The Unfolding

One of the most beautiful gifts we have in our lives is experiencing the natural flow of things....


The Unfolding.

The rhythm and music and pace of whatever it is that we are witnessing...experiencing...enjoying...and, most importantly, learning from.

This unfolding, if left untouched, is a work of art unto itself.  It carries the truths of the universe, some easy to embrace, some more challenging.  If we interrupt  the unfolding, we lose our chance to take in the special meaning.  If our egos try to influence the flow to move in our direction, we miss what is being presented to us.

A good reason to be an observer and a witness to life and, thereby, a receiver of information about the absolute perfection of the Divine Universe!

   

                                             Marie Helena

Escaping Your Monkey Mind

 

  













Does this sound like your morning routine? 

"There goes the alarm. 
      Already?" 

"Feels like I just got to sleep.  So much to do today.  Did I sign that permission slip for the kids' field trip?  Oh no, I didn't put the wash in the dryer.  The car needs gas.  Oops... I forgot to return that call to the repairman."




And, so goes not only our morning awakening ritual...but often our whole day.
 
Most of us tend to spend the majority of our time in the frenetic energy jungle called MONKEY MIND (also known as the beta brain state).  It's  how we navigate the day.  

But...this is NOT the place where the really powerful brain action occurs.


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There are, in fact,  FIVE WAVE PATTERNS in our brain:  beta,  alpha, theta, delta and gamma.

 
Beta is the state of constant mind chatter. 

Alpha brain waves are slower in frequency (when you are close to falling asleep, reading, or watching TV or are entranced with a project and lose track of time). 

The Theta mind state (slower yet) occurs when you are in profound relaxation, meditation, entering sleep or ready to awake.

              Moving downward,

Delta occurs when you are dreaming or in deep meditation.

     And, finally,

The Gamma state houses high level information processing, creativity, insight and holistic perception.  (This is a super-beta state, the most rapid in frequency.  We are still learning about Gamma as it has only recently been discovered.)


************************************************************************************************

It's obvious, then, that if we end up spending our days multi-tasking in monkey mind (the beta state)...running from one frantic errand to the next...we will NOT be accessing the tremendous resources of our brain.  

And that is why relaxation, deep breathing, quieting the mind and meditation are so important to our health and happiness.

And this doesn't mean "finding" the time; it means "making" the time to do something that is so vital to our sense of well-being.



There is much to be learned about how to access these slower states of frequency.  Mary Rivas has a short, 50 page book entitled  

Brain Power:   Boost Your Health, Happiness and Spiritual Growth With Practical Tools That Supercharge Your Mind Powers  (available on Kindle).


Rivas writes in a warm, engaging, compassionate style, helping us become more acutely aware of our inner world and she explains in clear, direct language how to access it naturally or with an assist from technology.

 

And, in case, you are mulling over my comments and suggestion during the night and find yourself unable to sleep, here is a suggested escape route from those pesky monkeys dancing in your brain.


Hilary Tindle,  M. D., an internist at the Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center,  says if you are too wired, your brain turns into overdrive and "this turns on a complex flurry of neurotransmitters involving several areas of the brain.  Your mind buzzes with activity making it nearly impossible to fall asleep."

Distracting yourself by concentrating on a non-emotional task can decrease activity in the brain.  Here's  a great diversion that will do the trick reported by Liz  Krieger in her article on "Deeper Sleep" in Oprah Magazine:

Count backwards from 300 by threes.  The basic math of this task engages your brain and you cannot focus on anything else, thus helping you wind down and relax.
 
(By the way, I tried the 300 by threes counting trick the last few nights and it worked perfectly every time.)



So...if  the maddening, mischievous  monkeys  are holding court way too often in your cerebral hemisphere...

consider the BEAUTIFUL WISDOM of learning how to supercharge your mind powers by paradoxically  s-l-o-w-i-n-g down the frequencies of your brain.  


Invest in learning about this astounding capability and practice the art of relaxing your body and simultaneously enriching your life.


                                                                                     Marie Helena

image from simplesitting.blogspot.com
"Taming the Monkey" Source: http://www.projectevolution.net  

Eat, Pray, Love, TRUST

 During the last week I watched one of my favorite movies…yet again.

I  simply cannot get enough of this compelling drama and, if you haven’t discovered it yet, I highly recommend you make this connection.  

It’s based on a 2006 memoir by American author, Elizabeth Gilbert and its title is: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

 

At the end of the movie the title character gives a deeply felt expression of the philosophy she has developed in her life.  She calls it The Physics of the Quest and it goes like this:

If you're brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting which can be anything from your house to bitter old resentments and set out on a truth seeking journey either externally or internally and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared most of all to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself then the truth will not be withheld from you.

This truth seeking journey that Gilbert describes is no easy task.  Especially when you are jolted out of your comfort zone by a totally unexpected and undesirable occurrence.  Trying to make sense of the why always seems to prove a futile and hopeless task.  And the reason is that the “sense” of the SURPRISE is not something that comes from a place of intellect.  The mind CANNOT save the day.  Try this and you will see how much energy and time you will have wasted.

