2011: Endings, Rebirths and New Beginnings

I have been noticing endings, rebirth and new beginnings in so many places lately that I thought I would write a bit about it. We are seeing themes everywhere of endings and new beginnings, one of the most obvious public reflections of this perhaps is the ending of the Oprah Winfrey Show and the beginning of her new and larger network OWN. Not a coincidence that it is all happening just at the cusp of 2012, one great cycle ending and another about to unfold. This is but one example. These movements and this energy of changes, endings and rebirths, can be seen at this momentous time just about everywhere.

For me, my hubby and I are moving from Colorado back to the East coast, the place of both our roots. It is full circle certainly for me who ventured away from New York City at age 31 back in the 1990s following my spiritual promptings that led me to the beautiful high desert of New Mexico. I lived there for 11 wonderful and transformative years, years in which I explored and lived so many dreams, came into my own in more than one area of my life, met and married my beloved husband, met a great Shaman who has influenced every day of my life since, played and created and healed and traveled through so many spaces, both wonderful and terribly hard, and had even built my first home there. Most importantly it also became the land of my greatest healing and my greatest awakening and education so far. It will always be my 'the home to my soul' on the planet. Though it was clearly time to leave the womb when I left. I felt that as soon as I landed there 15 years ago, and indeed, for the 2 years prior to that when I heard the Universe calling to my soul in a tall concrete building somewhere in NYC. - It was whispering "New Mexico, New Mexico."

That was many years ago now, but the journey I had there and indeed here in the West is about to come to closure. And I am truly reminiscing, celebrating, and releasing it all. It is time to again move forward.

So now after 4 1/2 more years in the West, this time in Colorado, it is finally,(and I do mean finally! we have had to wait on so many out-of-our-control things), it is finally time to make this next big move. And at the cusp of this change in cycles, it is truly a momentous time.

And so farewell to the old and hello to the new. Thank you chapter for all you have been. I now have another great chapter to live and unfold.

namaste

and peace, love and so many blessings to everyone experiencing these big inner and outer life shifts and long-time coming changes today. They may still be coming with a few labor pains as they have been for me, or maybe even alot of them, but it's all good, and it's all God.

namaste and happy blessed rebirth
see you from Maryland!!

This Is It: The Art of Living in the Present

"When my mind departed on a journey to the past or the future, I would catch myself and say, "This is it." This moment is my life, completely."



An excerpt for staying in the present: When I was 20, I found a community in Northern California where I became a serious student of Zen Buddhism. Beyond the seated meditation practice, Zen emphasized mindfulness in everyday life: paying full attention when walking, eating, making the bed or working in the garden. At first, staying focused was difficult—my mind still wandered—but as I continuously brought my focus back to what I was doing, the mental fog began to slowly lift.

After a few years, I was appointed the community's cook, and the job came with a spiritual manual called Instructions to the Chief Cook. Poetic and inspirational, this ancient Zen text stressed that preparing food was not just a mundane activity, but a form of active meditation. Cutting vegetables, washing rice and boiling water, when done with full attention, was seen as the activity of the Buddha. These teachings became my daily road map to staying aware.

There was also a famous Zen poem that I would return to. It said that Nirvana, or enlightenment, was right here and now—that this body was the Buddha's body and this place was the pure land. From this poem, I created my own catchphrase that would come into my head many times a day—an inner anchor to bring me back to the present moment. I would say to myself, "This is it." These three words nailed the entire view of meditation. This is it.

So, when my mind departed on a journey to the past or the future, I would catch myself and say, "This is it." This moment is my life, completely.

When I would catch myself daydreaming or operating on automatic pilot, I would say to myself, "This is it," and it would bring me right back to the present. And whenever I would get worried, depressed or want things to be different than they were, I would ease my mind by saying, "This is it."

This phrase may not sound like profound prayer, a powerful mantra or positive affirmation, but it was my touchstone, and it worked. Those three words stopped my habitual seeking mind, the mind that always wants something different, better, bigger or newer, the mind that is always yearning for special experiences, easier times or a different life, the mind that wants someone or something to rescue us. Whenever I found myself ruminating on how things should be different, I would say, "This is it," and perhaps only for a moment, came home to a more present experience of reality.

