Letting go of relationships with those we have cared deeply for, is one of the most difficult tasks in life. The choice to remain true to Self, to honor, respect and do no harm, to be compassionate, kind and remain heart centered, while choosing to align with one’s internal guidance, awareness, resonance and values is not always met with agreement or understanding.

The pain another feels in the process of an individual’s choices being carried out, deserves tenderness and compassion, yet does not diminish the necessity to honor one’s own heart, truth, alignment and knowing. We can only, ultimately, be responsible for ourselves- not in the selfish sense, rather as informed Spirit in motion. As informed Spirit in motion, caring for others when inspired and directed, becomes our joy rather than a co-dependent task based on what others want from us for them to be happy.

Each beings happiness, well-being and choices are their own- a state of BE-ing connected with-in to the true Source of All. Until one resides and abides in and through that awareness, happiness and life seem to be attached to variables outside Self. The belief that happiness can be found in another, a place, a thing, creates the experiences of joy in finding, acquiring and the pain of losing.

Love, peace, joy, happiness and Grace are our natural state of BE-ing. It is what we are; birthed in, through, with and as the light and Source of all life. We are taught and learn through others perceptions and beliefs to let go of our own knowing and to accept and take on the views of others. Families, schools, peer groups, religious organizations, medical, political, activity and interest based communities all have their own belief systems and agreements that participants align with to be a “cooperative” member. Conforming insures the survival of the group. Dis-empowerment under the guise of support often goes unnoticed.

Yet, within the design of each being, is the infinite wisdom to follow their own heart and inner knowing- to BE happy, in their own way, to live their own expression of Source as encoded in their own individualized expression of the One.

Rather than imposing conformity, what if the people and organizations who influenced us, taught us to be authentic expressions of Spirit as it evolves, blossoms and quickens within us? What if they encouraged us to go within ourselves as our main re-Source? Who would we BE if we had been encouraged from birth to be the God we are individually and collectively? Imagine having been taught to respect, honor and nurture with loving kindness and compassion, each beings journey and unfolding- knowing we cannot “take” from another anything of God. We can only share it. It IS who we are.

When we forget this, we seek satisfaction and fulfillment outside ourselves. We long to be and have all that we have yet to own and recognize within- hence, the pain of perceiving and then being without what we desire.

We are creative powerhouses of Spirit. We can live and experience anything we believe. Knowing this, we can let go and let God…let go, let be, forgive, trust, be grateful, celebrate and welcome the ever flowing divine providence that informs and blesses our lives. You may say, “It sounds good on paper”, or “How do we get there from here?” The answer is so simple; most don’t “see” it.

We are a society of do-ers, busier than ever before; multi-taskers and distracted by as much as possible from morning to night. We think and move quickly, react quickly from moment to moment. To “see” it, we must slow down, be still, day dream, create white space on our calendars and in our lives, in our tasks, conversations and all we do. We need to make room for God as Presence.

Healing comes with Presence. Running from, avoiding and covering our pain with business and substances, rehashing the past and fearing the future, is not living in the present. It is avoiding it. Grace, presence of mind, heart, BEing and the moment are only to be found in the NOW. Learning to spend time IN each moment, fully present, breathing and BEing rather than doing, affords us the opportunity to tap into the fullness of life, Spirit and the universe with-in. We become in-formed with in-sight and add to our consciousness bank account the presence and abundance of all possibilities in life.

If we bring an open mind and heart to the ever unfolding and informing Presence, we become the creator Gods we were designed and born to be. The magic is in our essence as presence. We may look to a person, teaching, substance, entertainment or distraction to help us deal with life, to learn and grow and even to develop our spiritual awareness, yet to embody and sustain the continuous unfolding, unfurling and evolution of our Spirit, we must spend time within- BE-ing fully present with ourselves in meditation, nature, creativity, work, making love, silence, stillness and prayer, etc. Living this within creates the outer experiences of it in our lives.

There are a million paths to God and our full, undivided presence with our own essence is ours. Investing in our own presence bank account, so that we can sustain and maintain deeper and deeper presence in all we do, is the greatest gift we can give ourselves, another and the world. The synchronistic weaving of life as it informs itself individually and collectively, honors and respects all life. Life becomes lived as a blessing for All.

The freedom to be authentic is living truth. Letting go opens the door to receiving. Trusting God within eliminates fear and lack. Residing within our own happiness and light gives others permission to do the same and releases attachments to that which is outside us so we can “go with the flow”. Living the flow of Spirit brings All into harmony, balance, peace and joy.

So, when we are faced with letting go, or the decision to change a relationship or situation, instead of judging, projecting, blaming and reacting, we can remind ourselves of the fullness of our Spirit, our Higher Selves and spend time with ourselves, so we respond from and as presence.

Receiving our-Selves this way may not immediately make everything better, yet the more we practice, it will help us to be-come ever present with our emotions and patterns of thought, belief systems and judgments. In the light of clarity, new solutions and new questions appear, bringing hope and interpretation to what previously seemed hopeless and unanswerable.

Sitting with ourselves for the first time, or the hundredth time, we can intend to lovingly, gently, peacefully and joyously meet the God within. That in and of itself puts Grace in motion… so we can let go …and let God.

~By Beloved Heartsong

originally published in Inner Change Online Magazine-
April/May 2003

It seems there is so much to pray for
and so many who “need” our prayers!

 

Through the very act of calling forth divine intervention, it may be that we are overlooking a very important fundamental truth.

We are all One.
So if…. We are all One
and one with All,
we are already
that which we seek.
Nothing is outside us. The love we seek is within.The abundance we grasp for   never left us, and…the peace we dream of is a state of being. And, by living and understanding this, we can all know the joy of the universal, inner magic that can be accessed through the divine inner dialogue and relationship of self with Source.

Whether we are praying for ourselves or others, for many, praying is a statement of desire and many do not realize this wanting implies lack. As the universe responds to our thoughts with a mighty “YES!”, our statements of longing/lack keep us from that which we desire most. We draw to ourselves that state which we affirm, our wanting. If we will only remember that we ARE the same creative force and love that animates the universe, we can redirect our prayers and intentions to responsibly manage our own thoughts and energy; thereby creating our lives from a place of empowerment.

