Wings

Our lives are filled with MESSAGES waiting to be delivered to us.

And the messengers who deliver these messages are everywhere.  

They include everyone we encounter... from our family to our colleagues, sales clerks, repairmen, television personalities, the little boy playing across the street...even the bad-tempered clerk who waited on us in the store or the driver who cut us off in traffic.

They exist in our world to present to us the life view we hold about ourselves and they may be engaging and endearing or frustrating and fractious.

If you can summon up some perspective about this and add in a dash of creativity and humor,  I have a suggestion regarding how to enhance and enjoy this experience.


Give them all WINGS...in your imagination!  Make them all ANGELS! 

They are all actually doing the work of angels...helping us see the picture of the world we  have created  for ourselves and master the earthwork we have undertaken.

And since this is how the earth school system works we might as well put a big, broad smile on our face while we learn our lessons.

Consider the visual delight of walking into a GATHERING of family or friends and imagining all of them with their own unique set of wings fluttering in a beat to match their personality.

The gregarious individual would have wide, flapping appendages whisking the air to and fro with the vibration of his excitement.

The person who loves to sing or hum would be sporting smooth pinions undulating with a distinctive rhythm.

The joker in the group would probably have one of his wings tucked into a piece of clothing so he would attract the second takes he loves so much.

All of these individuals could be illustrating for us the joy and excitement and fun we are experiencing in our lives.

In our next encounter, however,  we might find a road rage driver with stress written all over his face.  He, too, would be sporting wings but his accessories might be audacious wings that would move thunderously in a loud, clapping sound.

Now it may be easy to picture the so-called "nice guys" in the angelic costume but it may seem strange to picture our road rage driver wearing wings and you might wonder how this frustrating individual can fill this
angelic role. 

Fact is...he may be resonating with  something inside us, something unsettled...a stress we have not  acknowledged, perhaps, or let ourselves experience.  And  he is showing up in our life to bring this omission to our attention.

And here is how he might be  an angel to us...Emotions that are not acknowledged go underground (translate...deep inside us) and often make their next appearance dressed as a major upset,  illness or disease.

So it would behoove us to welcome ALL of the angels in our life and give thanks for the messages they bring us regardless of  the varying roles they play.

After all, the Divine Universe only assigns them the reflections of our own mojo so we can "hear" the sounds and "see" the pictures we are making with the way we choose to live our life and also learn the lessons we have chosen for our experience here.

So, I say, WING ON!

Recognize these Divine creatures  with their dazzling

 (if imaginary) WINGS who are educating and enlightening us and enjoy their sometimes affirming, sometimes challenging messages while we earn our own bright and beautiful wings in earth school!

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                   Marie Helena



 

image from pinterest.com

The Hopi Drain Out, Universal Life Force and Clapping

I have read and reflected on the beauty of Spirituality over the course of several years. 

One day I noticed that I was developing a new awareness and it pleased me on a very deep level.  I began to see a small, energetic field around people which has been described as etheric energy.

The field is clear and transparent and outlines the body. 

The energy that I see usually only extends a couple of  inches or less from the body but sometimes I see a much larger etheric energy field around a person...for example, when I observe someone singing a spiritual song with great fervor.  And, occasionally, while walking, I will catch a glimpse of someone with a much larger energy field outlining his body.  (When this occurs, I never fail to wonder what beautiful Love must be at work in this person's life.)

 

After awhile I began to see etheric energy around trees (which I loved) and, later, even around  objects like mailbox posts (which delighted me even more).

 
I get quite a kick out of having this view of luminescence.  It feels like I am walking around in my own private  STAR TREK episode.

This on-going experience is a big part of my interest and delight in energetic exercises.  Here are three exercises I have learned about and want to share with you.

The  FIRST EXERCISE I learned about from my sister who told me about an ancient energy practice called The Hopi Drain Out which is used to move negative energy OUT of the body.  (I believe the Hopi are a tribe of ancient Indians.)  The concept sounded wonderful to me and I was very anxious to try it.

 

Here is how THE HOPI DRAIN OUT works.

Sit comfortably in a chair and place one hand on wherever in your body you are experiencing pain.  Point your other arm and hand to the floor; keep the palm open as you are now going to invite negative energy to leave your body.  

You do this by visualizing the negative energy moving out your open palm to the floor in the form of sludge. 

(I have found this to be an excellent visual  because when I practice this, it is very easy to sense the sludge folding over itself while it accumulates on the floor.  At times I can fill great areas of the room with the sludge in my imagination and it feels relieving to sense it moving out of my body.)

When you feel as if you have emptied this negative energy from your body, take the hand that was pointed to the floor and place it now on that same area of pain.  Then take the other arm and point your arm and fingers  straight up to the heavens, inviting Universal Life Force to fill the space that has been emptied in your body.


I have used this practice on many occasions with great success.

SECONDLY...also from my sister...is a BREATHING EXERCISE using Universal Life Force.  This is a very simple one.

