There is nothing more important than your state of consciousness Now and nothing is more important than your joy. In these meditative moments we have an opportunity to set our intention and expectations for the day. The more aware you become of the energy you share with the world, the more personal strength and power you have the ability to access.

If there is unhealed anger within you, realize that you have the capacity for great gentleness. Spiritual growth is an alchemical process – energies are transformed into consciousness and the expression of your choosing.

Notice how the “normal” expectation of life can often be expressed as justifiable anger – advertising wants you to be angry with your body image, home or car so that you’ll constantly feel compelled to fix or change them, politicians want you to be anger with their opponent so they can stay in or take control, humans love to justify war, causes and judgment. So much energy gets wasted by the mechanisms of the mind. It’s easy to become distracted from a higher state of consciousness without consistent spiritual practice.

Find your own way to step outside of limiting expectations. Embrace the power of love which longs to flow through you into every experience. Whether you create sacred space through gratitude, meditation or conscious breathing, know that you inner growth and transformation extends outward and changes the world around you. Such a big concept – that’s why we begin within. Notice your state of consciousness Now and do all that you can to align yourself with joy.

Today my intention is to celebrate love and friendship.

Your energy adds something unique and powerful to the whole. Even though we each walk our own path, there are many who play their roles to perfection in order to help us grow. Everyone has a part to play.

Because of our interconnectedness, there is a spiral of support which flows throughout our lives and in our acceptance of kindness and assistance, we are also helping others. Many believe that one aspect of spiritual growth is to manifest everything on their own; however, older souls realize the value in knowing when to ask for help or provide it understanding that the Universe can work miracles through anyone or anything.

See yourself as Divine light. If there is still any self-judgment, observe it, look past the story and bring yourself back (again and again, if necessary) to acceptance. Grace is yours; however, you must be willing to receive it.

The only difference between a murderer and a master is that they are in different stages of their souls evolution. With greater awareness, we command greater self-responsibility. We learn to see without judgment, walk without being paralyzed by fear and stand in our integrity.

See yourself through the filter of limitless possibility. Imagine each through, word and action flowing out into the Universe with incredible force – only to return ten-fold. It’s time to drop any fear and reach out in love toward one another.

Today my intention is to be willing to receive.

Each of us is responsible for our own joy. It’s not the obligation of our partners, parents, children, boss or life circumstance to “make” us happy and fulfilled. Rather, happiness comes from developing our own inner richness and spiritual maturity. This infinite wellspring of energy, once discovered, will flow through you and change the way you receive the gifts that life has to offer.

Relationships provide us with the tools and experiences we need to release old patterns and programming. The more clear you become, the less intense your emotional reactions will be. This peacefulness then becomes a way of life. We view circumstances from a higher perception and share this new way of being with the world.

Periodically, a spiritual breakthrough of shift in energy may result in some clearing being done by the body. This is to release any toxic energy that may have been held in your energetic field. Other times, the intention and focus on healing a specific area of your life may briefly cause that issue to come to the forefront. Approach either of these circumstances with the knowledge that you are in the process of releasing things which no longer serve you. Once it rises to the surface, it’s easier to observe and consciously free yourself.

When we no longer feel the need to hide from ourselves or others, we enter a state of acceptance and openness – freedom. This wholeness will set you free.

Today my intention is to celebrate those who grace my life with their presence. I am grateful for the love, the lessons and the gifts that have awakened true joy within me.

Don’t try to change, simply be aware… awareness heals. Spiritual practice is often a blend of paradox – confusion and clarity, separation and wholeness, detachment and presence. The word paradox itself comes from the Greek para dokien which means beyond thought. See yourself as a physical expression of the Divine who wishes to experience life in all it’s forms. Allow yourself to look through the illusion yet act consciously within the present moment. Eventually the illusion will become easier to see through as we remember our true nature and mission. We are one and on a journey of wholeness.

So many suffer, lost within the “why’s” and entrapped by the mind. The same energy, knowledge and peace discovered by all the masters who have walked the Path of Transformation awaits you within the openness of your own heart. For all our searching, the answers lie within.