No. the “sense” here comes from the HEART and it emanates from a very basic, cardinal place…a place that MUST be accessed to gain THE WISDOM OF LIFE…the place of TRUST.

This means giving up control of understanding the reasons for the SURPRISE and it’s no small task..  It’s easy to feel like you are free-falling…and hopeless…uttterly lost on this quest.  And the reason is that the knowledge being sought does not reside in the intellect (our usual plan of attack to gain information); it is a soul knowledge and we have to develop FAITH that it is here and operating.   (This may easily be the most important part of our earth journey.)

Two days ago I received a message on my email that was channeled from an Ascended Master, El Morya Khan, entitled A Simple But Effective Remedy.and it spoke to my soul.  It gave me deep comfort.  I printed out a part of it…the part which felt so very important... folded  the paper and placed it under my pillow (a variation of sleeping with books under my bed).  

I would like to share this passage with you.  Perhaps it will bring you the peace it brought me. Perhaps it will resonate with your heart.  Perhaps it will help you see more clearly the Light that we are and the beautiful way that we can awaken to this wonderful truth.

It is as if you are being asked to climb a mountain, but you have no idea what you will find at the top. And that is fitting. You do not know -- and we cannot describe that for you. The reason we cannot describe it is because what you are experiencing now in every moment has been very uniquely designed by you for one reason only: To bring you, a sovereign Being of Light, into a full realization of that Light that you carry within.

That is the truth. It is the one and only reason that you are choosing any course of action that you are taking at this time. But how you choose to awaken will be unique to you and you alone. And whatever that course of action might be at any given moment, it is perfect, absolutely perfect for you right now, in this moment.

We know that is a difficult answer for you to accept. And it does not seem to do much to alleviate any worries, fears, or concerns you might have about what you are choosing to experience. We understand that as well.

But we ask you to trust this process. Do not have expectations how things ought to unfold and do not berate yourself if things do not turn out as you think they should. Do not come to conclusions regarding “success” or “failure” as you cannot see the whole picture.

 “Success” or “failure” are terms bound to the Earth plane; from where we observe you, such terms are irrelevant. The only measure of “success” on the higher planes is the degree in which you allow the Light to flow unencumbered through your being.

Having embraced this message through my heart instead of my intellect it seems to me that -

If we choose to positively embrace what is given us and honor it as a Divine spark offering us guidance on our life path, our journey promises to be the amazing adventure we have dreamed of!

In the beautiful Italian phrase of Elizabeth Gilbert spoken at the end of Eat, Pray, Love as she finally finds the message of her life:  

Attraversiamo!

LET'S CROSS OVER!

                                                                                                                                                 Marie Helena

image from en.wikipedia.org

A Heart Connection

Ask questions from your heart and you will be answered from the heart.

- Omaha proverb



If your mind wants to know something, it will go after information as a lawyer does and seek answers to the 5 W’s:
the who. what, where, when and why of an occurrence or event.  You can almost feel the courtroom scene coming into view as these sharply clipped queries flood the metaphorical witness stand.

It’s as if the mind (disguised as a lawyer) has a theory regarding what has occurred and is out to find the corroborating evidence to make its case.  Whenever we, as the witness, sense the “lawyer” approaching us, it is no wonder we so easily withdraw or become defensive.

But no deep value comes from the crisp, pointed tactic of interrogation.  Rather,  the “defendant” moves away from the possibility of a resolution,  feeling threatened by the cold logic of stand alone facts being revealed. 

There is always so much more to the story than the  lawyer’s 5 W’s.  There is always the possibility of unresolved experiences, unhealed pain, misunderstandings and troubling emotions lining the landscape of the event which help explain what has occurred and which need to be considered in understanding how the event has unfolded and how it has impacted someone’s life.

It is not an inquiry from the mind which brings forth this important, sensitive, enlightening  information.  It is a gentle, compassionate invitation from the heart to try to hear the feelings that have been evoked in someone.  

It is the attentive and caring gaze that will help someone feel understood, affirmed and supported and that will help bring forth this information to the Light.  The soft, sweet music of a genuine, loving inquiry will elicit the possibility of an authentic and brave response.

Being understood and cared for can empower us to bravely see what is showing itself in our emotions for our attention and healing.

A loving sense of compassion for someone’s pain, a gentle, caring question about what this feels like and holding space for the answer to reveal itself are what invite the power to ultimately receive these so important messages from the heart.   
                                                                        

                                                                          Marie Helena


image from pinterest

Marissa

 
My name is Marie Helena and I have a story to tell that is startling but true.
 
I had a visit last week from Marissa  (the name I have given to Future Marie).

I bet that little bit of news got your attention.
It got mine, too.

I was stunned to see the evidence of Marissa's visit.  (I didn't actually see her, just the message she left behind.)

 

Here's the back story on how I pieced this together.


