Tag Archive for: Inspiration

As we welcome in the increasing light at this time of year, and upon embarking on the lunar new year — on this February new moon, I invite you to consider: What seeds are you planting? — in your life, in your life’s work, in your relationships, in your surroundings?

With this edition of Soul Notes, we take a sojourn to the lessons of nature. Many cultures historically have lived in step with the natural seasons, and have survived by way of carefully planting, nurturing and cultivating the sustenance provided by mother earth. Let’s take a closer look at how this applies to our day to day world right now:

The seed (and seat!) of Creation

It all sprouts from a seed that’s planted: In nature’s acts of creation, as in ours. Everything stems from that! (There’s no coincidence here, that flowers have stems.)

To germinate, all seeds need oxygen, moisture, and a certain temperature. Until these conditions are met, the seed remains stagnant, dormant, lifeless. With the right conditions, the plant inside a seed starts to grow. As it gets bigger, it pushes open and through the seed coat. (Envision a chick hatching from an egg.) Leaves start to appear and push out from the soil.

Seeding puts into motion a series of events, consequences and possibilities. You are in charge of what you seed in your own life – through your own mind, body and soul.

So, the question to consider is this: Metaphorically, what are you seeding these days? Correspondingly, how much care are and will you be taking with what you are planting?

Reaping What You Sow: The importance of Nourishing, Nurturing and Cultivating

Mind, Body and Soul

It matters what we “feed” our plants. And, of course, it matters what we feed ourselves, our mind, body and soul.

This week I’m completing a 40-day practice of chanting each morning the 38-stanza poem or prayer known as Jap Ji. Jap (“repeat”) Ji (“soul”) dates back to the 1500s, and has been nicknamed the Song of the Soul. Reciting the Jap Ji (or Japji) is believed to awaken one’s soul to its destiny.

As a seed grows in soil, sprouting from the inside through and out its original coating, so too does our consciousness and our soul. One of the many lessons to be gleaned from Japji is this: With each challenge in life, our evolving up and through it, and out the other side, brings with it a new level of challenge AND possibility. With each challenge comes the opportunity to grow our trust, faith, and ability to learn from a new level of wisdom and understanding. As we expand, it is the “pressing against” the new coating, the new shell, which fosters yet again even further growth.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” — Anaïs Nin

For the seedling, the energy required to “bust through” the original coating is much greater than at later stages. The initial growth spurts are fast and furious! Ever wonder why puppies are perpetually nodding off in their dinner bowls? As with seedlings, it takes a LOT of energy for puppies to grow so much and so fast! The energy expelled and the corresponding growth is so concentrated. So, too, as it is with our personal development and spiritual growth.

Among spiritual circles, you may be hearing the good news that across the globe we’re experiencing a rise in consciousness. Despite (or because of?) the ever-intensifying use of technology, instances of widespread violence, ongoing struggles and strife, and an overall prevalence of crises worldwide, there is at the same time an emerging collective devoted to the return to simpler times, and to a more centered, grounded way of living.

Is it any coincidence that among the vast morass of options for “fast meals,” “rapid weight loss,” and “crash diets,” we’re also seeing an increasing number of crate-to-plate restaurants popping up around town? Folks are looking to eat locally grown food again, and steering clear of processed substances, shipped in from faraway food factories.

And, for many, we’re taking time to make our own meals, or at least to settle in and enjoy our meals at a more leisurely pace, whether at home or while dining out. I’ve always admired the Italian way of embracing la dolce vita (the sweet life) that includes among other things, the slow deliberate enjoyment of a meal. In Italy, it is generally considered a disservice at a restaurant for the wait staff to rush you. Once seated for dinner, for example, you are granted the table for the duration of the evening. You’re not likely to find Italians looking up from their plates, impatiently pleading for someone to “bring the check.”

It is the care and attentiveness which brings an almost lyrical movement to living our lives. It cultivates the soil so to speak for our dreams and desires to take root, and for our creations to come into fruition. Matching the pace of nature, rather than overriding it, is SO rich. Nature has so much to teach us!

Without planting and nurturing our own ideas, dreams and desires, we run the risk of them laying dormant. They neither come into fruition nor flourish. In short, nothing gets created. The world then misses out on each of our own uniquely beautiful contributions to the world’s landscape.