This. This very ordinary moment is it. We don't need to seek the extraordinary because when we allow ourselves to be fully at home in the ordinary, it becomes extraordinary and full of wonder.

When we think this is not it, not good enough, not the right time, not the right place, not the right person—when we think happiness is in the future, after we lose 20 pounds, after we find the right lover, after we get a better job—then we are in constant hoping, waiting, scheming and seeking, living our lives in a time warp, disconnected from here and now.

This is it reminds us that we can find the magic, the spiritual and the sublime in the ordinary, in this next breath, in this chair, in this body. This is not just another philosophy orsomething else to believe. Instead, it is something to experience, and I invite you to try it out. Make it an experiment. Try it anywhere and anytime.

This is it. This is the only life that you are living. This moment, as you read these words—your life is completely unfolding. This body is the Buddha. This land is the pure land. Nirvana is here and now.

Josh Baran
former Zen priest and communications consultant

Which path do I choose - fear or love?

Most of us think that love is our relationship to some other person or object in the physical plane and it is not. Love is our relationship with the source of all life and consciousness, and that implies trust and confidence. The real meaning of faith.

CHOOSING LOVE

As we create all that happens to us through our thoughts, beliefs and expectations it behooves us to be cautious when we use the most powerful creative words in the English language – ‘I AM’.

We are not our emotions, yet we identify so strongly with them that we find ourselves saying ‘I am angry’, ‘I am a failure’, ‘I am sick’ instead of knowing these to be strong feelings and acknowledging them as such.

‘I feel angry’, I feel a failure’, I feel sick’ is seeing things as they are and knowing that these are not permanent conditions … unless you cling to them by identifying with them.

If you would penetrate these emotions you would find that they become self revelatory as you are lead to the beliefs behind such feelings. When you become more and more aware of your directing influence upon what seems to ‘happen’ to you, your conscious mind will no longer fear the emotions, or the body, as threatening or unpredictable, but sense the great creative collaboration that is inherent, and you will begin to take responsibility for your own creations.

Physical phenomena are not the cause of your beliefs and emotions, but the result. Awareness is the key to creation. Become aware of your thoughts and feelings and see how often you choose fear. Realise that these feelings form your experience.

The bottom line of every challenge you face is ‘which path shall I choose, fear or love’? Indeed, every personal problem, every global event whether it be natural disasters, wars or other forms of violence asks the same question of you. ‘Which path shall you choose, fear or love’?

Most of us think that love is our relationship to some other person or object in the physical plane and it is not. Love is our relationship with the source of all life and consciousness, and that implies trust and confidence. The real meaning of faith.

Know that you have never done anything wrong and that you are not being punished. Nor are you abandoned or unloved. The moment you become aware of your inseparable relationship to the Source of all life and consciousness, you can consciously draw on its greater strength, understanding and energy.

It is always available, but your conscious intent will bring about certain changes in you that will automatically trigger such benefits. You do not have to be a mystic to use these powers. All you need is intent. Show your intent by saying to yourself mentally over and over again – ‘I CHOOSE LOVE’

Every time you feel the emotions of fear run through the corridors of your mind, declare your intent ... ‘I CHOOSE LOVE’ and watch the miracle begin.

Zen Intuitive Healing


note from alexa - I haven't been writing much personally lately as I have been in the process of a big move (in more ways than one) but I do love to share a good article. Thank you to Zen Intuitive for today's inspiring article. May the joy and wellness be with you.

One of his students asked the Buddah...

One of his students asked Buddha, " Are you the messiah?" "No", answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" ..."No", Buddha replied. "Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted. "No, I am not a teacher." "Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated. Buddah replied: "I am awake."

I Am Space

I am space / I am the sun,

I am directions / Above and below / I am the Gods / I am the demons / I am all beings / I am darkness / I am the earth / I am the ocean.

As long as there is a you and I there is no liberation / No freedom. When there is (a difference between) you and I, there is no joy, no peace.