Ask the Divine Universe for Universal Life Force to enter each of your cells on a long and easy inhale of breath, imagining a blazing white Light of protection and an enveloping green Light of health moving  all through your body. 

Then, on a slow and complete exhale, send all the aches, pains, blockages and negativity out to the ends of the universe with infinite love and gratitude for this Divine Gift.

My sister uses this breathing exercise often during the day and it works beautifully to relieve any pain for her.

 

And, THIRD, from my chiropractor... here's a very succinct and direct action you can take when you feel lost in negative energy and decide to make a conscious choice to release it and fill yourself instead with Universal Life Force.  

Simply CLAP your hands as you verbally express the choice, thereby notifying the Divine Universe that you are ready to release  the distress and rejuvenate your mind, body and emotions.  

I particularly love this move...it feels so empowering!

It is my belief that everything physical that exists is expressing a spiritual reality and the real answer...and ONLY true answer...to a physical problem is to address it from a SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE. 

I believe that pain and distress occur because we have disconnected from pure Love and, when we attempt to reconnect to Love, we are reaching out to the Source of Love, the Divine Universe.  

It is the Divine Universe which demonstrates its Unconditional Love for us through Creation and Creation expresses itself through ENERGY.  


When we ask for the purity of Divine Loving Energy to fill our bodies (as in The Hopi Drain Out. the breathing exercise accessing Universal Life Force and the Clapping Notification we give to the Divine Universe),  we are reconnecting with Love and allowing our bodies to do the work of healing...something they are innately designed to do.

 
The  ENERGY of this glorious world...this magnificent source of empowerment...is ours for the asking.  


It patiently awaits our Awareness and Attention so that we can move continuously toward Love,  heal ourselves and fulfill our spiritual destiny.

                                                                                               Marie Helena

He Said, She Said

The glorious, mysterious, and often frustrating mix of energies between male and female has left mankind puzzled for centuries.  And nowhere is this more evident than in the LANGUAGE used by both.

Even given the most noble intention...to BE  THERE for the other... males and females often find their well-meaning attempts to request help and to respond get twisted and turned when the other sex tries to ascertain the meaning.

And here's why.

Men like to primarily fix things.  The mere mention of a problem by a female makes a male want to come up with the perfect solution and be the hero in her story of distress.

Women, on the other hand, just want to be HEARD.  And this translates to being listened to with great patience and compassion as they explain their plight, often weaving into the story other related concerns.  They DO NOT usually want to hear a quick fix.  What they want is to feel they are being listened to, heard, understood.  They want to know that SOMEONE understands their feelings.

Now that's a recipe for a perpetual conundrum.

None of this is news as we have all been aware that there are vast differences between the way the sexes perceive problems and the ways they want to solve them.

 

My attention here is on HOW to navigate these waters.  And here's my thought.

The first thing we have to do is OVERRIDE THE ORIGINAL DEFAULT BUTTON...the button that makes males confusedly wonder why females  won't appreciate a great problem solving idea and females conclude that no one understands how they feel.

When that default button gets pushed, emotions start to CRACKLE and everyone is dissatisfied with the outcome of the interaction.

 

Overriding a default takes conscious intention and perhaps we can embrace this idea by the promise it offers to help keep communication misses off the radar.

The new default button is THE IMMEDIATE STATEMENT OF HELPFUL INTENTION.  

She says something like, "I am feeling sad (distressed, worried, anxious, etc.) and I think it would help me to know that you understand the emotion I am experiencing.  Just understand it...no need to solve it right now as I am not ready for that step just yet."

He says, "I can see that you are distressed (unhappy, worried, stressed, etc.) and I care about you and want to help you feel better.  I have some ideas on how to do that when you are ready to hear them."

 

Now this will take some adjusting on the parts of both sexes because when the female is in a distress mode (the forlorn maiden locked in the tower of her emotions) and the male is in the problem solving mode (riding up on his noble steed, equipped with the weapons needed to fend off the enemy)...when these conditions have arisen, it is not easy to change directions.

The forlorn maiden must vacate her role as damsel-in-distress and the prince-riding-to-the-rescue must vacate his action-driven energy and both must  become the calm, patient and wise communicators...at least for the first few minutes of the interaction. 

Then, knowing what each other's intentions are, the conversation will now have the chance to play out differently.  Both parties can feel understood and appreciated.

Peace reigns.
The crisis has been attended to.

 

This is not an easy formula to put into practice because it is so natural to feel that the other sex SHOULD KNOW what we need and are intending.

But, energy-wise...this is a very efficient idea because the investment of a different approach and new default button will ultimately save the emotional trauma of someone  feeling misunderstood...a perception that can persist for an indeterminate amount of time

In this way we can even improve on Mother Nature's DISTRIBUTION OF EMOTIONAL RESOURCES and, through a conscious investment of our energy, easily receive/respond to what it was that we were originally looking for and hoping to give.



                                                                                            Marie Helena

Bringing Joy to the Light!

 

"Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted."