So, I leave you with this:

Plant those seeds

Provide them due care

Sow and sow

Grow and grow

Again

and

Again

 

Embrace the challenges:

Create

Contribute

Rise

and

Shine!

 

Okay, your turn:

What are you seeding in your life this year?   What is calling within you to foster, nurture, grow?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2016 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

Prince of PEACE: A study in contrasts

For many of us, this weekend is one where we are winding down from our Christmas celebrations and festivities. And for some, December has been a time spent focusing attention on Jesus Christ as the “Prince of Peace.” No matter your affiliation or spiritual tradition, however, I welcome you to explore with me here on the blog, this concept of peace, and of peace stewardship. It’s not of course, limited to a particular religion, or any religion, for that matter.

Are we not each a steward of peace, if we choose to be?

I realize that making this choice may seem too large, too assuming, nay even a completely hopeless notion, what with the seemingly endless examples of violence and strife – in our own communities, in our schools and movie theaters here in the United States, for example – and for each of us in various ways throughout our own countries as well as abroad. Perhaps.

I am awake to the endemic and pandemic:

  • Intolerance
  • Lack of understanding
  • Failure to empathize
  • Clinging to exclusion rather than inclusion
  • Perpetuation of separation rather than unity

I am also awakening to, and drawing from, however, the deep potential for peace that awaits within. It is available to each of us. We are at liberty to invoke it at any time. When we embody that peace, it cannot help but lend hope to ourselves and to those around us. Call me naïve, and yet, I am willing to carry forth this sentiment and from the point of realization that peace on earth really does indeed begin with me (and you).

I ask you to consider: What is your piece of the peace? 

Peace: It’s a moment by moment thing

This is not to suggest that it’s easy. Nor, am I suggesting it’s even plausible to maintain a sense of peace all day, every day. I’m only suggesting that we try. It’s worth our making the attempts, wouldn’t you say?

Admittedly, I’d say that peace is a moment by moment thing. I certainly don’t live in a state of peace at all times. I slip in and out of it, moment by moment. And yet, I may decide to bring peace to any given situation, in any given moment.

Also, peace may not mean completely free from conflict. It may, however, mean embracing a sense of gratitude, of serenity, of home.

So, to that, I say: Let’s create our own playful peace puzzles!

Ready to get your own peace party started?

Taking the letters of PEACE, I invite you to make your own peace offering – to yourself, and to anyone else who needs it. There’s no science to this – it’s art.

I’m not suggesting that these will solve the world’s crises. They may, however, provide a few moments of solace, and a brief respite and recess away from the disharmonious world around us. May they provide you the space to refrain from discord, and instead step out into the world from a place of peace.

Peace be with you.

Peace be within you.

Peace emanate from you.

For your consideration:

I’ll start. Here are three playful peace puzzles that I’ve put together for posting here on the blog:

Precede Engagements of Anger with Conscious Empathy

Preciously Embrace All Coziness Eternally

Proactively Entertain Abundantly Creative Enterprises

Okay, your turn:

I’ve left one blank for you to complete – feel free to do this one on your own. Have fun!

P__________ E __________ A__________ C__________ E __________

I invite you to share your own playful peace puzzle and any other peace related thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul! 

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved. 

Yes, you have the music in you!

“When the night is falling

and you cannot find the light

If you feel your dreams are dying

…Hold tight.

You’ve got the music in you.”

–The New Radicals, You Get What You Give

As we approach Winter Solstice in the Northern hemisphere, daytime shortens and nighttime lengthens. The natural world settles in for rest and rejuvenation before it springs forth at the next turn of the wheel. It is also a time of Christmas lights and Hanukkah lights.

This time of year is also one of carols, hymns, and other songs and types of lyrical merriment.  It’s also a time when the muse moves through each of us.  To turn a phrase:  As without, so within.

In this edition of Soul Notes, let’s allow ourselves to breathe in the beautiful music that surrounds us this time of year – and at the same time, let us behold the music that stirs within us. Music from the outside and from within:  One is physical; the other, metaphysical, perhaps? Spiritual, for certain.

