Last week as I was walking through the path in the woods near my house, I stopped suddenly because there was a robin right in the middle of the path.  It hopped a few feet ahead, then came back as I stood absolutely still.  I watched as it pulled up some leaves, looking for food.

I took the opportunity to practice “fox walking”, which I learned in the Coyote Mentoring course I took several years ago from Wes Gietz, slowly and silently following the robin as it made its way down the path.

I opened up my field of vision (“owl eyes” from Coyote Mentoring), and saw many other birds flitting around me in the forest.  I saw a hummingbird, more robins and sparrows enjoying the evening. After a little while, another robin came and sat in a tree just above the robin that had stopped me on the path.  My robin flew up to the tree, and very soon chased the other robin off.

I continued down the path, remembering to practice my quiet walking, and keeping my eyes open for the other birds that were in the trees, seeing if I could get close without startling them.

Just before I came to the end of the path, a bird crashed around in the branches as it flew from one tree to the next beside me.  I looked, and saw another (the same?) robin.  After saying hello, I continued my walk, wanting to get home to my dinner.

On the street just around the corner from my home, I heard a loud rustling in the bushes in the neighbor’s yard.  I looked, and there was another robin.  I stopped completely, looked at the bird that was looking at me, and said, “OK! I’m listening! What message do you have for me?”

I received the message to look up the symbolism of the robin.  When I arrived home, I went straight to the computer.

On several different websites, I learned that robins are symbols of new beginnings.  Just as we may not yet be able to feel the warmth of spring when the robins first return from their winter homes, we know when we see them that spring is on its way.

Knowing that nothing has meaning except the meaning I give it, I chose to see my visits from the robin as a sign that a new season has already begun in my life.  I may not see the material and physical signs, yet I have been sent a message that those more apparent signs are just around the corner. That thought has helped me keep positive through some challenges that have come up over the past week.

Blessings,

Mary

I wanted to let you know today about a Self Improvement site that will allow you to download 100’s of self help gifts. And the best part is that it is absolutely FREE!

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Because it has become so popular, this year Stephanie has enlisted the services of Carolyn Hansen, renowned fitness professional, and Self Exteem Expert, Dr. Joe Rubino.

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Blessings,

Mary

I’m off again on another Peaceful Woman adventure!  This time I have the absolutely extreme pleasure of helping with two Passages back to back!  I am so excited!

But it also means I’m not going to be posting for a couple of weeks.  I did make an effort to write ahead, and have everything ready for my absence, so you wouldn’t even notice I was gone, but the writing muse just wasn’t with me.   (It couldn’t have been the excitement about going, or the preparations or anything like that…)

So, until I am back,

May you know Peace,
May you know Joy,
May you know Love,
May you know Infinite Blessings!

Mary

I am vicariously taking part in an 8 week coaching program with The Peaceful Woman called Inspired Living.  I say vicariously  because I am not able to take part during the live call, but I can go back and listen to the recording.  Last week was the first session, and I just listened to the call today.

We did an assessment of our lives–looking at various areas and how fulfilled we are by those parts of our lives, and how different areas of our lives support us.  This was an interesting exercise for me.  Some of these areas I knew were not fulfilling me, and I’m working to change that.  Some areas that on first thought I would have said were great, after listening to the discussion I decided I really could be more fulfilled in that area of my life.   Areas that I would have said are not supporting me, really do support me more than I think.

After looking at the balance, or really, lack of balance, in my life, I have to ask myself some powerful questions: How am I showing up in the world?  How do I want to show up in the world?  How different are the answers? And what do I need to do to bring them into alignment?

I feel that I am showing up as Super Mom, an overachiever who has so many things to do, one wonders how any of it gets done.  And I do feel like I have too many projects on the go, but I am not sure how to pare it back.   Each project feels essential to one or another of my goals.  And yet, if I don’t slow down, I may crash.  I notice I go through this cycle from time to time, usually when I have fallen behind on my daily meditation, journal writing, and/or exercise, all of which has happened lately.

The answers to the other questions are going to take a little more time, meditation and reflection to answer.  As requested by my coach, I have chosen a theme for the rest of 2010: My life supports my purpose and my purpose supports my life.  I’m still working to bring all the areas of my life into alignment with my purpose.  I’ll keep you posted as I work out the answers to these questions!

