Yesterday was Christmas, a time when some of us think about our own brand of spirituality, some of us take joy in giving, and some of us are all about getting (I won’t even call it receiving).

I was a little bummed as I put out the Christmas stockings, and mine was only half filled. There were no presents for me under the tree (well, there was one, kind of – it was for me and the rest of my family). I didn’t let my slump last long though. There were quite a few presents for my boys, and I had been a little worried that they would have precious few gifts to open. And I did buy myself a present a few days before Christmas.

I enjoyed seeing them get excited about the items my husband and I had found for them. I started seeing the abundance all around me: the abundance of gifts for my children, the abundance of birds in the trees outside, the abundance of love in my home, and food in my cupboards, and activities to keep my mind engaged.

I spent the day cooking for my family, and was gifted with the thanks of full tummies throughout the house (which, in a house with three growing boys, is a rare blessing indeed!).

I even went for a walk in the sunshine with my sweetheart for the first time in many weeks.

By the end of the day, I was feeling full to overflowing with blessings in my life. And so I share some of my blessings.

Until January 15th, 2012, use the coupon code “holiday11″ to save 50% off your next order of guided meditations. And may you be blessed with abundance this year!

Blessings,

Mary

Law of attraction teachers will say that to receive what you want, you have to know what you want. Be very clear about it.

For several years now, through coaching, meditation and journalling, as well as other tools, I have working to get clear on what I want. For me, it boils down to these three things:

• Time freedom
• Raise my vibration
• Earn my living from my spiritual work

I’ve been actively working towards these three goals for over two years.

Recently, I’ve noticed just how jam-packed my schedule is. Added responsibilities at work, rehearsing for a play, extra-curricular activities for my boys, and my own regular activities have left me with very little free time. That first goal feels ever so elusive right now!

One of my core beliefs is that my outer world is a reflection of my inner world. So it occurred to me during my morning meditation last week that perhaps my lack of free time has something to do with how I am thinking and talking about time.

I thought about that for a little while, and sure enough, all of my language about time was negative. “I don’t have time for that”, “when have I had time”, “in all my copious spare time” (read that last one with a heavy dose of sarcasm).

The past few days, I’ve been thinking about how I can change my thinking about time. It’s not been quite as clear as I had hoped. The first thing I need to realize is that I have chosen all of the things and activities that I am currently involved in.

I choose to go to work (the biggest allocation of my time) in service to my family, so we can continue to have a place to live and food to eat.

I chose to audition for the play, and then to accept the part I was offered. And I really am having fun and enjoying the new relationships I am building.

I chose to enroll my boys in karate, to encourage physical activity and self discipline.

I choose to continue writing my blog, and organizing my spiritual circle, and coach my clients. It fills me with joy to witness others grow and expand.

I really have more freedom than I thought I did, once I stop and re-frame how I see my time being used. Time freedom is more about who I am choosing to be, than what I am doing with my time.  Choosing to be in love and gratitude, no matter what I am doing, is my mission for this week!

Blessings,

Mary

PS. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in Canada!

Wow! What an amazing weekend!

As many of you know (because I’ve been talking about it for the last few weeks), I was an exhibitor and speaker at The ONE: A Spiritual Event in Parksville, BC, this weekend.  The days were pretty long, but the vibration was very high.

The turnout was a little small, though not bad for a first event. Sales were ok, and I made some amazing connections that I don’t know how else I would have made had I not been there. Though it may not qualify as a financial “success”, how do I measure the value of the exposure to new people?

It was such a joy to be a part of a cooperative event that was focused on love and unity. We were all there to lift each other up and help each other out. I was blessed to present two workshops, and everyone enjoyed the guided meditations in each workshop. If even one of those people begins to meditate on a more regular basis, I have achieved success.

I look forward to the next one!

Blessings,

Mary

I know many of you are nowhere near my beautiful Vancouver Island. I want to share an event that I am participating in at the end of September. If you can come, WONDERFUL. If you cannot join us in person, please join us in spirit!

The ONE is a truly unique and divinely guided spiritual event and expo. It will be held in Parksville, BC (Vancouver Island) on September 23-25th 2011 at the Parksville Community Centre.

This event will be bringing together people who share a variety of Spiritual and New Age beliefs and practices. The ONE will feature Keynote Speakers, Workshops, a Healing Centre, and an exhibition hall which includes crystals, psychic readings, art, books, CD’s and DVD’s, jewelery, natural products, and much more! Some presenters will also be offering pre- and post- workshops.

The ONE will have a connected focus for teaching, healing, sharing, growth and enlightenment.