As the year draws to a close, I invite you to take an accounting of the music within you that you have already “let out” this year, for all to hear. At the same time, consider this:

What music is still within you, that has been laying dormant, that is ready to rise to the surface and be expressed? What have you been subduing, that you may benefit from bringing forward into next year, and out into the light?

You’ve Got the MUSE-Ic in YOU

In Greek mythology, there are nine muses, all dedicated to and presiding over the arts and sciences, one of whom is the goddess of music.

There are various etymologies for “muse” and “music”.

Suffice it to say, however, that it is not sound, by itself, which makes “music.” It is the feeling of satisfaction that it invokes within the person receiving and perceiving the sound. It is the stirring of deeply felt emotions which constitutes music, and that separates it from noise. As with the muses themselves, music inspires. It brings forth beauty. It encourages the heart.

InSPIRation

From the inside out

Creation

Moves through you

Out into the world

You feel it in your body

Sensation

Vibration

Rings

Rattles

Roars

Harmony

Evoked

Alive!

It spurs on a deeper and richer experience. It touches and awakens your spirit, your soul.  Nineteenth century physician (and member of the “Fireside Poets”) Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. offered up this spiritual prescription:

“Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

He also said that most of us go to our grave with our music still inside us. It is not about getting ready to live.  It’s about living fully expressed, before our time runs out.

So, as you embrace this time of year, I invite you to find some quiet moments to reflect on what you desire to bring out from the darkness into the light.  Is it a book?  Is it a composition of another sort?  Any other creative endeavor? A new way of showing up in the world?  In your community? In your relationships?

I’ll be doing the same.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

Wishing you and yours all the joys and blessings of the season.

For your consideration:

Get quiet, and reflect for a moment: When has a particular piece of music moved you?  What was it about it that touched your spirit, your soul?

Okay, your turn:

When has music inspired you? In what ways?  What about your own MUSE-ic inside you?  What within you is ready to be expressed?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

“’To be or not to be?’ ~ That is the question.” –William Shakespeare

 

The Essence of YOU

There have been, of course, tomes written about the works of Shakespeare, and Hamlet in particular. I’ll not create another one here on the blog; but suffice it to say that in the play, Hamlet poses this “to be or not to be” question during one of the character’s now most famous soliloquies, and it refers primarily to his facing his own death.   There is much more to say about this aspect of the play. For purposes of this edition of Soul Notes, however, let’s explore the phrase in terms of “to be or not to be our authentic selves.”

To be or not to be our own true essence. It’s about returning home to ourselves.

Otherwise, in denying our true selves, we do indeed face a death of a different sort:  a creative death. Denying who you are means keeping yourself less than fully expressed.   It means dimming your light. It means pulling your soul into a tight ball, unto itself. That really does a disservice to yourself and to those around you. It takes its toll. You pay a high price. Self-expression, when repressed, makes for self-depression.

 

“You are all things. Denying, rejecting, judging or hiding from any aspect of your total being creates pain and results in a lack of wholeness.” -Joy Page

For example, maybe you find yourself no longer creating music, or even listening to music. When once you were the first person on the dance floor, now you’re suddenly hanging back in the shadows, affixed to your chair. Maybe you used to be the first to jump in line to sing karaoke? Or, you used to pick up a paintbrush, pastels or colored pencils and create works of art on a moment’s whim, purely for the enjoyment of it. Or, curling up in a well-lit corner to write poems, short stories, or other forms of prose was something you did on a regular basis. Now, perhaps you’re lucky if you can find a good pen that works?

This of course, also requires viewing ourselves as creative beings, by our very nature. Yes, you out there who when reading this, may be saying to yourself: “Oh, I don’t have a creative bone in my body.” You do have a creative bone. You do. Several!  You are creative. You are!

There’s also something to be said for fully be-ing, and not merely do-ing. Busy BEEness is not the same as BE-ingness! Buzzing around, appearing to look busy, often bears little if any resemblance to embracing your true self, and embodying your true essence, and being who you truly are. It often serves as a distraction, a substitute.

