Love is All Around You

“Everything in the Universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”  
~Rumi~ 

This planet is a playground of discovery. On our journey through the veils of illusion we came to believe in only what we see more and more and forgot that there are layers of love and protection all around us. Eventually, the challenges we faced prompted the process of self-examination. Awakening is a process. We drop the layers of illusion one by one until finally, all that remains is love.

It is safe for you to act from the heart and allow circumstances to unfold as they will. Navigating our way through the unknown cultivates the ability to have faith during times of indecision. We are called upon to act with courage and integrity in the present moment and trust that whatever unfolds is working toward the highest good of all involved.

Remind yourself often that all of life is conspiring on your behalf. Seek only to bring the best version of yourself to the Now. As you awaken, you’ll discover that the challenges you face seem more manageable. Reactivity will decrease and a sense of safety will be the grounding force for all that you experience.

The Veil of Illusion

Awareness allows us to see through the veneer of illusion to the heart within.
The Divine seeks to experience life in its many forms through each of us. When we choose to embrace one another as an expression of infinite energy, we begin to witness our interactions from a higher perspective. All that is required is the willingness to see through the chosen roles we play and the dramas we create. The awakening soul recognizes the miraculous in the mundane and these sparks become the flame of awareness.
Existence is overflowing with opportunities for our collective expansion. The ideas of poverty, comparison, lack and fear are man-made concepts. Abundance is everywhere – watch nature in motion, try to count the stars, measure the gifts of sunlight. To live is to create a joyful existence. To be abundant is to honor life in motion, see through the illusions and find beauty in the layers and contrasts of experience.
The light of your consciousness transforms all that it shines upon. Purposely turn your focus inward and illuminate higher aspects of the Self. This attention cultivates the ability to see past mind-made illusion to the truth of who you are – a master in the process of awakening.

Living Within Paradox

“Since ancient times, spiritual masters of all traditions have pointed to the Now as the key to the spiritual dimension. Despite this, it seems to have remained a secret.”
~Eckhart Tolle~

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 various 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.

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.

Be Still

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.”  
~Ram Dass~ 
You are the stillness in which life happens.
In stillness we can begin to sense the infinite. As a spiritual seeker, it’s important to learn how to quiet the mind. Within this space of infinite possibility, the quiet truth of your inner wisdom can make itself known.
The mind seeks to create a constant flow of thoughts, ideas and opinions. It fears the silence and fills that space with meaningless garble as a distraction. You are much more than your thoughts. You are a spark of the Divine which desires only to awaken to its infinite nature through the momentary illusion of human experience. As you learn to rise above thought, you will discover a lightheartedness and freedom that is astounding.
Enlightenment is learning to reside in the present moment as it is. Be still and listen to the wisdom of your soul.

The Journey Inward

“Inward is not a direction. Inward is a dimension.”
~Sadhguru Jaggi~
The world of form is filled with illusions that create the perception of limitation and separation. We seek security, connection, purpose and struggle to find it, often struggling against one another. Getting lost within the illusion, we forget to seek the lesson within the experience.
The journey inward is extraordinary and unique, and until it is begun life seems one-dimensional. As your spirit awakens, multiple dimensions open. With each level of consciousness things take on new meaning and we learn how to see through the illusions more easily. The journey inward is expansive. There is no end to the depths of understanding, love and connection you will discover.
Learn to embrace stillness. Take time to reside gently in the present moment with an open heart. The ego disappears, the roles and life situations become transparent and only empowered silence remains. When you begin to realize that you are much, much more than the stories of the mind, you have planted the seeds of your own spiritual maturity. Your expanding consciousness will inspire greater creativity,  compassion and a quietness of spirit, for you are the light of love.

Enlightenment

“…the past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation, of fulfillment in whatever form. Both are illusions.”
~Eckhart Tolle~

The greatest gift that we can give is our Presence. In every situation we have the opportunity to bring light where there is darkness, give kindness rather than turn away and teach by example. In order to be consistent in our approach, one must never stop learning.

Turn your attention inward by asking, “How may I be of service in this situation?” As we examine our motivations we discover that helping others helps us to achieve enlightenment. This double helix of energy thus creates a space where transformation can happen.

View this planet as a playground that teaches through contrast. Every moment offers an opportunity to become a little more aware, a little more empowered, a little more free from limitation.

Some lessons are presented in several different forms before we truly understand the patterns that have silently controlled our lives. Your awareness of moments of unconsciousness is actually an indicator that you are becoming more enlightened. Celebrate your humanness as well as your true infinite nature. Delve into the delight of consciousness, for once you explore the mysteries of life with an awakened heart, you will never be the same.

See Beyond the Illusion

“Peace can be made only by those who are peaceful, and love can be shown only by those who love. No work of love will flourish out of guilt, fear, or hollowness of heart, just as no valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.”
~Alan Watts~
The world that we experience with our physical senses is merely an illusion we have collectively created. Its purpose is to provide a playground of discovery. As spiritual beings having a human experience, we seeded this place with sparks of infinite possibility, ever-evolving creation, and movement.
Getting lost in the illusion is one aspect of the game. We immersed ourselves so entirely that we forgot the truth of our limitless, eternal Being. From that space of perceived separation we entered the game of karma, which teaches the value of opposites and paradox until the power of neutrality is learned. As the karma is cleared we begin to once again sense connectedness which underlies all things.
When you find yourself lost in the mind, overwhelmed by feelings, or frustrated by a limiting situation, seek to ground yourself and access the balancing energy of our sacred mother earth. From a space of stillness, softening the stories of the mind,  it is possible to see beyond the illusion.

Experience Oneness

“You are not limited to this body, to this mind, or to this reality—you are a limitless ocean of Consciousness, imbued with infinite potential. You are existence itself.”
― Joseph P. Kauffman
Consider the unique beauty of snowflakes. Each is its own temporary, exquisite work of love and art created by the journey through the clouds. Their moment of existence is fleeting and much like Tibetan sand mandalas or Shamanic sand paintings, they naturally dismantle once complete, change form and merge back into oneness.
This lifetime is akin to that of a snowflake. We come and weave patterns based upon our journey through energy and illusion. Our dance with one another can be beautiful and gentle or destructive and intense; however, the molecular structure remains the same.
To experience Oneness in a world of difference, it’s important to remember how each of us is shaped by our experiences, imprinting, beliefs, level of consciousness and karmic lessons. We are all aspects of the Divine and love ultimately resides at the core of everything. Until we discover it wholeheartedly within ourselves, we will not be able to see it reflected in the world around us. Set an intention to seek out commonalities in your interactions. Feed loving energy and kindness into your life situation and allow that to inform your unique shape and way of being in the world.

Waking from the Dream

“You wake from dreams of doom and–for a moment–you know: beyond all the noise and the gestures, the only real thing, love’s calm unwavering flame in the half-light of an early dawn.”
~Dag Hammarskjöld~

Sometimes awakening can be a gentle drifting up through the layers of illusion and symbolism to a morning filled with wonder. Other times, we are jarred awake by an invasive sound, struggling through a nightmare or the movement of another person or animal. These experiences are metaphoric for our spiritual awakening.

The most intense awakenings are abrupt. An experience shifts our perception, a limiting pattern shatters leaving us seeking shelter from the unknown or we feel the insistent calling of our inner purpose. Don’t go back to sleep. There are many, many paths to explore and soul mates waiting to be discovered.

You are the dreamer and life is the dreamed. Quietly hold the illusion in your  mind, what is it trying to tell you? Ultimately you will discover that love resides at the core of everything. All of life supports you in this endeavor.