Empowerment lies in the level of responsibility we are willing to take for ourselves. Do we believe in our own divinity? Do we trust what we believe? Do we know ourselves as truth? Are we willing to be the love and the peace we seek for ourselves and the world? Are we willing to model this level of integrity for our children and each other? Can we follow the song of our own heart with joy, passion and conviction?

If we truly have faith and believe in the power of prayer as setting conscious intention, then we only need state it once. We know by affirming our power as divine beings that we have set a desired course in motion. We have all heard, “So BE it!” This is what that means. I add, So LIVE it!! And then, the next step is letting go in trust. We do not need to re-focus on our prayer, because it is already done. All we need do is carry on with our lives, knowing that what is for the highest good of All WILL occur.

During a meditation a few months ago, I saw before me the word “HOPE” and I heard the meaning of it: Heaven Opens the Path Effortlessly. I really like that. Hope is not wishing something will be true. Hope is trusting in the flow of divine timing, guidance and perspective. How comforting it is to release the need to direct everything! Life in the conscious flow of hope totally supports effective prayer.

 Often we pray for what we believe is best for a situation or another. But, can we truly know what is best for someone else? The gift of prayer is in offering our hearts and energy to support that which serves the highest good of All~ THAT which already IS ~ And the beauty of this gift is we don’t have to know what it is and we don’t have to manage it. It is simply for us to let it go. The act of flowing our love in support of what best serves All IS the gift.

~By Beloved Heartsong

Published in Mountain Spirit Chronicles, Mt. Shasta, CA
Summer/Fall Issue 2009
 

In the Unified Field of Love of All That Is, we bask. We bathe. We ARE.

It is in this Cosmic Grace that we are held, loved, and nurtured on the deepest levels, always. Through the opening and unfolding of this consciousness, we have our mystical, profound, heart opening and life changing experiences and revelations. It is here we breathe our eternal breath and feel the deepest, most satisfying and encompassing Divine Love. There are many names for this field; such as God, Spirit, the Universal Life Force, Source, etc. It is this field of love that holds Heaven, the Angels, the Ascended Masters, and many other cosmic beings. It is also the Source of all inspiration, genius and the highest light- the unspeakable majesty of All That Is. It is where we have come from, where we are going; our true resting place and… the Unified Field of Love is where we are now.

Is it true that we are already there? HOME? SAFE? LOVED? WHOLE?

Yes it is. It is true. It is TRUTH.

OK, I can hear some of you saying, “How can that be? My life doesn’t feel like that.” Or…”Well, maybe for some, but it seems that most people are struggling right now.” Or…“I only feel that way when I meditate.”

In response, I offer that all of the spectrum of life experience can play out in and around us, and at the same time, we can choose to perceive and participate in the deeper, more profound truth that always IS. Our perception in any moment is what aligns us with peace or drama, comfort or pain, authorship of our lives or blame and victimhood. The discomfort may seem real, yet it is the product of something we are doing or experiencing. It is not the truth of who we are. We do not have to re-act to outer circumstances as if they were the full truth of all that is.

What we experience in our lives is an out-picturing of our inner and often subconscious beliefs and agreements shaped through past beliefs and experiences in our lives. We build our world from the inside out and if we remember what truly lies at our core and focus on and participate with that, we will become more balanced observers wielding conscious choice rather than re-acting to a drama that has been played out before in many times, many ways. We can set healthy boundaries for ourselves in every area of life, knowing that this Unified Field of Love is our essence and foundation. And, we hold space for others to lift their perceptions and entrain to this truth as we live it ourselves.

I had some great training in this when my children were younger and going through their teenage years. I allowed myself to get wrapped up in their dramas, pain, and conflicts. I’m sure many of you can relate to this – having had or been a rebellious teen at some point yourselves. In my personal and spiritual life and healing/coaching practice, I was thriving. I was living my teachings, eating well, exercising, doing yoga and meditating every day. I loved my work, my home, my friends, and my life… except for the struggles of my children. I kept asking myself, “What am I doing wrong? Why am I experiencing this in my life if everything else seems so right?” “Where are my blind spots?” “Spirit, what is it I need to be aware of here?”

It seemed I had it all together and figured out everywhere but there. I had been a great Mom and the experience of their earlier years was terrific. We truly had the seemingly perfect, beautiful and joyous family life. And yet, with the divorce, for two of my three kids, life now seemed to be hell. The third was happy and easy going. He, although in the same house with us, always went with the flow, and did life with a smile. Our pain was not his. He observed and had compassion, and yet didn’t “take it on” as his own. He digested a lot for the family and I learned a lot from watching him. He saw through different eyes and lived a parallel reality right there in our home!

I was shown during those years that although I was “at home” and comfortable in my own way of perceiving life and the world around me, my struggling teens were learning to do the same. They were experiencing the darkness to be able to choose the light. Their pain was part of their process of unveiling life. They were BE-coming the fullness of their choices to be able to re-negotiate, balance and align themselves over and over again. I realized that all along, I had trusted Spirit to hold and mold me, my clients and the world at large, yet, had inadvertently forgotten (and to this they would say, “Duh! Mom!”) to remember in the middle of witnessing their pain and problems, that my children were also held in the same Grace and field of love of All That Is. I needed to trust their internal and spiritual process as fully as I trusted my own.

So, how does this all apply here? Well, I’m offering this example in hopes that it will inspire you to re-member what is true within yourself. In the community of the world, we are all participating with light, dark, love, despair, wisdom and ignorance in infinite forms. If we remind ourselves that even though our life experience takes many shapes and faces, we can better hold space for the transformation we seek if we hold ourselves and others in the Presence, knowing, and BE-ing of the Unified Field of Love. We never leave this field- only our perception does. And, re-aligning our perception realigns the people, experiences and circumstances we create and draw to ourselves.

