the beautiful flowers that we know, deep down, we already are...



Sunday 15 January 2012

Prison Break!

Despite this being a time of flux and unrest, there is a growing sense of certainty, clarity and purpose emerging. Like the daffodils breaking through the earth trying to reach the Sun, each of us seems to be vigorously working towards stepping into the full Light of Truth. This takes focus, determination, patience and belief, and it takes a great deal of perseverance!

Of course, the challenge whilst on such a path is to not become totally absorbed or lost in the process. Going with the flow is one thing, but losing sight of everything else is quite another.

This is a time to nurture, nourish and tend the garden within. It is a time to take care of ourselves in every possible way from the food we ingest to the air we breathe. Whilst there are many things that we cannot control (like the quality of the air we breathe), we can visualise clear fresh air entering our lungs even if we cannot physically fully experience it. The power of intent and belief is a strong one after all.

The garden within is more than just a garden, it is a vast and endless terrain, and it is important not to just focus on the tiny flower bed within sight. Why not explore the wild mountains or the ocean depths? Remember as an inner world, it is of our own making, so why limit it? In fact, the more we create and bring into being within, the more connected we become with the Divine, and the more we realise that we are Divine Beings, sparks of Divine Essence; part of the Whole.

Of course, in our inner world, everything is possible, and whilst the reality of everyday life may not appear this way, sometimes we have to shift our perspective in order to see a new way of reaching our goals. The more we believe that we can bring about positive change in our lives, then the more we can create positive change! Yet, so often fear and doubt keep us trapped in a self-built prison of restraint, restriction and lack simply because we dare not believe that we can have, do, or be more.

Letting go of fear and doubt is easy to say, but much harder to do, for it involves facing the fear and riding the anxiety in order to reach pastures new. Yet, until we do this, we remain stuck and frustrated at the self-created prison. Of course, this prison can be a delightful little garden, but it is a prison all the same. There is a vast, timeless and boundless landscape to explore, and sticking to a little patch of soil may feel safe, but is it truly satisfying?

Part of facing fear comes from being true and accepting that we just cannot push away those aspects of ourselves that we dislike. Acceptance means accepting ourselves in every possible way – the good, the bad and the ugly! This is not to say that we must resign ourselves to those aspects that we dislike, but in order to evolve, we need to accept their presence in the first place.

The more we tend our inner worlds, the more the outer world shifts into clearer focus. One does impact the other, and so often we look outside of ourselves for the answers or the solution. Yet the answers are within. This realisation is the key to true acceptance, for it helps us to see that we are not powerless, rudderless lost souls, but we have the tools for our own redemption.

Loving ourselves is the next step on this path, and it is perhaps one of the most challenging things to face. How many of us truly love ourselves? How many of us always think positive, loving, nurturing thoughts? Yet without love, how can we fully awaken and evolve into the amazing beings that we truly are? Love is the mesh that unifies, heals and nourishes, and it is love that is all around and within us now.

Take some time to breathe in loving energy, feel it, hear it, smell it, taste it. Live as consciously as possible and step into the present moment wide awake with a love-filled heart and soul. Let love heal toxic and negative thoughts, and let love be the guiding light towards inner knowing and Truth...

Sunday 1 January 2012

Become The Flow

Does a flower change the colour of its petals because it feels self-conscious or different? Unlikely.

Does a tree ever wonder if being an oak tree would be nicer than being an apple tree? Probably not.

As conscious human beings, we often look beyond nature’s laws and spend a great deal of our time trying to go against the flow of life. Life does have a flow; it is not always ‘love, light and bliss’, nor it is always ‘darkness and pain’. Most of us have our fair share of both.

We can try to change the flow, to slow it down or speed it up; we may even try to stop the flow completely or shift it into another valley or flood plain. What is wrong with the flow we are in now? Is the flow always more blissful on the other side of the fence? We may not feel that our lives are as blissful as we would like, but to constantly fight the flow is like fighting the essence of who we truly are.

This is not about giving up or being a victim to circumstance, far from it. This is about surrendering fully and consciously into the flow in order to fully awaken and find ourselves.

We can spend a great amount of time in life trying to control the flow, trying to avoid pain and trying desperately to cling to security. Yet, external security and outer manifestations of comfort rarely give us what we need. The security, bliss and joy we yearn for is much deeper, and much bigger, than this. Yet it is already within us, we do not need to seek it out or track it down, we need to surrender into the flow of our essence, to feel the pain, the joy and to live in the present moment. The past is long gone and the future has not happened yet; what we have is the present moment in time, and this is the most precious gift of all.

How many of us spend our lives thinking about our plans and dreams, feeling that we can achieve ‘a’ once we have achieved ‘b’? ‘B’ is very often along the lines of ‘once I have lost weight’, ‘once I have met the perfect partner’ or ‘once I have found the right home’. Yet, all of these are irrelevant in the bigger scheme of things, for it is our essence, our souls, that matter, and once we can live fully consciously in the present moment, we realise the true gift of our own magnificence.

Magnificence does not come from ego. It is not about being the best; it is about realising that we are magnificent beings, that we are a manifestation of the Divine. We are all Divine; it is not outside of us, it is within us. It is under that stone, it is within that tree and yes, it is also within those that do unspeakable things. Divinity is not a separate force that we have to seek out; we simply need to awaken, to become fully conscious in the present moment and breathe.

Once we can unify ourselves from within, we can see that we not only have the power to re-shape our lives, but we are already doing it!

Ever since we came into consciousness, we have been shaping and moulding our lives and our paths. Perhaps subconsciously, perhaps deliberately, but we have been using our power nonetheless. Making a step towards being fully conscious is significant now, for this is the path towards not only inner unification but global unification as well.

Everything in nature is not only around you, but it is within you. Sounds great, but what does it mean? It means that you are vast, you are Divine; you are the Universe. The Universe is you, The Universe is within you. Yes, The Universe (The Divine) is all around you too, but seeking this externally seems to leave emptiness, separation and suffering. Seeking and finding The Divine (The Universe) within brings love, bliss and completeness...

The more we can surrender to the flow and embrace our own magnificence and bliss, the more we will stop trying to bend ourselves out of shape to be something that we are not. Once again, this is not about giving up on dreams or goals: it is about embracing our completeness in order to live consciously. Living consciously enables us to reach towards our dreams with joy, bliss and belief. Feel the words. Feel the power. Become the power. Become the flow...