Dive Deeper

What exactly does the 'Dark Night of the Soul' mean? I had heard this phrase from other who were experiencing a particularly difficult or challenging time in their lives with things not lining up the way that they had planned; a challenging job market; financial woes; relationship troubles; health issues. Fear. Doubt. Anger. Frustration. Not a comfortable place to be and certainly not a comfortable place to stay!

Feeling many of these same feelings myself in this time of 'active waiting', I wondered, "Am I experiencing this 'Dark Night of the Soul'?" and if I am, what does that mean? I started to dig deeper and found some comforting information from one of my favorite authors, Sue Monk Kidd:

"Before new life can grow and emerge, darkness is a crucial step to the process---a caterpillar in the chrysalis; a seed in the ground; a child in the womb; True Self in the soul.

To hurry this process along or to 'pop out' of it too quickly or to eliminate this crucial step of darkness in any of these scenarios results in a form of 'caterpillar soup', and not the intended butterfly at all. The darkness, or the incubation, creates the conditions necessary for development and growth.

Entering this darkness is not easy. It's scary and it feels lonely. And having the courage to stay with this darkness and to allow the incubation and to not 'pop out' early to be more comfortable is even more challenging.

But rather to know that I am 'incubating'---and to know that this is a critical part of my process of becoming my True Self ---is allowing me to let go and surrender to the butterfly that is 'in progress'.

Be well.

Floating

I have had the great good fortune of being truly blessed with many soul sisters on this journey. They fill me up, inspire me and remind me of my truth. I was talking with one of my dear soul sisters from Santa Fe, New Mexico earlier today. We were commenting on this period of time in our journey which we call the 'waiting'...and that we feel ready for 'what ever is next'. In talking with her about her 'work' to actively wait, I am reminded again of my own work. We are not in 'control' of our destiny at all. This is an illusion. We think and we DO rather then simply 'Be'. This thinking and doing is the control or the resistance we create which stops our ability to receive the abundance that is waiting for each of us. The ego, not the Higher Self---thinks we are 'driving'; thinks that we are 'in control'; thinks we know best. Its not in the swimming but in the floating! We think when we stop swimming, that we will sink. But actually we will float. And this excludes the brilliance and power of Universal flow. This eliminates unconditional love for ourselves.

We agreed to try an experiment, a different way of BEING for both of us this week, starting with compassion and unconditional love towards oneself first. We agreed to be 'Compassion Partners' for the next 5 days. We will practice sliding into 'heart' energy several times daily voluntarily and certainly during times of stress, fear or doubt.

How? As we know any skill takes practice, :

• Take a deep belly breath (pranayamic breath) in through the nose and let it out through the nose.
• As you breath in, softly close your eyes and 'look' down (inside) towards your heart space(this may feel warm or like butterflies. Love.)
• Open your eyes when you're ready.

That is sliding into the 'gap'; connecting with Source, Universal energy, Higher Self, the infinite power of you, Oneness, God.

Letting go of the 'doing' and spending time in the 'BEING' might make all of the difference in the world for you and will be reciprocated to you as love, compassion and peace. Let go and float!

Be well.

Detachment

For those of you who have been following my blog, you know that I have been in a space of "active waiting", a term coined by Sue Monk Kidd's in her book, " When the Heart Waits". The term refers to the time in our lives that requires no action, but rather in-action or 'BE-ing'. This can feel passive, as if one is doing nothing. For someone like myself, who's middle name is action, this has been a very challenging time indeed. Kidd points out that the waiting is the work, and I am living testament to that statement! But the reality is that I had no other choice. Nothing was lining up; nothing was fitting; nothing was happening. My 'driving skills' had failed me. I had lost control. There was nothing else to do but wait. And so I waited and prayed. And found I had only God to trust; that He had a better plan for me.

During the waiting period, I had the great good fortune of a 10+ day trip to New England where I spent quality & quantity time with many of my favorite people, who welcomed me with opened arms! I actually had more invitations then I had days to spend! I spent barefoot days on many beaches, took long walks, slept late, did jigsaw puzzles, ate ice cream, took in a movie and basked in the unconditional love of family & friends.

As I returned home, I couldn't quite remember what all of my 'waiting' was about. And realized that I have been in a perpetual state of waiting the better part of my life. I have found myself asking, "What exactly have I been waiting for?"