“Essence” comes from the same Latin root as “essential.” Your essence is essential to who you ARE. It’s what gives you your particular character. It is your distinctiveness. As with an essential oil, it is you, distilled down to your core. Sandalwood is not any more akin to frankincense or bergamot or peppermint than you are to someone other than yourself.

And, feel free to express yourself in all ways that feel good to you. As long as you’re not hurting anyone else, why not? What’s stopping you? When I was about five years old, my older brothers and I would watch American Bandstand and Soul Train on television. The brothers would sit on the couch and make comments about the bands, the music, and which dancers they liked best.

For me, I couldn’t contain myself! A minute or two into each program, I was up in front of the TV dancing to nearly every song.  I envisioned myself right there on the set, groovin’ right along with the rest of the dancers. My brothers often rolled their eyes, groaned in feigned disapproval, and would ask me to move over to the side of the TV.  But, that didn’t stop me from expressing myself! I loved those shows, and I couldn’t wait to get up and dance.

Somewhere along the line, however, for me and for many of us, the “critics on the couch” take up more and more space in our psyches. If we let them.   I say, take back that power. Reclaim who you are.

It can be painful to dim your light. To hide your true essence. Wonder Woman’s super heroine powers were hidden under the cloak of her alter ego, Diana Prince. And, while fronting as Clark Kent, a reporter for The Daily Planet, Superman would wear his “S” under his street clothes. When called into action, he’d first need to duck into a phone booth or the office’s storage closet, to reveal his true identity!

You’re not Clark Kent. You’re not Diana Prince. Give yourself permission to be Superman or Wonder Woman. Claim it for yourself.

Be that.

Be you.

Not just some of the time.

All of the time.

Save the day.

Save yourself.

 

For your consideration:

Get quiet, and reflect for a moment: When have you felt most at-home, as your true self?

Okay, your turn:

How do you and your true essence show up in the world?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

What is Alignment?

In this edition of Soul Notes, we visit the topic of what it means to be divinely aligned. What is alignment, how you can tell, and what are some ways to get and stay in alignment – with your authentic self and with your soul’s true desires?

For our purposes here, alignment may best be described as arrangement in appropriate, relative positions. It may be alignment in the physical sense – such as getting a chiropractic adjustment to your spine. It may also be alignment in the metaphysical sense – such as an aligning of your chakras, or energy centers. It may be a combination – such as aligning your mind, body and soul.

Let’s take, for example, an automobile traveling down the road. When in alignment, barring any intervening forces, it moves forward (or backward!) in a perfectly straight line. The vehicle moves efficiently, with minimized wear and tear on the car’s suspension, brakes and tires. Alignment makes for an even distribution of force. A driver may compensate for poor alignment through (over-)steering the car, but that exerts more wear and tear on the driver and the vehicle. (I know, I know, we’re talking physics here on the blog! It’s okay to include science in the discussion, once in a while, right?)

Similarly, reflect for a moment on those times when your spine feels out of whack. You may then seek relief by going and getting a chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractors are trained in the aligning (or realigning) of the vertebrae in your back and neck, and may make adjustments to other joints as well.   Chiropractic adjustments are designed to help restore the body to its natural alignment and to allow the body to maximize its own natural healing ability.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

~ Mahatma Ghandi

Okay, great – now what about spiritual alignment? For your consideration, I pose this question: Is spiritual alignment really that much different from physical alignment?

As with a harmonic symphony, your soul when fully aligned makes for beautiful music in your life; it lays the foundation for deeply gratifying and fulfilling experiences.

How do you know when you’re in alignment? How can you tell?: THE SIGNS  

Just as with visits to the chiropractor, throughout your transformational journey your body gives clues as to when your soul is out of alignment, too. It comes down to paying attention, and to being a “Sherlock Holmes” in your own life!

Here’s the #1 best way to tell when you’re in (or out) of alignment with your authentic self: 

#1: The gut check

If you’re like me, I bet you can easily recall those times when you’ve noticed a queasy feeling in your stomach — when you just know that something isn’t right for you. Or, maybe it’s been a frenetic rush you feel coursing through your blood stream, or when your head suddenly starts hurting for no apparent reason? Or, maybe you feel weak in the knees; or, you feel your hands clenching, or your “heart sinking” in your chest?

