What Would the Buddha or Jesus Do?

The most significant relationships in my life are the ones that continually challenge me to learn something about myself in order to grow.  My husband, my children, my parents, my brother, my extended family, and my friends are all my teachers.  When I am faced with a difficult situation in a relationship and feel frustrated, angry, stuck, lost, unable to see a healthy response, I try to remember to take time to be still and from my heart ask, "What would the Buddha or Jesus do?"  This opens me up to dealing with the problem on a more spiritual level by shining a light on that aspect of myself which I had previously not seen or had forgotten.  In this way I gain a new perspective and can make choices to move forward with love and gratitude for the teacher.

Spiking Energies

A couple of months ago, as I contemplated the arrival of 2011, I sensed that we were coming into a time of great shifting energies and leaving behind the balanced feel of 2010.  Since the middle of December, the energy has been spiking wildly all around me, rapidly moving from extreme highs to deep lows and back again.  It seems every time I turn around, there's another huge shift from one to the other, playing out in all aspects of my life, that of my family members, and with some of my friends and acquaintances.  It wasn't until yesterday that I became consciously aware that what I'm experiencing on a personal level is what is simultaneously playing out on the world stage.  Of course it makes perfect sense and my only surprise is that it took me this long to remember the correlation - we are all connected. It is a time of dramatic changes and upheaval, with foundations being challenged, all of which is setting the stage for a stronger and improved existence for all. Intuitively, I notice that I crave more meditative time now which helps me stay the course.  If you are feeling these energies, perhaps that will help you too. 

Goodbye Sweet Jack

She was so excited when she shared her news with me that she was pregnant, and a couple of hours later, I had a vision of her carrying a baby in her arms swaddled in a blue blanket wearing a blue toque on his head.  It would be a boy!  Motherhood was something she could hardly wait to embark on.  It was something I too had been eagerly awaiting, to become a grandmother, marking yet another stage in my life.  After she and her husband saw that tiny heartbeat on an ultrasound at two months, it was a devastating disappointment a month later to find that it was no longer beating.  What made you choose to leave so soon?  We already loved you, and you had even sent me a name, Jack.  Deep down I understand that your soul was experiencing exactly what it needed, reincarnating for that brief time in your mother's womb and then leaving to continue on your path.  However, the sadness for not having been able to know you lingers.  Goodbye sweet Jack.  

My Diamond Slippers are Getting Too Small

Last Friday afternoon, I met up with one of my daughters at a local cafe, and as we were enjoying our coffees outside in the sun, a woman we both know from the gym stopped by.  I know her to be a spiritual person, having had to make sense of some difficult events in her life.  She proceeded to tell us about the previous weekend's family ski trip, including how cold it had been and how long the line ups were.  Seconds after finishing her story, she stopped, realized the pettiness of her complaints, and with a hearty laugh declared, "My diamond slippers are getting too small!" What a fabulous expression! I am blessed with such an abundant life, and most of the time I'm able to keep a healthy perspective about what's going on around me, but when I do find myself starting to complain, I will remind myself that my diamond slippers are getting too small!

"Good" or "Bad"

One day I arrived home after taking Diesel for a walk, only to find that I had locked myself out of the house. Without a spare key nor an open window to climb through, I could have labelled the situation "bad" and allowed myself to get frustrated wondering how long I would be waiting. Instead, I chose to embrace it, gardening for an hour and a half in the sunshine while throwing a ball for Diesel. We then walked to Edgemont Village, a few blocks away, and as I sat on a bench enjoying a sandwich, a young woman set up on the corner and began singing Jazz songs for all to enjoy (something I had not witnessed there before nor since then). Four hours after my initial discovery, my neighbour returned home and found a spare key which the previous owner of my home had given him years before.  I felt pure gratitude for the joy the afternoon had brought, all due to that initial "bad" incident of being locked out. 

Alone or Oneness?

As I was jogging through the forest this weekend, I was struck by two opposing concepts of human existence - being Alone versus Oneness. A common expression I've heard many times and used myself is, "We come into this world alone and we die alone." The other concept which I have experienced many times is that of Oneness, and the understanding that there is no separation between any of us. How could both of these ideas be true? Then I realized that up until that moment, I had unconsciously accepted both to be true without questioning how that could be so. Upon further reflection I understood that the first one, that of each of us being alone in the world, is how we see ourselves if we are Ego based. The second concept, that of understanding that we are all One, is how we understand it to be if we are Spiritually based. Having experienced that aha moment, I now recognize that I am firmly in the Oneness camp and can release the notion that I am Alone as it no longer fits my understanding of life.

Strength and Beauty

Today I awoke to a cool and sunny morning, with snow covered mountains, and a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. What a contrast to the storm that blew through last night with it's lightening, thunder, wind and snow. Add to that mix a full moon and we had an enormous amount of powerful energy swirling in and around us. I will focus on carrying all that strength and beauty within me today so that I may be my best self for whatever comes my way.