Life feels really rich right now, in this minute with four beautiful healthy children who love and (generally) respect me, many friends who accept me and love me exactly as I am, food in my belly and clothes on my back, a strong relationship with God and a few dollars in my wallet. Perfect? No. But darn close!

I implore you to be with your 'waiting' when it comes---because it will come---without taking the easy exit; the quick fix. Just be with the waiting. It's when God allows your soul to grow up.

Be well.

Detox Your Way to Beauty...

Reading food labels and understanding the ingredients of foods that you are putting into your body make a huge difference in your life. And as always, no packaging is the best packaging: Out of the (organic) ground and onto your plate.

What about your skin? Its your largest organ. Although it does not actually breathe, it does detoxify or toxify the body with the products that you choose to put on it! Check out the ingredients of any product in your beauty arsenal at:

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

The Environmental Working Group gives you free information about the toxicity level of most products that you may use every day. Lets take a look at an old favorite:

Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen: "Smells good, its approved for use with babies--must be safe!"

...ITS A TOXIC NIGHTMARE! RATED A 7 on a scale of 0-10 (10 being highest hazard)

The info is free. Its easy. You can access the website on your blackberry BEFORE you buy.

Choose total wellness.

Choose to surround yourself with non-toxic food, products & people. Be well, be sustainable, be in spirit.

Pet Care and Self Care mirrored...

I noticed a commercial last night about 'pet care' or the lack of pet care during economically challenging times. Vets are reporting preventable diseases in pets that might have been avoided if Fido or Fluffy had come in for their regular check-ups.

How is this same "neglect" showing up in our own lives during these challenging times?

'Self-care' is not selfish, but rather self-fulfilling and self-sustaining. Self-care is an art; It requires study, observation and commitment; Committment to practice the art. That's why yoga or meditation or tai chi are each called 'a practice'. They take study, observation and commitment.

As you master the art of taking care of yourself first, you will be able to manage your energy efficiently and intelligently, giving you the increased capacity or band width to live the life that you have dreamed for yourself.

Take care of yourself first. Carpe diem!

Waiting...

I, like many others I know, find myself in these challenging times 'waiting'...Waiting for an answer; waiting for traction; waiting for something to shift. For anyone who knows me, inactivity is not one of my strengths. I am an 'action' person. I get things done; I make things happen. Clearly this is one of the many ways that I have chosen to show-up in the world.

For me, waiting feels like I am doing nothing; Waiting feels like a waste of time; Waiting feels lazy.

I tend to busy myself with other tasks. Always moving. Always checking things off of the endless "To Do" list, until I read this...

" When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing. You're doing the most important something there is. You're allowing your soul to grow up. If you can't be still and wait, you can't become what God created you to be."

I came across this quote in a book called, 'When the Heart Waits' by Susan Monk Kidd.

http://www.suemonkkidd.com/WhenTheHeartWaits/default.aspx

This one quote has provided the re-frame that I am seeking.

Waiting is the work.

And the work means being still. Stopping the "doing" and simply BE-ING.

Being still is the heavy lifting.

And in the stillness, God can be heard.

So in this society of 'quickaholics', I am choosing to slow down and stop doing.

I have undertaken the practice of "active waiting"...

...and letting my soul grow up.

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS)

"Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) describes an estimated $209 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. The consumers attracted to this market represent a sizable group in this country. Approximately 19% percent of the adults in the U.S., or 41 million people, are currently considered LOHAS Consumers." http://www.lohas.com/about and http://www.lohas.com/

That's exciting information and speaks to the need in business practice to continuously strive for Conscious Capitalism with a triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit.

Buying habits and emerging market trends are rapidly changing:

1. People in US Are Changing: They have a strong desire to be self reliant; to conserve resources & prioritize their spending and behaviors towards more purposeful buying decisions
2. People Are Redefining What "Value" Means: a new definition of sophisticated value from companies; a better company overall for society and the planet
3. People Want to Simplify What They Spend Their Money On: They want purity and simplicity
4. People Want A 'Dialogue' with the Company: based on product integrity, authenticity and performance.Transparency and corporate responsibility have become far more important to consumers in a tough economy

Go green or go home!

Be well~