Absent any actual threats to your physical well-being, these instances tend to be your body’s way of letting you know something is out-of-alignment with who you are, and what’s authentic for you.   Someone else may feel just fine in that given situation; for you, however, it’s just not ‘right.’

#2: The “What lights you up?” check

A kissin’ corollary to the gut check would be what I call the “What Lights You Up?” check.   When time simply flies by, and little if anything distracts you, and you feel that your whole body has been lit up from the inside out — You know that feeling? That’s a pretty darn good sign that you’re in alignment with your true, authentic self.

Following the clues:

Think of it as a Mapquest® or a global positioning system (GPS). Often, there are different ways to get to the same destination. One route may be the fastest. Other routes may be more scenic. Road hazards may come up along the way. If and when that happens, do you stop your trip altogether? Do you stop the car in the middle of the road, and abandon the journey? Nope, to get to your destination, you pay attention to what’s happening in front, back, and around you – and make adjustments along the way. The journey is fluid, not static.

The Mapquest® or GPS is simply the tool or resource you use to help you navigate. Have you ever received a “recalculating route” message coming from your GPS? I have, plenty of times! If and when I veer off course, it ever so politely alerts me to get back on track. I can ignore the message.   If however, I desire to get to my intended destination, I better take heed!

Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

So, I encourage you to do the same with your own life. By now, if you’ve listened to any of my interviews or watched my earlier video series, you know that it is the intuition which I feel serves as our own internal GPS. Use it, and use it often! Turn it on! Fire it up! And, trust it. Proceed in accordance with the messages and signals it sends you.

Why is alignment so important?

It’s important, and dare I say vital to be in alignment with your authentic self, because it makes for more productive and enriching life results, and makes this thing called the “human experience” better for you and those around you. It enhances the experiences of those whom you’re destined to serve, and in furtherance of your great work in the world. The world needs you! – The authentic you!

In contrast, as set forth above, the cost of not being in alignment is: undue stress, feelings of frustration and disappointment, and often sadness. It also takes its toll on your mind, body and spirit, all in disservice to your overall well-being.

So, with that, I leave you with the following tips to help you get and stay in alignment:

  1. Meditate/Get Still/Quiet (for 11 minutes)

Set aside 11 minutes that you will commit to being free from distractions, and pose this question to yourself — allowing your intuition and divine guidance to provide any and all information you need to receive:

“With regard to this particular (issue/situation), what is most in alignment for me at this time?”

  1. Write, Draw or Doodle in Your Journal

Next, write, draw or doodle in your journal about the answer(s) you received to your question.   What words, phrases, or pictures represent what has come up for you?

If you’d like to receive additional information or clarification on the question you’ve posed with regard to a particular issue or situation, feel free to ask again!   It may take doing this more than once or twice to get the full “download.”

  1. Keep a Log: “Gut” Checks & “What Lights You Up” Checks

Start keeping a log of those instances throughout the day or week, when you notice or feel in your gut that something is off track. Additionally, keep a record of those instances when you feel most excited, fulfilled, lit up, and on fire!

Do this daily for one week, and set aside another 11 minutes at the end of the seven days to review your log.  What patterns, if any, do you notice? Is there anything that really jumps out at you? Any surprises?

  1. Seek out kindred spirits with whom you can share your spiritual journey and soulful quests.

“Birds of a feather flock together.” – Proverb

As in nature, we as humans benefit from traveling together with others on a similar path, quest or journey.   It helps tremendously to gather together with other souls who are spiritual seekers and those, like you, who are yearning to live full out and in complete alignment with their authentic selves.

  1. Enlist a trusted mentor, guide, or advocate devoted to your success.

Having an advocate on your side who believes in you, supports you and holds you accountable, makes for accelerated alignment and long-lasting success.

For your consideration:

For you, what does it mean to be fully aligned?

Okay, your turn:

In what area of your life do you feel most in alignment? Which area or situation in your life feels the most off track or out-of-alignment for you right now?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

With this edition of Soul Notes, I invite you to take a soul soother – a soulful sojourn. It’s time to enjoy the wonder of the great outdoors!