Those who seem lost in pain, despair, doom and gloom, can build a good case up for continued suffering. After all, it’s in the papers, on the TV and all the experts agree. You’ve heard it before, “Misery loves company.” And, of course, knowing what we know about manifesting consciously, we would personally opt to focus only on the joyous feeling of gratitude for the desired outcome already achieved and received and starve any other thoughts of our attention. Those who haven’t actually learned how to make this work for themselves yet, may think we are being unrealistic or even crazy. Dropping our awareness to meet others in despair doesn’t serve anyone. Witnessing with compassion and meeting them from our center of truth does.

As we call our attention and presence into the Unified Field of Love, we breathe in the Grace, feel the truth of our divine essence and presence, and perceive it here and now. Let that emanate about us. Let us send that out on the breeze. Let it change the way we see, think and act. Let this truth change the climate of our lives and the world.

Our thoughts, hearts and bodies are constantly sorting multi- dimensional information and experiences. Our assignment, should we choose to accept it (which at times seems like a Mission Impossible), is truly possible and probable. If we intend, ever in the present moment to breathe in and BE in the Unified Field of Love in all our thoughts, choices, actions, words and deeds, we find ourselves in good company. We participate in, move and create from the collective consciousness of the highest matrix of light, love, wisdom and Grace. And, in living the unity of love, we offer the greatest gift of All.

~by Beloved Heartsong
originally published in Inner Change Online Magazine- June/July 2002

As I reflect while writing this, I am once again in awe of the many ways in which my life has been blessed and changed by the gift of LaHo-Chi. I took the Level I workshop in 1995. Since then, I have continuously been amazed and thrilled with the infinite ways this beautiful energy has opened the spiritual doors to my soul.

When first exposed to LaHo-Chi, I immediately began seeing colors and visions. I began seeing movies in my head of people’s past lives and childhoods. I started receiving messages that were confirmed over and over again. It wasn’t long after that I began channeling poetry and writing. A few years later, I began consciously channeling the Ascended Masters, Angels and Spirit Guides. I have since channeled books and music and am enjoying the many blessings as they continue to unfold. It is not uncommon for people who attend the workshops to report the same findings. LaHo-Chi is a gentle but powerful rocket booster into an individual’s spiritual growth.

LaHo-Chi (pronounced lah hoe chee) is a very high vibrational spiritual and energetic laying-on-of-hands healing system. People become greatly empowered and dazzle themselves as they learn how to use and more fully understand the universal life-force energy for healing of self and others. It is very simple to learn and use. It can be used alone or in conjunction with any other healing modalities. Unlike Reiki, there are no attunements and you can learn all you need to learn to be a wonderful healer in just one weekend. There are other workshops available if you would like to expand your knowledge and skills as a healer or become a certified practitioner, but they aren’t necessary to launch yourself as a healer.

LaHo-Chi has an intelligence of it’s own; gently and effortlessly lifting pain and trauma stored in the emotional, physical, mental and etheric bodies. Whether a client is awake, asleep, or in a meditative state, they receive whatever healing is for their highest good. The practitioner is simply a vessel for the energy to flow through – allowing for and also receiving the beautiful gifts of spiritual hands on healing.

I was very impressed and excited when I first started using this energy on my three children. When having trouble going to sleep, they would fall asleep almost immediately after I put my hands on them and invoked the energy. There were numerous times when they were hurt and crying and LaHo-Chi cut the crying time in half! Once, in a grocery store parking lot, my 5 year old had his hand smashed in the van door- it closed on all 4 fingers. Of course he screamed and was in great pain. I immediately cupped my hands around his hurt hand and invoked the energy. After about 5 minutes, he said he was O.K. to go in the store. About 5-10 minutes later, I asked him how his hand was and he couldn’t remember which hand had been smashed!! I was very impressed!

As a LaHo-Chi instructor, I have watched hundreds of students & clients open to and receive messages of their heart, soul, higher consciousness and guides and angels. So many become propelled forward on their spiritual path and in their daily lives with exposure to LaHo-Chi. I use this amazing energy with myself, my family members, pets and friends. I use it for discomfort and in health and continue to see remarkable results. I also use it as active prayer and for global and cosmic consciousness.

In a session, the experience is usually one of deep relaxation and great peace. It is common for the client to report heightened sensations and delicate vibrations in, on and around the body such as tingling, heat, cold, seeing colors and angels, hearing messages or voices singing, smelling scents that are not physically in the room, a sense of expanded consciousness and knowing, and the gentle feeling of other loving hands and beings being present.

In the workshops, the group experiences a deep sense of loving and unity as they embrace and celebrate these magical and profound experiences. There is an energetic current that magnifies the resonance between the participants. This group resonance creates a tangible and unique energy field or vortex that acts as a gateway for accessing new levels of higher consciousness.

One of the most noticeable manifestations of this is the activation and expansion of the heart center. The sensation of being in the heart is the feeling of pure, unconditional love. I continue to assist in as many workshops as possible, just to be a part of the beauty, joy and wonder of souls coming home to themselves as they find and acknowledge the divinity within.

The LaHo-Chi Institute is based in Mt. Shasta, CA and Hendersonville, N.C. (near Asheville) and is co-directed by myself and Dr. Dan Watson.  We travel around the world teaching and inspiring others to open to the gifts of spiritual growth through energetic hands on healing and other modalities. These experiential workshops are  educational, enlightening,  fun, relaxing and joyous!

~by Beloved Heartsong

There is nothing more powerful and desirable than our full attention and awareness in the present moment. From this place we can joyously create our future, our health, our relationships and true happiness. Being fully present for ourselves and others is the greatest gift we can bestow.

In this era of high technology, it gets easier and easier to multi-task and lose sight of the fact that we aren’t really functioning at as high and clear a level as we may think we are. If we are distracted or busy with several things- even if we think we are good at it, we aren’t really showing up for life, ourselves and each other. As we dissipate our energy, focus and attention, less of us shows up and is available for the tasks at hand. The power we bring to anyone or anything as we concentrate our energy and attention in one place is unlimited.