The River as a Teacher

The Capilano is a deep and majestic river, mere minutes from my home where I often walk my dog Diesel and lose myself in nature. One day not too long ago, I was contemplating the power of the water as it roared over the boulders and was struck by the awareness that each of those single water drops does not obsess about what it's purpose here on earth may be, or of it's worth as an individual being the way I sometimes can. Instead, there is a deep knowing that all that is required is that it be it's full self and that by doing that, together they can literally move mountains and are powerful beyond measure.

We Choose Our Parents

The first time I heard the concept "We Choose our Parents", was when I was in my early twenties. I remember being very confused by it at the time but it stuck with me and over the years I slowly began to comprehend and know that it was so. As I struggled to understand the challenging relationship I had with my father, it helped immensely when I was finally able to see that he was absolutely the right father for me and that I had learned so much from him. By acknowledging that I had chosen him to be my father, it allowed me to feel grateful and know that without him, I would not be the person I am today. As a parent myself, this understanding is a great comfort to me - knowing that my children came into this world choosing me to be their mother and that our relationship was chosen in order to continue challenging us to be the greatest version of ourselves.

It's Just Hair

I often get comments on my very short hair and the most common one from women is, "I wish I could wear mine like that." Usually I just smile and say thank you. I may add something to the effect of, "Why not just try it, what have you got to loose? It's just hair and it'll grow back if you don't like it." Occasionally I will tell the person the story of how mine came to be. One September morning in 1995 I awoke with a very strong sense that I should get my shoulder length hair cut short. I had not been contemplating that nor did I have any idea of what that might look like. The feeling was so strong that I called my mother's friend, a hairstylist in my neighbourhood who had very short hair herself and asked if I could come to her salon that very morning. When I arrived she asked what the cut should look like and I replied, "Just short." She pressed, asking if I had any pictures or photos to show her. I didn't. Well, she cut away and I left with very short hair indeed. I felt great about it but because I hadn't told my husband or three children about it, it was a bit of a shock to them. Well, as it turned out, two months later I was diagnosed with cancer, stage three Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and two months after that, my hair was falling out due to the chemo treatments. By following through on my intuition, I had a tiny bit of preparation for what was ahead of me, and once again I had verification that it's a powerful tool that helps me navigate my life in ways that I may not understand in the moment, but will most often be revealed to me later on. So, if your intuition is telling you something today, listen closely, and act. After all, it's just hair!

Happy Valentine's Day!

What a perfect day to remember that Love is the most important energy to focus on - Love for others and Love for oneself. As I go through my day today I will remember to breathe in Love from the Universe, and then breathe out Love to everyone and everything around me. To do this, I visualize my heart as a waterwheel and as I breathe in slowly and deeply, Love fills each bucket, and as I breathe out, Love empties from each bucket and I consciously send it out to all that's around me. As I repeat this cycle, I feel more and more loving to myself and to others. Happy Valentine's Day!

Coincidence - Not!

I have found that the more I pay attention to "coincidences" in my life, the more often they occur - it's now an almost daily affair. After parking my car, I was walking the two blocks to the cafe where I was going to meet with a good friend. As I passed an apartment building with a peaked glass roof, I thought to myself, "I think that's where Alana* lives", a woman I had worked with in a metaphysical store a few years ago. I had never been to her home but at the time, she had described to me where she lived. A couple of minutes later, I entered the cafe and who was seated right by the front door but Alana! Yet another "coincidence" - not!

*pseudonym

Yoga in Colour

Yoga allows me to have some amazing insights and understanding. During one of my hatha classes, I saw in my mind's eye our group doing each pose as a colour - we were the colour! We were no longer separate physical bodies posing but rather together our energies were expressing themselves in colour. In one pose, we were cotton candy pink, in another baby blue, followed by one in taupe, and many more. At the end of the class in Savasana, we were all about one inch (3cms) wide turquoise and silver ribbons floating in and out of each other - beautiful!

Perspective

Stars are always there, 24/7. Sometimes we are not able to see them due to clouds, sunshine, and moonshine but that does not change the fact that they are there. It is only our perspective that tricks us into thinking they "come out".

It's Just a Life

I spent much of my life taking it way too seriously. Experiencing life is a gift and at the same time, this life is just one of many I have the opportunity to experience. When I forget that I have other chances to get it right, I experience stress, anxiety, depression, and illness. When I focus on gratitude for this moment in my life rather than outcomes, I experience more joy and happiness. The more energy I put into planning and preparing for a future event, the less I am able to enjoy the moment. Once I had undergone the trials of cancer, I was able to begin reframing my idea of Life. I had been living with the idea that it's all about how much, how fast, how busy. In the end, my physical self will die. This awareness allows me greater freedom in taking risks.