Now, before you picture yourself out frolicking in a field of daisies or lavender (oh, wait, that does seem pretty nice, doesn’t it?) – by outdoors, I simply mean, out of the doors – beyond the four walls likely surrounding you at this very moment.

Outside: It does a body (and soul)  good!

“Outside” needn’t mean that you ought to be headed out into the wilderness, with a Swiss army knife, a compass, and a portable stove. And, it needn’t mean that you’re going to be hanging from a rock ledge, suspended mid-air over the Grand Canyon. Okay, yes — it could be that, if that’s your pleasure!

It may just as well be in an urban setting. How about taking a walk along the storefronts? Or, how about sitting on a bench in a nearby courtyard or city park – between and among the office buildings?

The suggestion here is this: Find a way to get OUTSIDE!

Here’s a wild thought – how about going outside WITHOUT your laptop computer or tablet or smartphone? (Okay, well maybe not until you finish reading this edition of Soul Notes. I know, I know, the irony!) I suppose you could bring your electronic devices with you, if you must; although, I dare say that would kind of be “missing the point”! Stay present. Tap into your spirit – hear what your soul has to say! Enjoy all of the landscape! Observe. Be.

What do you notice?

Invoke your senses. What do you see? What do you hear? What does the air feel like? What do you notice about the energy outside – is it vibrant? Intense? Still? Serene?

Change of perspective

It’s helpful to gain a change in perspective. Yes, your literal perspective will often impact your virtual one.   For example, as a member of a Los Angeles area bicycle club, I joined in group rides throughout various Southland neighborhoods.   One weekend, we cycled from West L.A. to the heart of Orange County, traveling along the L.A. river, and at times weaving our way through traffic to the Crystal Cathedral and back.

I’ve also spent three weeks bicycling through the hills and dales of County Cork in Ireland, engulfed by gale force winds, and pouring rain (along with some sparkling sunshine)!

Venturing out on a bicycle provides an entirely different vantage point.

Getting outside, up and out and away from our usual cooped up confines creates spaciousness and a renewed appreciation for what lies beyond the four walls. It tends to get the blood flowing. It often allows you to stretch your body, your mind, and even your eyeballs.

Wide open spaces

The sky is a really big place…especially when you’re in it!

Yes, that’s me skydiving above Southern California. That’s when I realized that the sky truly is a very big place!

If you have ever leapt out the side of an airplane from two-and-a-half miles up, you likely know what I mean. During a tandem skydive, my instructor and I plummeted toward the surface of the planet at 125 miles per hour, pulled the rip cord on the parachute, and floated to safety as we eventually put our feet back on terra firma. Throughout the jump, I distinctly recall feeling wildly free and in awe at just how truly expansive is the world that surrounds each of us. From time to time, we may only need a gentle reminder!

Ceremonies in the Park

If you’re like most modern workers, for a good portion of the week, you’re proverbially tied to a desk, hunched over a computer within a cubicle, or hunkered down in some other type of restrictive office space.   On days on end some workers may even remain inside from dawn until dusk. Or, if they are out and about at some point during the day, they are scurrying from one place to the next, often in a car or on some form of mass transit.

This weekend, I’m holding another one of my Full Moon and Water Meditation ceremonies. By design, I lead these women’s circles at a local park. My circle participants often remark at how much they appreciate being outside. They relish the opportunity to leave their work concerns behind, and head out into open spaces for the chance to commune with others and with Spirit out in nature.   Feelings of disconnection turn to feelings of connection.

During the next few days, I encourage you to release yourself from the usual grind, and rekindle your soul!

Feel the ground beneath your feet. Listen for the crunch of gravel or pine needles. Look for cloud formations, feel the breezes, bask in the sunshine or moonshine casting a glow or shadows on objects in your path, along your way.

This month the full moon is a SUPER one (meaning it’s especially close to the Earth). This  supermoon makes for an even greater gravitational pull. Be cognizant of the extra power of this August full moon.   I say we go outside and experience it.  See you outside!

Okay, your turn:

When is the last time you consciously enjoyed the outdoors? In what ways did it shift your mood?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below.  Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

As we introduced in a previous post:   Yogi Bhajan, a master of kundalini yoga and spiritual teacher for decades to thousands worldwide, taught a set of principles that he coined the Five Sutras of the Aquarian Age.