Our children and family members want our full attention. Our lovers and friends do, too. How about clients and customers? I’ve noticed more and more that in the work place, employees often do not even say hello or make eye contact with those whom they are serving. Society seems to be more robotic at times than human. We forget to look into each others eyes and souls, to feel each others hearts while we are talking and to really listen. People we meet on the street will open their hearts and smile if we do the same.

We can bless the world with all we think, say and do. The world needs us- to be the beacons, the examples, the teachers. Our fullness, our Grace, our love, our tenderness and compassion, our heart and full presence collectively is the nectar that all life longs to drink. As we spill forth, the God we are blossoms as conscious humanity.

Remember the Beatles song, “Money can’t buy me love”? Maybe the greatest gift we can give this holiday season is time and nurturing to ourselves. Maybe simply sitting, holding hands in silence with a loved one or slowing down to notice how and where the people we care about most need our presence. How can we open them with our love? Are we bringing enough energy, kindness, integrity, play and love to our interactions with self and others?

We have to slow down and take a deep breath to be able to answer the questions honestly and clearly. We have to really want to make a positive difference to change our busy and often destructive and self sabotaging habits that keep us from really living fully. We all have plenty of reasons and excuses to be busy, but excuses won’t let us take responsibility for what we’re doing- excuses keep us in denial. And, excuses will never satisfy a loved one who simply wants your time and presence.

If, when we get frustrated with ourselves or someone else, we just stop and ask ourselves what it would take to move the situation forward with love, so that everyone involved feels seen, heard, acknowledged and honored, our hearts will engage at a deeper level and the result will be healthier and more joyous selves and relationships.

Let’s slow down, take a deep breath and wrap ourselves up in love.

by Beloved Heartsong
originally published in Inner Change Online Magazine- June/July 2004

All of the dreams of humanity experience a conception, a shifting, a re-shuffling and then a birthing into light. This is not a finite process, but one in which creation is ever changing, ever evolving into greater levels of clarity and refinement. This is what many call chaos. And, chaos is a term that feels un-comfortable to most. It represents what we fear most- the unknown and the feeling of being out of control.

Chaos in and of itself motivates and seems to call to us to create order. Yet, as soon as we have what appears to be order, we begin to re-think how we can continue controlling it- which only seems to work for a little while- because, in truth, we can’t. Life isn’t static. Chaos is the universe in motion, in it’s natural process of evolution. The great paradox here is that the order of the universe holds itself in constant change.

As we open to new possibilities and experiences in every moment, we learn to live and BE in the moment. All of our power and creativity comes from the present moment. We struggle so to be masters of our own universe, and often become disillusioned and disappointed with the people, circumstances and world around us. Who we are within ourselves in each moment is all we can control. We often desire to direct or control others and situations outside ourselves, but the truth is- we are all we have providence over. As Spirit is in All, we are filled with the Spirit that forms, moves and shapes All. We can affect great changes from within- not only for ourselves, but for the world.

As we participate in thoughts, we participate in and create the inner landscape of our choosing. This in turn shapes our outer experience. How we check ourselves; catching our thoughts of negativity and judgment and redirecting our consciousness into thoughts of the desired outcome or solution, is the only process by which we arrive at any semblance of order. We find peace within our own peaceful thoughts. We find joy, pain, freedom, limitation, health and abundance- anything we choose, through our thoughts. We create the joy of tomorrow through our joyful being today. As we choose thoughts and focus, our own inner light radiates and draws to us the people and experiences that will support who we are. All we experience outwardly is a reflection of who we are within. Knowing this, trying to affect change by going outside ourselves is like trying to reach through a mirror to touch our face. The reflection is not where we start, it is within. The reflection can only be changed from within.

We need not be victims of chaos or drama. Everything we experience is a call to love; to love ourselves more, to love others more, to love life more, to breathe life and love into all we see and do. In each moment we have the opportunity to recreate ourselves. We can stand in love, we can bless the chaotic opportunities presented to us to re-invent who we are and we can learn to be loving and gentle not only with others, but most importantly, with ourselves. As we do this, we become better and better at loving and living; being fully present in the moment and choosing again and again to be the most joyful, loving supporter of our own dreams and heart. In this way, we create the experiences within and around us that will call more of the same into our lives.

All we experience is an outer reflection of our inner world. This loving universe of free-will says a mighty, “YES!!” to all we choose. Our hopes, dreams, beliefs, doubts, fears and worries all magnetize to us more of the same. Whatever we focus on or give energy to, creates our immediate and future opportunities in our lives. If we choose to participate in thoughts of lack, fear, worry and doubt, the universe says, “Yes. You may experience as much of that as you like.” And, as soon as we choose to participate in thoughts and feelings of peace, joy, love, success, happiness and understanding, the universe says, “Yes!”

Our prayers, angels and guides are always available and loving us. They are ready and willing to help and support. It is our free will that determines the amount of interaction and intervention we experience. The more open we are to receive, and the more we listen to and act upon what we receive, the more gentle our messages. If we ignore the subtleties, they may have to “speak louder” to get our attention. Here again, we have the choice to be as loving and gentle with ourselves as possible.

Our hearts know our joy and as we listen to our hearts and our guidance, and gently follow what brings us feelings of inner peace, joy and love, we become part of the flow of the ever loving universe. Chaos is a great teacher –we can continue to struggle with trying to change others and circumstances to create peace within, or we can become part of the flow through the inner landscape of our hearts. As we get better and better at being what we seek, we effect great change in our lives, the lives of others, and become an example of living in the flow.

~By Beloved Heartsong

Deep within the psyche of humankind is the capacity, ability and drive to persevere. Although developed and genetically stored as a survival tool, it has become a spiritual ascension tool.

In the spiritual evolution of man, survival often meant you had to keep your beliefs under wraps. Truth cost lives, trials, torture, death and even wars. It wasn’t safe to believe in God; specifically your own version of God. And, it wasn’t allowed socially- so at the very least, you could be shamed, ostracized and shunned from your family and community.

Although there are still many people who do not yet feel free to express their individual beliefs spiritually, in this country, we have the right and opportunity to explore, refine and re-define our views and feelings.