If you know me, how do I show up for you?  Or, how do YOU show up in the world, and how does that compare to how you want to show up?

Blessings,

Mary

Today’s the day…
Miracles are happening in my life.

Today’s the day…
I leave the past behind me.

Today’s the day…
My life is changing
For the better!

Today’s the day…
My dreams are becoming reality.

Today’s the day…
The work I have been doing
Bears fruit.

Today’s the day…
I am aligned with my purpose
And success comes easily.

Today’s the day…
The goals I have been working toward
Are realized, and new goals
Spring up before me.

Today’s the day…
The pieces of the puzzle
The Universe has been moving for me
Fall into place.

I don’t know what.
I don’t know where.
I don’t know who or how.

All I know is
Today’s the day!
I feel truly blessed
And I am so grateful.

Blessings,
Mary

This email has been sitting in my inbox, unread, for two weeks.  It’s from a writer I respect very much, Barbara De Angelis.  It was totally perfect timing for me today.

HOW TO MAKE 2010 THE MOST MEANINGFUL YEAR OF YOUR LIFE

PERFORM THE SEVEN ESSENTIAL ACTIONS© ONCE EVERY DAY

1. Thank someone you would normally not thank.
2. Express your love in a way that is unexpected, or to someone who is not expecting it.
3. Honor yourself for something you did today that reflects the best of who you are.
4. Forgive yourself for something you did today that reflects less than the best of who you are.
5. Feel compassion for someone you would normally judge.
6. Notice or experience something as miraculous that you would normally take for granted.
7. For one full minute, stop whatever you are and be deeply grateful for the gift of this day of your life. During this minute, contemplate the fact that yesterday, approximately 154,300 people on Earth passed from this world, and that even while you are practicing this very sixty seconds of gratitude, 100 souls will leave their physical forms. Send them your prayers as they journey onward. Then, with great joy and humility, proclaim these words out loud:

“TODAY, I AM ALIVE!!”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Copyright 2010  Barbara De Angelis  All rights reserved

www.barbaradeangelis.com

While doing some research for my guided meditations recently, I came across a site that I am quite looking forward to making a regular visit to:

The Life Balance Institute‘s “Take a Moment” page.

Each week on Monday they release a brief video moment, an opportunity to reflect, think and be inspired.  I can’t wait to see what nect week’s moment is!

Take a Moment, and treat yourself!

Blessings,

Mary

Take some time, and get your life in balance…

Monday nights are coffee nights for me.  It’s social time with my spiritual group.  Being right in the middle of the holidays, there weren’t many of us out this week.  One of my friends was having a difficult time.  At one point I said I wished there was more I could do to help her.  She laughed and said she did too!

On the way home, inspiration struck.  Or my spirit guides or higher self spoke to me, however you want to look at it.  I wrote a guided meditation specifically for her and her recurring challenges.  I wrote it, recorded it, put it to music and had it on a cd in less than 3 hours.  And it is something I have said I wanted to do: write custom guided meditations for people.

As I was looking for inspiring messages to include, I came across a site that I had to share: Words From Spirit. Well, it’s actually part of a bigger site, so feel free to look around more. I know I’m going to.  One piece in particular really spoke to me though.  So I’m sharing it in its entirety.  Thank you, Susan Williams.

The Souls Progression

When the soul is heavy it means progression is near
Hold your own council and listen to the voice within
You ask for guidance but you need it not
Be still and listen to your heart speak
Let the emotion within lead you
The soul knows its journey, let it speak
Don’t deny yourself that which you are, that which you can truly be
Let not fear or doubt veer you off course, give it thought, then dismiss it
Walk your pathway with honour and pride
There are none who should judge you, only yourself
Freedom to be who you are is not bestowed, it just is
In the truth of your being, you will find that which you are
In the freedom of your expression, you let those about you know who you are
The love of God is given to all man
Have faith and trust in who you are
Walk wisely, touch many
Do not be responsible for another, only yourself
The road will ease, the pathway widen
To know the joy, take the pain and anguish
To be who you are not, to be as another would wish you to be, cannot be,
For the soul within you shall live in torment
Find balance and peace within
Go within , grant yourself the love you give to others and return to your pathway, knowing you are on the right road
Walk forward in the knowledge that you are who you are supposed to be
A unique being, a child of Spirit
A soul whose journey shall be never ending
A light that will brighten the path of many, a beacon of God’s love
Go forward knowing you are never alone
Walk on in peace
Shine !!