This edition of Soul Notes draws to a close our 5-part series, with this one devoted to Sutra #5: “Vibrate the cosmos. The cosmos will clear the path.”

“Vibrate the cosmos. The cosmos will clear the path.”

[Sutra 5, Yogi Bhajan]

This sutra is a call to action.

Everything is in motion

Everything is moving. It’s all energy (and matter). Everything and everyone is vibrating at its own frequency. We’re a human body full of molecules (as is the chair you are likely sitting on right now) and all is moving as we live on a living planet that’s also moving. The earth is orbiting the sun. The moon is orbiting the earth. I love those “you are here” photos taken from space. It helps to take this larger view. It reminds us that with the cosmos comes expansiveness and limitless possibilities.

Ready and awake

For the most part, animals in the wild often remain still, lying in wait. They reserve their energy by springing from and then returning to a natural, neutral state. When the time is right, they spring into action. They do so at just the right, intended moment.

Are we humans that much different? Wouldn’t we also benefit from springing from and returning to our own natural, neutral state? Neutral does not mean passive! It does not mean stagnation. It is not a state of non-awareness. Quite the contrary. It’s a state of full alertness. It’s being truly awake to all that’s around us!

Tip: Setting aside time for a daily practice furthers and facilitates this state of what I would call “alert neutrality.” Some forms include: meditation, prayer, quiet reflection, observation, writing in a journal. For the benefits of a daily practice and some examples, go here.

Spring into action and make waves!

Like the strings of an instrument, be it a violin or guitar or a banjo — and whether it be by way of plucking, picking, or strumming the strings — each sends off a unique vibration.

Our own voices provide a channel. We each have our own built-in vibration creator! Chanting, humming, singing, they all carry their own vibration, too. And, whether you’re on your yoga mat, in the shower, or in your car – use your voice, and vibrate to your own private cosmos!   This will raise your own frequency, and in turn will impact those with whom you interact throughout the day.

It’s as if we’re knocking on Cosmos’s door, and saying with confidence, “Hey there, Cosmos! Bring it on! I’m ready! Clear the path! Let’s go!”

Remember that you may always return to a neutral state. Reserve and extend your energy wisely. Refresh, regroup, and reset. We don’t always need to be clearing a new path. When we are ready, though, we know what to do – vibrate the cosmos, and the cosmos will provide!

Lighten the load raise your vibration

Again, a daily practice plays a helpful role in getting you back to a neutral state and in tune (pun intended) with what you desire to set in motion. What is it that you’d like the cosmos to clear the path for? What burdens are weighing you down, that when lifted, will raise your vibration?

From a place of inspiration and divine wisdom, set the vibration and then let go. Trust the cosmos to clear the path for you. When activated, your desires set in motion the future you intend to create. Your thoughts and your words hold their own vibrations, too. You get to decide which ones you embrace, and which ones you discard. With this (e)motion set in motion, you’re primed to take inspired action. That one action in turn creates another, and another, and so on, and so on. The ripples continue on, creating the desired results.

That is not to say that you’ll be able to control all other vibrations coming toward and all around you! It is to say, however, that you get to decide which tune you wish to play.

“When you pray, move your feet.” – African proverb

In conventional society, we’re often told “not to make waves.” And, “don’t rock the boat.” Phooey! This Sutra gives us permission – in fact, encourages us – to do precisely that. Ocean waves, sound waves, waves of light — nature is full of waves that carry energy with them. So too, shall each of us. During these enlightened times, the yearning, the impulse, is there. We no longer feel satiated by staying in one place. We feel the urge to raise our vibration. That’s the build-up of pressure that is ready to be released. (For tips on starting, so that the pressure will be off, go here.)

So, here we go:

Stir things up! Shake things loose! With your archer’s bowstring, pull back your arrow and let ‘er fly! The time is now.

Okay, your turn:

Are you ready to vibrate the cosmos? What path do you intend to clear? What are you sending out?  Are you vibrating at the frequency of love? Of service? Of loving service?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

Ready for another of Yogi Bhajan’s 5 Sutras?

Yogi Bhajan, a master of kundalini yoga and spiritual teacher for decades to thousands worldwide, taught a set of principles that he coined the Five Sutras of the Aquarian Age.