As this freedom has opened the doors of heaven, so to speak, we find ourselves now in a spiritual explosion. This is a good thing! We have expos, workshops, techniques, healing modalities, therapies, products, etc., that all support the exploration of our body, mind, Spirit connection. We are encouraged to expand our thinking, feeling, knowing and experience through not only our five physical senses, but also through our inner/subtle/multi-dimensional selves.

All this brings us to a new way of persevering. We are forging pathways to truth. We are finding ourselves developing the ability to discern what is right for our next steps in spiritual growth, what feeds our soul and makes our hearts sing. The joy of our heart and the fullness and flow of life from this place becomes our crusade.

How blessed we are to have the freedom, time and energy to explore ourselves. So much of the world is still deeply involved with survival. From this point of gratitude, we can see that there are many people in the trenches of life who persevere with their beliefs; religious and spiritual, to carry them through. They may even say it is their faith in those beliefs and their God that does the carrying.

This brings us back to the place where many, and I venture to say where most, of us reading this are – in the lap of spiritual luxury. We get to choose, to ponder, to play with our spirituality. We can go into a workshop, a place of worship, a book, the woods, ourselves, another’s eyes, or even the mall, and find God. We aren’t limited, we are free! We are soaring with the discoveries we are making within.

So, we persevere. We may not know where we are going or exactly what we are looking for, but we seek and search. What is it we are hoping to find? A bigger, deeper, more exciting or expanded experience of God? Ourselves? Each other? The world? Yes, yes, and YES!! Of course. And, why not?

Which brings us to unity. Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you, you get what you ask for. We are all going Home. Whatever we believe, whatever pictures we paint in our minds, however diverse our journeys, we are riding One train- all roads lead to Mecca. You get the point- however different we are in thought and living, we are one humanity.

So, as we persevere as infinite expressions of the One, we may find we are already that which we seek, or we may continue to explore, seek and search for the unlimited and multi-faceted expressions of ourselves.

As we honor what we are moving toward and the universal journey we share, whatever our beliefs in God, Spirit, universal life force, we can choose to be loving, gentle, powerful and joyous expressions of unfolding life. We can consciously influence through intention, thoughts, word and deed, all our experience.

We can become the thousand petaled lotus in infinite bloom. We ascend into the depths of our divinity. We create Heaven on Earth with each person, with each choice, as we spiritually persevere.

by Beloved Heartsong

February 2011

Spiritual bypass is the use of whatever means we employ to not deal with what is true and real within our emotional bodies. We can all see the places in our lives that aren’t working as well as we would like. Why they aren’t most often stems from unconscious belief systems. If we knew what they were, we would have addressed and fixed them. We all have core subconscious patterns of thought, some which developed before birth, some as children and they have replayed themselves over and over in our lives like a scratched record. These patterns drive us and run the show much more than we realize. Because we are not aware of them, they remain unaddressed until our persistent behaviors, addictions, discomfort or relationship patterns scream loud enough to capture our attention and make us want to change.

 Inner awareness and development, or the lack thereof, creates our outer personal and collective experience. All over the world, there are levels of awareness and resonance that create pockets of thought, interest groups and communities. Each offers a mask, a veil if you will, that separates it from what doesn’t seem to belong in the proverbial box that holds as its focus, the defining attributes that make it unique; that give it its flavor and character.

Each individual creates the opportunity within themselves to pick and choose what will and won’t serve their highest good. The veil each wears, serves their personal growth; allowing for the lessons of contrast to educate and develop them through the mirror of their outer experiences until they choose something new. Each choice becomes an adventure into a new expression of the last, until the veil thins and eventually lifts.

Whatever the outward appearance of our daily lives, growth is inevitable. We either grow unconsciously as life seems to shape us by default, or with the budding awareness that we are opening and changing and that there is more to us, our perception and substance than we previously knew. And, there are those for whom self development is a delicious endeavor.

Whatever “box” the life we were born to afforded us, we can choose to grow our inner selves beyond our childhood, within and above life circumstances, affiliations, family, friends, what we do and how we have defined ourselves by what we do. We can learn to simply BE, although learning to BE-come our fuller selves isn’t always simple.

Many start from the outside – trying to change those around them and their outer circumstances to align their lives in the way they see fit. And, although we can arrive at the door of inner development from any vantage point, far fewer start from the inside to affect change in their outer lives. A great number arrive at this threshold out of desperation.

Why is that? Well, the way we perceive the world with our outer senses, it often seems logical to blame outer circumstances and others for our dissatisfaction and discomfort. When we do, we often don’t realize we are betraying ourselves by giving our responsibility and power away to whatever or whomever we are blaming. Our judgment and projections create the feeling and perception of separation, and because in Truth we are never separate from our Source and therefore each other, those beliefs create and magnetize to us the outer expressions of separation, limitation and betrayal in our experience. It takes a higher level of spiritual maturity, growth and wisdom to truly integrate the knowing that we create our reality- individually and collectively from the inside-out.

The Higher Selves of others are all cooperative classmates. The entire universe conspires in every moment to uplift and bless us with more love, light and awareness. Our classmates become the messengers bringing the messages (that we don’t always enjoy receiving) to bring deeper awareness and in-sight to our lives. They teach us that what we fear, avoid, deny or bury in our subconscious, comes back to haunt us through a myriad of experiences and messengers until we bring our loving Presence to integrate and heal it.

It is so easy, in this day and age, to distract ourselves from our discomfort. We are most often taught by society to work, live and think in certain ways, and are less often taught to be true to ourselves, to follow our hearts and inner knowing. And, then after abandoning ourselves in such a profound way, to fit in and follow the example that has been set for us, we live our lives by society’s or someone else’s standards, unhappy and in dis-ease. We end up creating exactly that which we didn’t want in our lives. We don’t understand why after doing as we were taught, that we are not happier and more fulfilled.