We are calling forth presenters, exhibitors, volunteers and participants from all over Vancouver Island and the Mainland. Egos are to be checked at the door. Full integrity, harmony, co-operation and co-creation are the foundations of The ONE. Speakers, Exhibitors & Vendors are joining us from Nova Scotia, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, Seattle, Kelowna, and more!

During the open ceremonies, an encompassing pillar of love and light will be anchored and maintained over the Parksville Community Centre for the duration of the event. All who attend will be enveloped in the energy of Love. The closing ceremonies will send the enhanced vibration of love throughout the planet, in Divine Service for All For That Is.

This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

~One of Gollum’s riddles for Bilbo in
The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkein

I had an insight this week while I was meditating on Kali. One of the places I researched is, of course, Wikipedia.

The name Kali comes from kala, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means “the black one”. Since Shiva is called Kala – the eternal time, Kali, his consort, also means “the Time” or “Death” (as in time has come). Hence, Kali is considered the goddess of time and change.

Besides the nature of so many of the images we have of Kali, could this be part of the reason we in the West are afraid of Kali? Our society seems to value youth and beauty above all else (except money). We create endless products to slather on our skin, ingest into our bodies, or worse, go under the surgeon’s knife in an effort to preserve the appearance of youth. The media constantly determines what it beautiful for us, and women in particular starve and torture themselves to be more like the images we are shown. And yet all of these, youth, beauty and money, vanish in time.

As a Goddess, Kali is eternal. As time, she really is “dancing the world to destruction” because everything eventually crumbles and decays. Her dance goes on, heedless of our protests or pleading.

The only thing that stops Kali’s dancing in myth is Shiva – in one story he stops her by laying down beneath her feet, and in another version he turns himself into a baby and his crying interrupts her. For me, time seems to stand still when I am with my lover. And nothing else matters when my child is crying.

In both of these stories, love and compassion stop the destructive dance of time. Through the eyes of love, all things are made beautiful. Age no longer matters. And looking with compassion, I am able to find beauty in (almost!) every experience.

My heart is full to overflowing from these realizations. I wish you much beauty this week!

Blessings,

Mary

The other day on Facebook, this picture caught my eye:

Fear vs. Love

It was paired with the following quote (thank you, Erica Boersma):

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” ~ Les Brown

It was perfect timing for me, as I was contemplating the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone.

For some time now, I feel I have been in a bit of a holding pattern.  There are many things I would like to do, and yet I need to be able to feed my children.  So I continue working at my day job, tinkering away at several other projects on the side, and hoping that a miracle will happen, or deus ex machina will save me from my routine.

I understand that for my situation to change, *I* must change. And still, fear holds me back.  I chose to bring these three amazing children into this world, and I chose the responsibility that goes along with it.  So how can I make a choice that threatens their very survival?

In my coaching work, I encourage others to trust that the Universe will provide.  And if I were my only responsibility, I would absolutely trust. Its not just me though. Others depend on me for food and shelter. So how do I reconcile that with my trust (or in this case, the lack of trust) in the Universe?

I am definitely feeling like the figure in the drawing, walking a tightrope between who I am now, and who I want to be.  And at any moment, fear or love could tip the balance and send me plummeting down or racing forward. Or, the choice could leave me frozen in space, not willing to step forward or backward.

There are times when I think it would be easier if I were less aware.  I could go to work and watch television and not know how much more was out there to experience.  Yet, Oliver Wendell Holmes spoke true when he said,

The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size.

So I shall wait for the fear to pass, and turn my mind to thoughts of love and abundance, and pray that change comes easily and joyfully.

Have any of you ever faced a major decision in your life that affected others, including yourself?  How did you deal with it?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Blessings,

Mary

Spring is in the air (except in Fargo, where I heard it snowed this weekend), and everywhere the plants and animals are feeling the reproductive vibes. I think of that scene from Bambi where all the critters get twitterpated.

Even the royals have caught the fever, as we saw with William and Catherine’s wedding on Friday.  I didn’t actually watch the nuptials (sleep was much more important to me), I just saw some of the photos online.

Were we really so young?

Also last week, my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. I’m really proud of that.  15 years, and still happily married.  A significant chunk of the married population falls to the 7 year itch, and many never make it past 3-5 years!

I heard an audio recording with Marc Victor Hansen a few years ago, and he said he and his wife throw a huge celebration and renew their commitment to each other every year. My sweetie heard it too, and we really like the idea.

Tired, Sore, and Still Happy!

A couple of summers ago, not anywhere near our anniversary, we did an impromptu renewal with a couple of friends.

All dressed up...again!