                                 Buddha

                                                                                

Look what lands so effortlessly and beautifully on the list of simple 
(and transformative) pleasures...GIVING!

 
This pleasure is transformative because of what it does for the giver..and, of course, for the recipient of the gift.
 

The SIMPLE ACT OF WANTING TO GIVE tells us several things about what is happening within our heart.  

It tells us that we are feeling happy and that we want to generously extend that happiness by sharing it with another.

And it tells us that we are emotionally connected to someone and that we care about their happiness and well-being.
 

The act of giving itself moves the impulse into action and we intuitively feel the JOY and PEACE of extending our happiness.
 
When we generously give a gift, we raise our VIBRATION...and the VIBRATION of the recipient who feels the beautiful energy of our caring.

 

I have also found that GIFT GIVING can perform a very practical and HEALING role for us.  

 

Whenever I experience  an unresolved conflict with someone, I make an effort to give that person a gift (a compliment, an affirmation, beautiful listening, perhaps an actual present ).   

My intention when I do this is always to remind myself of the BLESSING of the relationship that lies under the conflict.  

And it never fails to perform this task successfully.  

The very act of gift giving under the condition of disharmony somehow changes THE CHEMISTRY OF THE MOMENT. 

Both parties see each other in a new (or perhaps it is a "remembered"  light) and can now imagine a peaceful path between the two opposing views.
 

I love knowing that my ritual of gift giving can help me navigate the dissonance in a relationship and help return me to harmony with such ease and grace.


The happiness and joy we find in life always reaches higher dimensions when we unconditionally choose to give a gift...and  the gift we give to others is always a special blessing to ourselves.


                                                                                              Marie Helena



 
Unresolved CONFLICT sometimes masks the Beautiful Bond I have with another.  I bring this Joy to the LIGHT and watch the issue fade away.  

                                                 Mystic Marks: Bookmarks for the Soul

image from rgbstock.com.   

A Tale of Two Leaves

Late last December in the midst of the approaching Christmas season,  I glanced out the window one morning and noticed a strange occurrence.  I had a clear view of several bare tree branches.  On one of the branches I saw two lone leaves hanging on bravely through the cold and frost. 

There was a mild wind blowing. I could tell this because of the way the leaves were moving but there was a great difference between how each member of the duo responded to the wind.  One seemed to wave gently with each light wisp of wind, slowly fluttering with elegance and grace.  The other, subject to the same precise amount of wind, was frantically turning and twisting in response to the elements.  The vision of these two leaves performing in such diametrically opposed ways while subject to the same stimulus made me giggle.

Until I recognized myself in the metaphor.


The second leaf was a perfect match for the frenzy I had been experiencing in getting ready for Christmas, using every ounce of energy I could call up day after day to finish addressing  mountains of Christmas cards, search for the best of the Black Friday deals, make final choices about Christmas gifts and order them online,  all the while keeping a tight rein on the Christmas budget.

Hmmmm..,I thought.  Nature was showing me to myself with color, creativity and...precision. I was the twirling leaf, spinning and swirling away...laboring to meet my well-defined expectations often at the cost of desperately needed rest and relaxation.

It was, indeed, a moment of realization, reminding me of the strong sense of fatigue I had pushed back out of my awareness on a daily basis in my very powerful and strong desire to celebrate the Christmas season as I had imagined it.

Whenever we enslave ourselves to our  programmed expectations and fail to tap in to present moment awareness (in this case, the enormous fatigue growing each day), we are living in RESISTANCE to the natural response of the body and
in support of a pre-conception that ignores present moment perception.

Logically, it seems like an easy adjustment could remedy this kind of situation.  Tired body?  Exhausted?  The solution?  More rest, minimize expectations.  Why does it, then, feel so difficult to break out of our well-worn patterns of behavior?


I think the answer lies in the way we define ourselves.  Or, to be more precise, in the way we have "learned" to define ourselves.  Holding on to the picture we have been trained to paint about ourselves throughout our lives seems so compelling.  A portrait of competence and persistence... completion of the task. regardless of the cost.  An illustration of our "storybook" selves.  As if THIS is the way to satisfy ourselves.   But that is because we have become consumed with an old, enculturated image of resignation and sacrifice that fails to include the importance and significance of self-care and the courage to make it our defining parameter.


In succumbing to this "sacrificial" portrait we fail to recognize that self-care is our grown-up Christmas gift to ourselves and also to the world which awakens when it is given a clear portrayal of exquisite self-love for it is when we truly love and care for ourselves that our hearts naturally overflow with caring and compassion for others.


Since that day of revelation I have thought many times about the two leaves on the lone branch of Christmas.  I clearly see a portrait of myself in the twirling leaf but, as I contemplate the other leaf moving so elegantly in the light breeze, I call to mind several individuals whose lives beautifully illustrate their loving embrace of the "elements"...however they appear in their lives.  And I am inspired by their beautiful example of soft and supple flowing with the"wind".

Perhaps the last and best gift of Christmas!

                                                       Marie Helena






top image from pinterest