There are a million ways to entertain and engage (or more accurately; dis-engage) the parts of us that don’t want to feel the depth of our fear, frustration, anger, pain, sadness, memories and longing. We identify ourselves with our pain, illness and circumstances, yet we eat, drink, socialize and find a myriad of ways and addictions to “zone out” to escape our perceived pain. And, in the name of taking care of ourselves, we come up with many excuses to justify our actions in defense of not approaching our pain. In doing this, we avoid exactly that which holds the key to our freedom, release and healing.

We aren’t supposed to run and flee from pain; it is an opportunity to be present with an un-integrated part of ourselves. That part is desiring and requiring our loving and patient embrace to come BE with it and bring it into the circle of wholeness rather than separate ourselves from it. It is an invitation from our Spirit to BE-come.

 If we let our pride step out of the way and don’t distract or numb ourselves from the discomfort, we find the parts of ourselves that have yet to be met with the conscious love, attention and PRESENCE that they are so hungry for. Simply BE-ing with what IS can be enough; not judging it or fearing it, just noticing and allowing; giving voice or a sound to the shadow; freeing it from a time when you did not know how to integrate it with loving consciousness.

One of the easiest ways to begin to become more aware is to simply BE. Most of us are not encouraged or even taught how to BE. A simple example of this is that as children, we are told to snap out of our “day dreams”. We learn to be embarrassed that we were present with ourselves and not the group. We are taught over and over again that the measure of a good person is what they DO- and that makes them who they ARE. Yet, who we truly ARE behind the veils of our personae is God, Source, Spirit, universal life force and already whole and healed, loved and held in infinite Grace. This is the true and eternal part of us, the “I” in me and the “I” in you. This truth is often the part of us we most ignore or abandon completely. How can we expect the outer manifestations of life to show up for us if we abandon the truest part of our (Inner) Selves?

 So, what does BE-ing look like? How do we get a sense of Self worth if we are not doing? BE-ing can be a momentary experience or a way of BE-ing with life. As with anything in life, the more we practice something, the better we get at it. Even on a cherished vacation, we need time to adjust to a new state of BE-ing. After months of daily stress, multi-tasking, going and doing and performing, it can take a few days of vacation to settle in to a new level of relaxation. And, just as we start to get the hang of it, it’s usually time to return home to the grind of Do-ing again.

Sometimes, from just Be-ing, we receive insights, guidance, inspiration and clarity. We remember the truth of who we are. We remember we are not our jobs, families, thoughts, emotions, pains and stances- they just pass through us. We wear them for a while, but they are not us. We are so much more- we are life force itself, God in motion, the love, the light, the wisdom and the Grace.

And, even if we take literally just one moment to be still and aware of our Inner Presence before we drive the car, before we go into a meeting, before we express our anger, make a decision and before we make love, we will then place ourselves more in alignment with the Inner Presence in all life and all beings. Meeting each other and life from and in that place affords us greater harmony and alignment- inside and out.

In the circle of life, the wholeness and unity of All is always Present….
and is re-presented within each of us. Where we are on the path at any given moment in relation to others is not better than or less than. It simply is. We are all learning and growing in the same classroom. We may have judgments, beliefs and perceptions that make us feel superior or inferior, yet, if we drop our veils long enough to remember the light, love and wisdom that is our Source and Truth, we can re-member our consciousness into the all inclusive circle of life and know that we are whole, we are One, we are healed. And, once we truly know that, healing is an inside job and there is really nothing to heal except our perceptions.

~By Beloved Heartsong

Fall 2008

I have had several write me recently about how to “see” and “BE” with what is going on in our world now. Many are concerned about money, the economy, the political scene, and what I am most concerned about is the spiritual community of the world. Who are we as the millions of light players on the planet living our daily lives? Who ARE we individually and collectively? By this, I mean, how do we choose to hold our thoughts and live our lives?  How do we show up for ourselves, each other and the world?

 We have come to be in these amazing times. We have chosen to be instrumental in shifting the consciousness of the planet at this time. So, why do we ever forget who we are? WE (as a spiritual collective on this planet) in the past, have needed a lot of nudging and reminders that WE ARE beautiful and powerful beings of light, love and wisdom! We tend to think it and spout it rather than BE it. It sounds good on paper, and yet, we sometimes aren’t sure how to own it, “wear” it and put it to good use in our daily lives.

No need to make ourselves wrong or judge our lapses in consciousness. The reason we forget is that we live in a world of illusion that seems real. This affords us the opportunity to constantly, in every moment, choose to return to embrace and live TRUTH. It keeps us active, in the present moment. From this place and this place only, we effect the greatest change and wield the greatest power. We can train our brains to observe the doubt, fear or lack of faith we are participating in and then, in just a few seconds, we can choose to participate in thoughts of the desired outcome.

We can choose to take ourselves quickly in and out of FEELING any emotion. The more we do this, the better we get at it. Just like any skill, practice makes perfect. Pretty soon, it becomes easier to re-member ourselves, easier to hold the truth in any situation, easier to BE peaceful, trusting, loving, present and WHOLE. The more we KNOW this, the more our cells vibrate with the higher frequencies of truth and love. Our vibrant, radiant light shines brighter, inspiring and lifting us and those and the world around us.

We KNOW better than to give energy and focus to that which we don’t want, yet we at times, find ourselves in the loop of habitual thought and focus. It takes RIGHT USE OF WILL and perseverance to hold our truth and center in the face of adversity- one moment and choice at a time. Here and now, front and center.

As we listen to the news or friends speak of their fear, crashing markets, foreclosures, etc., we may not realize it, but we often find ourselves “reeled in” to their belief systems and the energy of their illusory pain (you’ve heard, ‘misery loves company’)- and if enough people hold and participate in that belief, well, the mass consciousness becomes a giant snowball of energy in THAT direction. We walk away from conversations feeling drained, distracted, and looking to someone or something outside of us to shift us back into feeling better without realizing what we just did. Do we really want to support, fuel, or give our energy and attention to that?