It has to do with my relationship with the glorious element of water.

I am a big believer in the awesome and incredible power of water.  I have read several books by Dr. Masaru Emoto and am totally convinced by his work that water holds memory and emotion.



"Dr. Masaru  Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them.
 
He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health."

               from the cover jacket The Hidden Messages in Water by Dr. Masaru Emoto




As a result of my learning about the magical properties of water as discovered by Dr. Emoto, I began to leave post-it note messages on bottles of Fiji water which I drink throughout the day.   Sometimes I would jot them on a scrap of paper and tape them to the bottles.

The messages were always words of  love and caring or emotions I wanted to experience that day such as peace or joy.  


I have also found that by BLESSING THE WATER before I drink it, the taste of the water would transform and become more vibrant and satisfying and so I often perform this ritual with the water I am drinking.


I have been following these very special practices with water for a long while and I think that is why Marissa decided to communicate with me through the emotional intelligence of water.
 

She came at a time that was extremely difficult for me...a time when I was so discouraged I felt as if the lead apron we wear when having our teeth X-rayed had been spread across my entire body.  I had not been able to pull out of this emotional land mine and old triggers of mine had also been activated, rendering me nearly powerless to release my burden.

Into this grave moment of my need Marissa appeared.


I found the evidence of Marissa's visit when I noticed that my thermos (which I often fill with hot water that I like to slowly sip) had a note taped onto it.


A note which I had not put there.
 

The note measured 2" by 5" and was taped VERY securely to the thermos on all sides with clear plastic tape.  The note was blank except for a few letters (obviously the ending of a word which I had written)  which appeared slantwise in the upper right hand corner.

The really interesting thing about the note was that the center had been carefully torn out in a rectangular shape, making the note appear to be a picture frame.

It only took me a moment to see that  the appearance of the note was a message for me and I knew it was especially designed for my attention because I immediately saw that it was a METAPHOR.  (I totally love metaphors and have been known to sprinkle them liberally throughout  the writings in my blog.)

The picture "frame" taped on the thermos  was obviously the picture's foundation and it was taped securely in place on all our sides and thus I saw the clear message that the foundation of my life was clearly in place.  I was unquestioningly SAFE.  

The center part of the picture was empty and was obviously waiting for me to paint it...and the question presenting itself was "What kind of picture would I choose to paint for myself?"


Would I paint a picture of sadness and heaviness?  Or would I choose to paint the lightness of trust and ease and the simple joy of beingness?


Suddenly, it all became clear.

I am the Painter...the Creator of the picture of my life.  And it is SAFE for me to do this.  Moreover, it is my GIFT to do this...the fascinating legacy of life in earth school.



And it's not as if I have never heard before that I create the circumstances of my life.  I certainly have.  But in this moment of pain and anguish my HEART had to hear it again...and Marissa (aka Future Marie) knew that and met me on my path to bring me the message.

 

We are...all of us... INTERDIMENSIONAL BEINGS.  We exist in the past, present and future simultaneously.   I know...that's a lot to wrap our brain around...but if we take our mind out of the picture, we can see oh so clearly how our HEARTS can hear and respond to the message.

 

Here is my amazing HEART RESPONSE to Marissa's message: 

I feel so very deeply loved and cared for.

I feel safe and protected.

I feel grateful for the opportunity to witness the veil which separates the dimensions lifting to bring me the strength and sustenance I needed.





With the infinite measure of Caring and Compassion surrounding us that Marissa's visit reveals...

I feel we will ALWAYS ultimately have the strength to release our earthbound limitations, move bravely forward and take our honored place within our beautiful Universe of Healing and Pure Love.

                                                                                  Marie Helena

Dress Rehearsal

    

The night before a new show opens is filled with hopefulness and excitement.  

This is the perfect opportunity
to showcase our talent, to let ourselves shine and, if we don't get everything perfect, we know that we have the opportunity to do it all over on opening night.  
                                            
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could borrow the energy and rhythm of this special moment and hold a dress rehearsal in the drama of our own lives?
 

When we are faced with an uncomfortable or distressing or even painful situation...what if we held a dress rehearsal in our HEART on how we are going to respond to the situation?   
What if we took a moment  
 to
 breathe deeply,
 send ourselves compassion for our distress
    and then 
 envision how we could address what is presenting itself to us 
 from the position of pure love? 

Granted, this would definitely slow down the time it would take to respond, but imagine the beautiful inspiration we could evoke by asking this one, very important question:  WHAT WOULD LOVE DO?

 
The dress rehearsal in our heart would surely lead us to some lovely compassion (for ourselves and others) and could help us choose a response that would feel very PEACEFUL and COMFORTING.


And that PEACEFUL feeling would send a powerful message to all of the cells of our body which tune in so closely to our emotions, sending us those GLORIOUS endorphins and speeding the rate of any healing our body needs to deliver.
Isn't it fabulous what love can do!


                                                                                Marie Helena

image from cutcaster.com