Renounce all notions / And then renounce the renouncer / Of those notions.

When even the notion of the ego sense has ceased / Then you will be like the ocean / Free, unbounded, eternal.

Ego does not exist anymore than water exists in a mirage; this lifetime of ours is as transient as passing clouds.


by Deepak Chopra

Letting go of the need to be liked

Not Everyone will Like You

When someone doesn’t like you, rather than taking it personally we can release the need for approval and move on.

It is not necessarily a pleasant experience, but there will be times in our lives when we come across people who do not like us. As we know, like attracts like, so usually when they don’t like us it is because they are not like us. Rather than taking it personally, we can let them be who they are, accepting that each of us is allowed to have different perspectives and opinions. When we give others that freedom, we claim it for ourselves as well, releasing ourselves from the need for their approval so we can devote our energy toward more rewarding pursuits.



While approval from others is a nice feeling, when we come to depend on it we may lose our way on our own path. There are those who will not like us no matter what we do, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with us. Each of us has our own filters built from our experiences over time. They may see in us something that is merely a projection of their understanding, but we have no control over the interpretations of others. The best we can do is to hope that the role we play in the script of their lives is helpful to them, and follow our own inner guidance with integrity.


As we reap the benefits of walking our perfect paths, we grow to appreciate the feeling of fully being ourselves. The need to have everyone like us will be replaced by the exhilaration of discovering that we are attracting like-minded individuals into our lives—people who like us because they understand and appreciate the truth of who we are.




We free ourselves from trying to twist into shapes that will fit the spaces provided by others’ limited understanding and gain a new sense of freedom, allowing us to expand into becoming exactly who we’re meant to be. And in doing what we know to be right for us, we show others that they can do it too.




Cocreating our lives with the universe and its energy of pure potential, we transcend limitations and empower ourselves to shine our unique light, fully and freely.


narrative by DailyOm

An Eagle Mandala

Eagle Medicine: Last Fall I began a personal mandala project and also practice shamanic ritual in my spiritual life. About a month ago I was working to create an eagle mandala that I was feeling in my heart and having a difficult time of it as I am not usually good at drawing. Should I get a stencil? Print out a photo? Make a collage ...instead? There are numerous and limitless ways to create a piece. Well I settled on another design for the time being but today I stumbled upon the work of a beautiful shamanic artist. Included was this beautiful eagle mandala. It was so close to the feeling I wanted to create for myself that I wanted to share it today along with the artist's narrative on eagle medicine. And I am somehow adopting this mandala too today as my own. Namaste.

from ChristinaRai.com
Eagle

Look up and see me soar. I am the messenger that brings you spirit. I can fly beyond the clouds and ride the high winds with my powerful wings. I bring you the ability to go beyond any limits, to step outside your comfort zone and be safe.

I hold the sun close and find renewal in the cleansing rays that purge me. I am the core. I am the heart of all things.

I am the source of all creation. Watch me and learn to trust your own creative impulse. Do you see what you can do? Do you hear the music of your mind? Are you compelled to follow your inspiration. Lean on me and let me show you how.

I will lead you to the edge of all things, show you where the world ends. And I will bring you back, safe within the long feathers of my wings.

Come to me and hear your heart. Listen to what it is saying. I will take you into the truth of your emotion, deep into the core of your being.

Though your journey with me may be challenging, I will give you strength to endure, to follow the shining vision to the end. I will ground you and protect you and give you the courage to pounce at the most appropriate time. I never hunt unnecessarily but I know in an instant when the right opportunity presents.

Let me teach you to listen to your inner wisdom, to follow your inner vision, to connect to your inner truth.

I am swift. I am strong. I am courageous and wise. I see all things. I bring illumination into the darkness of despair. I am healing. I am magic. I am freedom, honour and respect. Hear my call. I am calling you to your highest path. See my flight and follow me. I am leading you beyond the boundaries of your limited vision.

I am EAGLE. I will teach you to believe.


©CRW
www.ChristinaRai.com ~ see products for mandalas



addendum ~

My Eagle came to me too finally and after all... here she is:

My Eagle Mandala