 So, my question and concern is, how well is the mass consciousness of the “enlightened” spiritual community of the world holding their center when they hear all this? Are we diligently returning to HOME BASE within our own minds? Are we choosing to witness and observe and self adjust our thoughts and feelings to experience the joy of the desired outcome instead? Are we remembering to LIVE GRATITUDE for all that we are and all that we have in their lives? Are we remembering that living gratitude actually creates abundance? Are we remembering that WE are the EXAMPLE FOR THE WORLD TO FOLLOW?

We have all heard for years about how to manifest our dreams. We have read Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting (by Lynn Grabhorn) and have listened to Abraham tapes (Esther Hicks). Most of us can spout it out to someone else upside down and backwards. Yet, here we are, living the true test of our ability and conviction. It’s our chance to really shine and make the difference we came to BE!

How? Remember, we ARE the light of God, we ARE the love, we ARE the infinite blessings of all that we have ever desired and dreamed. So, as we wield our powerful swords of mighty thought, HERE WE ARE! What ARE those thoughts we are moving around with such force? Are we standing sure and true that God is our source and therefore there is ONLY ABUNDANCE (of whatever we choose to focus on) through that truth? Are we remembering that as we believe, so IT SHALL BE? That’s where “So BE it!” came from! It doesn’t mean, ‘I wish it would happen’! It means SO…(go ahead and) BE IT! Live it! Act as if all you KNOW is that God, Spirit, Source, Creator is working through you in all you think, do, see, believe, breathe and choose. Choose love. Choose faith. Choose kindness. Choose compassion. Choose to listen to that which you would LOVE to fill your mind and heart with- and stop participating in and listening to FEAR (false expectation appearing real).

What if we decided the most loving thing we could do for ourselves when friends and family want to tell us how they (think they) KNOW about fear and doom and gloom, is to say, “I acknowledge where you are with it and I choose to see and FEEL my future as supporting me joyously in all I need. God is my source! (Not the stock market or a job.) Thank you for voting my victory and holding me in that light!”

 OK- so we may not choose to actually say that out loud to everyone, although, we can choose to say it to ourselves- over and over and over again. As many times as it takes, we do it. We have a choice. In every moment we have a choice.

 The mental and emotional health of the spiritual community and all of the world is blessed by our every positive thought, feeling and choice! Our choices are the building blocks of our future.

What will you choose?

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
― Lao Tzu

 

~ by Beloved Heartsong

originally published in Mountain Spirit Chronicles, Mt. Shasta CA
Winter 2007/Spring 2008

I’ve been thinking about expectations a lot lately ~ noticing within how I occasionally set myself up for disappointment. I expect a stranger to be polite, hold the door, smile and even say hello. I expect my son to eat what he is served and appreciate it. I expect my cats not to scratch the couch. I expect my body to do what I want it to.

 I am aware that on one level, expectations can be a dishonoring of what is and what is unfolding in the present moment. Acceptance or allowance of what IS, honors ~ or does it? Do we compromise our Spirit to participate with allowance?

Can we allow someone to be who they are if it feels dishonoring to us? Yes and no. We can always use it as a reflective tool, honestly seeking to illuminate the places where we dishonor others and/or ourselves. And then come the issues of boundaries and integrity. We can allow others their choices and behavior, and, we can honor where we are in each moment and choose what supports our truth, heart, integrity and values. We like our comfort zone to remain just that; comfortable ~ unless of course, we decide to learn by stretching it. And, then, how far we stretch can leave us feeling really flexible or really strained.

What if we simply expect the best of ourselves? What if we took the time to figure out what that might be and expected ourselves to commit to honoring that? What would our expectations be?

OK, here goes: I expect myself to honor my guidance, to take good care of myself, eat a healthy diet (except when I cheat, I expect my fries to be hot!), to keep my heart open, to love and continuously open wider to love, to be kind and fair, to be honest and compassionate, to have faith in myself, in God, in the goodness and abilities of others (until they disappoint me more than once), to bask in the light of love, in joy, etc…

 And, then, what if we felt our expectations were higher and better than someone else’s? Would we expect them to raise their own expectations or would we be disappointed in them? What if we just expected ourselves to let go of judgment? Why bother with expectations at all? What if we let go of all expectations and just lived one breath, one moment, one heart centered choice at a time? I expect that would be blissful.

All this is great until somebody pisses me off or disappoints me. Then what? Why can’t they behave, react or think with the manners, heart, integrity and passion I expect them to? It’s really frustrating and really disappointing. I expected to hold my center and not react to them. Damn, I disappointed myself. If they would only ask my opinion, I expect I could help straighten them out.

I’m back to square one. I own it. I have expectations of others. But, isn’t this what great societies are built upon?

 We New Agers expect to be unconditionally loving and love everyone as ourselves and to see and honor the reflection in all life. We are all Beloveds. All life is God’s face. But, sometimes, it feels like some of us are hands and feet and some of us are asses who can’t see where we’re going. It’s confusing. We all get turned around from time to time.

 The Beloved is us, every bit of us; the parts we accept and the parts we reject or deny. The expectations and the disappointments. And, all we reject and deny and push under, surfaces in the infinite forms of the Beloved within us and outside of us. We’re happy to own the positive side of reflection, but it also shows up in illness, depression, in those who really push our buttons and in world conflict. Releasing attachments and renegotiating expectations is a conscious choice in every moment. It’s a choice to re-member ourselves into wholeness- into the ultimate fulfillment of all our hunger and longing; divine union.

The passion and purpose in our heart’s joy fuels and gives breath to our lives. What we create from this deep joy, blesses, balances and harmonizes all life. As each of us follows our own heart, we become beacons, support, inspiration and permission for others to do the same. One or many at a time, we let go of the old ways we have harnessed and burdened ourselves and we step and leap into the higher frequencies of love and joy- being and becoming who we came to be~ the expression of God/ love we are. From this place we don’t expect so much- and what‘s outside of us doesn’t so readily disappoint. We just are comfortable “Be-ing”. This moves us more and more into the experiences of unity consciousness.