© Susan Williams – 16/10/04

Blessings,

Mary

PS. Watch for more guided meditations to be available soon!

I have several practices that I do on a regular basis: yoga, journal writing, and meditation. Over the holidays, and the time leading up to the holidays, my discipline at maintaining these practices has been slipping. As someone with a history of procrastination, I have had any number of reasons (read: excuses) as to why I cannot do any or all of them. Since I practice first thing in the morning, and right before bed, many of my excuses revolve around sleep.

“I stayed up too late last night, so I ‘m going to sleep a little later this morning.”

“I feel a cold coming on, so I am going to rest more to fight it off.”

“I have to finish reading this book so I can get it back to the library.”

Thinking of these three practices (yoga, meditation and journal writing), it can be difficult to measure the effects of doing or not doing them.  If I don’t brush my teeth before bed, it’s easy to relate that to furry teeth and horrible morning breath when I wake up.  If I don’t put my raw breakfast on to soak before I go to bed, I have to have something else to eat in the morning. But is the late afternoon headache coming on because I didn’t do yoga, or because I didn’t drink enough water today?  And am I irritable because I didn’t write in my journal or meditate last night, or because my hormones are changing with the onset of my moon time?

And then there is the guilt.  I made a commitment to myself to practice yoga at least three times a week, and to journal and meditate before bed at least 5 times a week.  If I can’t keep my commitments to myself, how trustworthy am I?  And if I am not keeping my commitments, I am not in alignment, and I am not attracting the things I want into my life.

Why did I make these commitments in the first place?  Yoga helps keep me flexible and is a good way of combating chronic plain.  Writing in my journal and meditating help me stay balanced emotionally, and help me feel calm and peaceful.  I am able to stay focused longer and accomplish more.  And frankly, I don’t like what I become when I am not practicing.

So while it may always seem easier to follow an excuse and not get up for yoga, or short myself on meditation time so I can get back into whatever book I am reading, I almost always end up regretting the decision.  Discipline is much more challenging to maintain, but it is so much easier to live with than the regret of not following the discipline.

Keep this in mind as you make your New Year’s Resolutions, if you partake in that ritual.  Will you be self-disciplined enough to keep your commitment?

Blessings,

Mary

PS. How do I best impart this lesson, which has taken me over 30 years to understand (and I still haven’t gotten it perfect!), to my young sons?

Last night we had our annual Solstice Celebration, “Banish the Dark.”  It was a much smaller group than we have sometimes had, and yet we had an excellent meal cooked by my wonderful husband, and some good discussion.

After dinner, we turned off all the lights, and the fire in the fireplace had burned down to small coals.  One of the first fears that we experience as young children is fear of the dark, as my youngest immediately began complaining about.  David asked the question, “What is dark?”

My first response was, “Absence of light.”  My eldest son answered, “The opposite of light.”  Our guest suggested that a lot of sacred ceremony takes place in total darkness.

And then my lightbulb flashed.  The dark obscures outer vision so we may better see with inner vision.  We each took some time quietly meditating on that inner vision…well, the adults, anyway!

Then my husband lit a single candle from the almost extinguished coals of the fire.  How bright that light seemed after being in the darkness for a while! Slowly, we lit more and more candles, and the room became bright once more.  The higher we lifted our lights, the brighter the room became.

I also took time to recall another Winter Solstice four years ago.  I had done many things to encourage my youngest to be born, but was waiting until the time he chose.  I went out for a walk on my own in the dying hours of the day.  I walked the path through the woods behind my home, across the two streams, down to the ocean, across the rocky beach to come to the entrance to my neighborhood, and back up to home.  I was out for at least an hour, in the rain and fading light.  The whole time I was out, I spoke to the baby inside me, encouraging him to come snuggle in my arms.  Just before two the next morning, my third son was born, echoing the rebirth of the Sun.

In my darkest hour, I went within, and new light sparked forth.

May you have the courage to face the darkness, your shadow, and through the challenge lift your light high for others to see.  All good things are coming to me, and to you.

Blessings

Mary