It can take great courage to learn to trust your inner wisdom. Teachers, circumstances and guides are all there to point to the inner awareness, but until one is willing to see, there it waits. Trust yourself, be gentle with yourself and open to the potential that joy brings. No matter what teachings you encounter, trust your own divine nature in order to align with your truth and integrity. Give yourself permission to live consciously within the paradox, without dissecting or analyzing it.

Our household recently lost a furry loved one. My patient and loving kitty, Jacques, died in a mysterious way and within the surprise and sadness of losing a wonderful friend, I found myself flowing quickly to acceptance instead of getting lost within the why. Conscious spiritual practice allows the events we experience to simply be a celebration. We learn to live joyfully within the paradox and celebrate the years of closeness – all the while grateful for the love, lessons, laughter and the purr sessions.

Today my intention is to trust myself spiritually more than ever before, to honor the processes of my awakening and take one more conscious step forward.

This lifetime is the culmination of all the experience and knowledge you have gathered so far throughout your incarnations on this planet. The higher self likes to integrate the wisdom it has accumulated and thus you will attract the teachers and circumstances which allow you to do so. You may feel drawn to the teachings of different time periods or find familiarity in the rituals and traditions of other cultures.

Be patient, open and trusting within these aspects of your journey. With integration, you may also find that other things no longer serve your awakening. This time of spiritual growth will allow you to discover strengths and knowledge lifetimes in the making.

Our sojourn here is a continuing exploration into the expansion of the heart chakra – expansion which leads to greater compassion, more peace and infinite possibilities. Ultimately, it is up to you to trust the process of your awakening – to honor, forgive, accept and love all that you have ever been.

One of my favorite ways to nurture the seeds of growth is to light a candle. Sit a few moments contemplating the flame, perhaps even losing yourself in the flickering light. Then, draw the energy from the flame into your heart chakra and visualize your soul light expanding outward. Touch the world in love and send light to those who have walked the journey with you.

Today my intention is to integrate the wisdom which is ready to be expressed within my life. I celebrate the dance of awakening.

We all fall prey to patterns of distraction. Different from karmic lessons or challenges, patterns of distraction keep us firmly immersed within the “known” even when we are working to create transformation within our lives and experience.

When we desire to create healthy and positive change, old programming kicks in. The mind prefers comfort instead of change and we find ourselves falling into old behaviors, procrastinating or talking about the changes we are “trying” to make.

Awareness is the first step of transformation. Observe, notice and immediately shift your energy into a more constructive direction. Remember, integrity is first and foremost being completely authentic with yourself. All else will follow.

One way to focus your intention and energy is to utilize candle magic. Not magic at all, but a playful way to align yourself with the liberating act of inner transformation. Get creative. State your intention and carve it into the candle. Write a letter to the Divine or write a letter of love to yourself. Ask for assistance with the intention of creating ease and joy within your life experience (remember, the mind loves to tell you how hard change is!) and choose to release the struggle.

Basic color meanings:

• Red – courage, strength, passion, money
• Orange – joy attraction, creativity, energy
• Yellow – communication, clarity of intent, personal power
• Green – healing, money, relationships, opening the heart
• Blue – communication, flow and harmony, peace
• Indigo – psychic abilities, abundance, spiritual connection
• Lavender – higher knowledge, intuition, happiness
• White – purity, clarity, healing, spirituality

You can create the life of your dreams. Begin now. Take one consciousness step at a time and celebrate your successes instead of feeding energy into old patterns of distraction or self recrimination. The change will come – awakening is a process that flows through your life in myriad ways bringing you ever closer to love.

Today my intention is to focus my thoughts and attention on healthy ways of being… ever grateful and joyful for the opportunity to serve.

Sammasati:  Remember

It is said that the last word said by the Buddha was “Sammasati.” There’s something beautiful about the reminder that what we seek lies within us. Remember – not discover, change, achieve… just remember. All aspects of spiritual awakening lie within that one word.

Perhaps that’s the reason that every journey is so unique. We all walk our own Path of Transformation until that flash of illumination occurs and our perception shifts. Awakening comes from rising above the mechanisms of the mind and illusion, not from mastering a list of goals and achievements (although, they are often the verhicles used to awaken to our divinity and potential).