“Namaste”, we say~ I honor the divine within myself and I honor the divine with each and every One. We bow to the God within and the God in each face, in all of life~ in every flower, every creature, every breath, every breeze and sunrise. How deeply grateful we can be in every moment as we see and acknowledge the God in all life, reflecting to us the honor, respect, gratitude and love we all deserve and helping us release judgment and expectations. We don’t have to pretend, participate in fear, lack, doubt, shame, manipulation and lies. Who we are as we bow to True Self is divinity recognizing itself. Telling the whole truth to ourselves and others sets us free because it brings the light of love to the places within ourselves where it’s been withheld. Whatever we hide or deny within, we disown and dishonor. And, then, of course, the outer reflection of this in our lives, disappoints us. As we illuminate our shadow, we can then bow to it in honor of the lessons and gifts it affords us. And, we can choose anew.

When we forget to see and honor and participate with the divine within ourselves, we become more attached to expectations and more disappointed in life; hungry for that which is outside of us and can never fill us. As be bow to the divine within, we align with truth, all searching is over and we come to a place of deep satisfaction and peace. We create and manifest the fulfillment of all dreams, longing and desires as we choose in each moment to be the God we are~ being love, opening to love, breathing love, trusting love, bowing to love, coming home to love, and resting in it~ without expecting anything, simply choosing to say, “Aahhh…” and open wider to love .

~by Beloved Heartsong

originally published in Inner Change Online Magazine-
February/March 2006
also published in Mountain Spirit Chronicles, Mt. Shasta CA-
Summer/Fall 2006

Photo by Shelor Duffee
www.thesacredones.com

Time seems to be speeding up at ever increasing rates. Trying to keep up the pace is no longer a challenge – even for someone who is great at organizing and multi-tasking. I find myself wanting to wave the white flag of surrender. I have realized that continuing to speed up is out of the question – that slowing down is the motion of choice. More and more, becoming ever still, silent and present for life and myself is more appealing in any given moment than almost anything else. I find myself wanting to let go of how I might direct and accomplish things and simply and faithfully let Spirit move me.

In the past few years, I have been regularly doing sacred tantric dance, and love teaching it! I have been looking at how the different aspects of it are paralleled in my life. In this profound and sacred work, you put aside your thoughts and what you think you know and open yourself to be danced – by the divine – by your Higher Self. The incredible freedom and blessing of this work comes as you surrender to your own Higher intelligence. So too, it is in life. We can bend or break, or we can dance.

Surreptitiously, the divine arrives at your door, carried by a fierce, yet gentle wind, if only danced. Resistance brings pain and struggle. And the choice to surrender and allow the blessing.

Fear of the unknown or participating in anticipating, can be a destructive process that is an embracing of that which you do not desire. Most do not realize how they have developed their skills of negative manifestation. Most do not realize their choice to learn through pain.

Through programming from almost all levels of society and life, we have learned to judge and identify ourselves and self worth by what we do. The more we can handle and bear, the more we relish the “oohs” and “aahs” of impressed others. We like being proficient at multi-tasking, organizing, managing and churning out more and more in less and less time.

The problem with this is that we are striving to attain superhuman status – opting to control the divine wind persistently knocking at our door – rather than opening the front and back doors to let it move through. We often ignore and/or resist until the wind builds enough pressure to not only blow the door off its hinges, but to create disarray, chaos and seeming destruction of the illusory walls of our lives.

All that we have built around us as a safe haven from “what’s out there,” must come tumbling down. These boundaries of separation fall away as all untruths do. Who are we without them? Who are we if we stop striving to attain superhuman status? If we stop doing and doing and doing, how will we be known and judged?

As time seems to speed up and our lives seem to be in warped speed and focus, how do we “hold it together?” The answer is, we don’t. We never have. We have participated in the belief system that we run our lives, yet have accepted the rules and mores of family, society, religion, mass consciousness and fear – THE “F” word. What if we actually realized how much we are fueled by it? Paralyzed by it? Motivated by it? The subversive nature of it is what creates the storms that knock persistently.

If we choose to allow ourselves to slow down and look at who we are, to open the doors to our hearts and lives rather than fortify walls, we are better prepared to allow the Grace of Spirit to move through; to bend and shape us and our lives in ways we have yet to imagine. We can not keep up the pace, for we are learning to be present in our lives – not storm chasers. What we fear and try with all our might to control and manipulate must show itself over and over again in infinite form and power so that we release, take a deep breath, let go and let God.

We have been taught that to surrender or to be open and vulnerable is extreme weakness and even stupid. This was taught by those whose subversive fear rules within. All great masters and leaders of peace and non-violence will tell you there is nothing to fear but fear itself; that the war within creates the battlefields of our experience.

Who but ourselves can change this? Which part of us will win? And, why must any part be denied? Those aspects of self still in struggle are calling for peaceful reunion with life, not bigger walls and further separation, but NO walls.

And, without walls, the world is our family, our hearts are our homes, we live under one sky. Here we see our true responsibility – to be fully present for ourselves and each other, to be the love we are, to find, remember and inspire it in each other.

We have been taught that the path of life is to out-perform each other, to amass physical wealth and then guard it until we die. How is it we ever believed that story? Must we choose to perpetuate it?

The burnout and disconnection from Self we experience in trying to increase the pace and control of our lives is not a required course. We can give ourselves permission to choose anew. This is a time to stop and truly evaluate how we will choose to carry out our lives and work here on Earth. Our bodies, minds, Spirits and lives need peace, rest, gentleness and tenderness. Our hearts need to give and receive love. Our fears need to be put in their place and brought to light. Our walls and ideas of being separate need to crumble.

Opening the front door to allow life in and opening the back door to allow your pain, past and fear based thought forms and structures to be carried out on the breeze will not only keep your life from imploding, but will give permission to Spirit to work more gently and effectively in your life.

We are not dancing alone – ever. Our internal walls and moats that have kept us from remembering and living the truth of love and effortless Grace that is always available are ours to dismantle. If we slow down and allow this level of life in, we’ll hear and enjoy the music more, we’ll feel it within as it stirs us to move. The melody will carry us and the rhythm will set our pace. Let us choose to be our own and each others partners in this dance as we follow life’s lead…as the divine dances us…they’re playing our song!