This year, being #15 (did I mention we’ve been married 15 years?), we did a whole vow renewal ceremony with friends at a festival we’ve been going to for a number of years.  It happened to fall the weekend before our anniversary this year, so the timing was perfect.

To what do I credit our still enjoying each other’s company? A willingness to grow, separately and together. From time to time, one of us grows faster than the other. And then sometimes we work to grow at the same time, helping each other to catch up.

To my sweetheart…I love you! And I look forward to many more years of growing with you!

Blessings,

Mary

PS. This is the creative project I took time off to complete!

Ah, Valentine’s Day.  Festival of LOVE. Favorite holiday of florists, jewelers and candy shop owners.  A day that reminds of of whether we have a wonderful relationship, a not-so-hot relationship, or just a cat.

Valentine’s Day seems to either be very romantic, or very depressing for most people I know.  My husband generally refuses to celebrate because it is a “Hallmark Holiday,” an excuse for retailers to guilt people into spending. When we first got married, I was upset by this.  Now, I’ve decided to take a different view of this day.

This Valentine’s Day, I am going to honor the most important person in my life, the one I love and admire the most: ME!

It’s not about the flowers and the chocolates.  It’s about honoring myself. I’m taking time to fill up my cup, to be open about where I am at and what I am feeling.  To pamper myself in small, but significant ways.  The best part is, I don’t need to spend a dime to make myself feel important and loved.

So, I had a nice long soak in the bath, and did every beauty treatment on myself that I could.  I painted my toenails, and treated my hair.  I masqued my face and shaved my legs.  I even used an aromatherapy sea salt scrub.  I took my time reading a book, and cut out a pattern for a dress I plan to make.  I took a long walk in the woods with my boys, and made chocolate chip cookies.  There was no rush at all to the day.

I feel wonderful! I feel pampered and appreciated, and most of all, I feel loved.  I’m not dependent on others to feel this way.  But when I truly love myself, others reflect it back to me.  And that is a truly precious gift to give myself!

Just doing some searching online, it turns out that February 13th is “Madly in Love with ME Day!” Without knowing about it, I totally embraced that holiday!

How will you love yourself today?

Blessings,

Mary

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Importance of Ritual. Bringing a sense of ritual can be very helpful in your meditation practice.

Remember that I mentioned that ritual helps tell your mind that you are moving into a new space. Meditation is definitely entering a new space, so any cues you can give your mind will help you move into that altered space will make your meditation practice that much easier.

There are many things you can do to add ritual to your meditation practice. Here are a few examples:

• Unplug your phone
• Light candles or incense to set the mood
• Put on your favorite meditation music or white noise generator
• Put on a guided meditation recording (shameless plug!)
• Have a specific location in your home or office that you go to to meditate
• Sit or lay down in your favorite meditation position
• Count forwards or backwards
• Repeat a mantra

As with any action you take, the intention is what makes it a ritual or routine. Be mindful as you make your preparations to meditate.  What is the main thing you would like to achieve or take out of this meditation session? A few things you may want to take away from your meditation include:

• A greater sense of peace, joy, love, etc.
• A quiet mind
• A solution to a problem or question
• Healing
• Setting your intentions for the day
• A greater connection to your Higher Self or Source
• Gratitude

This list is only a few of the things that I use meditation for. Be creative, and have fun with it! What rituals do you to to prepare yourself to meditate?

Blessings,

Mary

The sale on Power Walks Within ends on November 22nd!  The price will be going up after that, so buy it now before this great deal ends!

This weekend we celebrated Halloween, also known as All Hallow’s Eve, or Samhain.  For my children, it was very exciting to dress up, and go from house to house collecting candy and goodies.  We didn’t see many trick or treaters at our house this year…it was windy and rainy.

My Grandparents Young Again

For me, though, the highlight of the celebrations was remembering the dead, the loved ones who have past this year.  My favorite grandmother graduated last spring. In meditation at one celebration that I went to, we visited with loved ones who had passed on.  I saw my grandmother as a young woman, on the arm of my grandfather, who passed many years before her.  Both were smiling and laughing, and clearly very happy to be reunited.

After the trick or treating, we went to a bonfire at a local park.  We offered sticks tied with scraps of cloth to the fire in honor of our ancestors and in memory of those who passed this year.

Halloween Bonfire

It’s no coincidence that we honor veterans at this time of the year, with Veteran’s Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada. Many cultures around the world honor their dead at this time of year, when the Earth around us seems to be dying as well. This is the time of year when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, and we are most likely to be able to reach our loved ones with our thoughts and memories.

Remember them.  Honor them.  Then let them go in peace with love. I love you, Grandma!

Blessings,

Mary