Spend some time going within. Recognize the perfection in your journey, taste silence, merge with the energy of the planet and remember what has been forgotten – Sammasati.

There is an endless supply of energy, love, joy, peace and bliss available for you. How then, do we encounter the frustration of lack? As with any challenge, see any perceived limitations as a blessing. They serve to remind how easy it can be to lose sight of our inner consciousness. We develop compassion for those who stumble in the darkness. Whether you feel blocked because you need to balance your energy or whether you are preparing for a breakthrough, take the time to nurture yourself. Then the limitation will have served it’s purpose and will dissipate.

Ask yourself if you feel balanced in mind, body and spirit. If not, which area of your life requires loving attention? Just becoming aware of your experience is not enough, take the steps required to bring yourself back into balance. Seek joy, remember the voice of your heart and the and then allow yourself to receive the grace which longs to be experienced.

Today my intention is to create the space in which a transformation can occur, to remember  my purpose and to share my light.

It’s helpful to become aware of the difference between a high frequency choice and a low-frequency choice. For instance, making a decision based upon fear is low-frequency, while making a decision based upon love is in alignment with higher consciousness. This can apply to anything – friendships, dietary choices, business decisions, life partners and even the small things with which you fill your life such as the music you listen to or the books you read.

The art of Discernment allows us to live with integrity, aligned with our values. All vibrations of purity and intention will cut through the chaos of daily life to provide guidance on your unique Path of Transformation, allowing you to stay true to your values and your spiritual destiny without distraction.

Discernment is not about judging something as good or bad. It is merely the conscious choice to align your life with things which are expansive and joyful rather than limiting or draining. Sometimes you can ask yourself, “Am I looking through the filter of fear or lack, or am I seeing clearly?” Trust your vision, live from the heart and let your life shine, dear one – for that is your path.

No matter what space in which you reside, know that it will evolve into something new if you allow it, for we are always in the midst of growth and change.

Today my intention is to live with joyful acceptance of the ever-changing wonder of life.

Think about all that you’ve learned so far on your spiritual journey – the tools of awakening you’ve tried and sometimes discarded, the basis of how you view your life, the facets of strength you have discovered as a result of facing challenges, the wisdom of surrender and acceptance, the power of gratitude. Looking back at my own journey, much of which was initially walked blindly and with a lack of consciousness, I see the perfection in every moment. I am grateful for the lessons and friendships I’ve encountered each step of the way.

What about those moments when gratitude seems far away? Sometimes we walk in darkness with the belief that all the tools we have cultivated have either deserted us or no longer work with the strength we were used to. But something is different this time around…. we’re conscious of the fact that we are suffering. We actively apply what we’ve learned or seek new ways to address whatever challenge arises with the knowledge that we’ll find a way to grow through the process.

That’s the difference between someone who has experienced awakening and someone who has yet to access the knowledge that lies underneath the drama. The conscious approach becomes something of a dance with the Divine, a tango of immense passion filled with talent, surrender and synchronicity. Lifetime after lifetime we perfect this dance. Spiritual awakening is a process and one that takes constant practice and application.

Mastery begins with knowing who you truly are beyond the mechanisms of the ego and what is witness on the physical plane. It is merely an inner connection that allows us to take full responsibility and share our light as we live from a place of integrity.

Today my intention is to see the beauty in the dance and walk with an open heart.

Sometimes there are layers within layers of energy around a particular pattern or challenge. We feel that we’ve learned the lesson or integrated a new perception only to get hit by it again in another form. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t learning what you’ve intended to learn; however, it does indicate that more energy needs to be cleared around the issue. Use whatever you feel drawn to in order to aid you in this process – meditation, crystals, music, movement, energy work, etc.

Don’t give up on yourself or the processes of your awakening. Have faith in your abilities and the direction in which your higher Self leads you. Cultivating awareness will allow you to recognize when there are truly no more charges around a particular person, circumstance or topic and there will come a day when you realize that you have set yourself free.

One of the indicators of your transformation will be the effect you have on others. People may begin to respond to you differently, to enjoy being in your energy or look to you for clarity and advice. Each of us has the ability to become a light for those around us. As we transform, the world around us is transformed.

Today my intention is to open my heart to endless love and peace.