This edition of Soul Notes continues our 5-part series, with this one devoted to Sutra #4: “Understand through compassion, or you will misunderstand the times.”

“Understand through compassion, or you will misunderstand the times.”

[Sutra 4, Yogi Bhajan]

This sutra is one of pure beauty.

With this sutra, it just seems right to take it word by word, each precious word. Remember dissecting and diagramming sentences in English class? Okay, I won’t go there exactly, but I do feel that this particular sutra packs an especially powerful punch! Let’s explore each word or phrase in turn. Throughout, I invite you to tune in and lean into the feelings each invokes.

Understand

Understand what, or whom? Does it relate to “the times”? Understand the times? If so, it is a reference to understanding the new age, the Aquarian age. Or, rather, does it mean to understand each other? How about remembering to understand ourselves? I’d venture to say that the answer to these questions is “all of the above.”

Through

Notice that the sutra includes the word, “through.” The word chosen was not “by” or “with” compassion. It’s through compassion. Through suggests that it comes from within, and not from without, from outside ourselves. Through suggests motion, flow, fluidity. It is not passive. It’s active. As so shall we be active in invoking this sutra and its intention.

It is through and from the heart, not the mind, that we live compassion – we ARE compassion. No matter how many positive thoughts  we may have, it is through a compassionate heart that we live in and through our truth. It is through and from the heart that we embody our divine essence.

Compassion

The word compassion means “to suffer with.”   Suffer means to carry or to bear. So, we carry that feeling or emotion. Again, it’s active, not passive.

Compassion also suggests a shared feeling, understanding or experience. At its core, it suggests oneness, not separateness. This harkens us back to Sutra #1: Recognize that the other person is you. (For a refresher on Sutra 1, go here.)

Recently I started my “Family to Family” training with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), a mental health organization devoted to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. As I shared in an earlier post, my brother died by suicide. And, as a child, on more than one occasion I witnessed my mother (who is bipolar) attempting to kill herself. I believe strongly that part of my own spiritual path and calling includes helping others whose families include one or more persons living with a mental illness.

Through the Family to Family course we are learning about brain disorders, including: schizophrenia, bipolar, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and related mental misfirings.

A recent class session was devoted to empathy and compassion – for our loved ones (suffering from these types of brain disorders), and for ourselves. According to the NAMI Family to Family program, empathy is: “The intimate comprehension of another person’s thoughts and feelings, without imposing our own judgment or expectations.”

Many of the behaviors displayed by someone with these disorders seemingly don’t “make sense” to the other family members. Additionally, the behaviors are often erratic and unpredictable, leaving the family members living in a constant state of uneasiness. And, for the person with the disorder, the behaviors often are driven by the need for self-protection and a yearning to feel safe in what truly seems to them to be an unsafe world.

Throughout the empathy learning module, we explored a number of guidelines. Although created to help family members feel compassion toward the person with a brain disorder, I’d venture to say that as with Sutra #4, these are wise words to apply to many a situation in each of our lives. A few of the guidelines are: 1. Don’t criticize; 2. Don’t buy into the stigma all around you; 3. Praise the positive behavior every chance you get; 4. It’s okay to set limits – all persons require rules of conduct and cooperative standards by which to live; 5. Remember, everyone can only try to do their best; and 6. Live from a place of grace (tolerance, endurance and self-restraint), while at the same time extending compassion to ourselves during those times when we may not quite muster up all these graces.

“Let compassion win, and you win.” –Yogi Bhajan.

Or you will misunderstand the times

The times are these.  Right now.  The new age.  The Aquarian age.  These are exciting and exalted times.  Through compassion, may we each rise to meet them.

Okay, your turn:

In what ways has compassion served you and those around you? Is there a time when you wished you had shown more compassion, to yourself or to someone else? What does it feel like, for you, to feel compassion?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

When the time is on you, start and the pressure will be off

Remember where we are in our series? Yogi Bhajan, a master of kundalini yoga and spiritual teacher for decades to thousands worldwide, taught a set of principles that he coined the Five Sutras of the Aquarian Age.

Our 5-part series in Soul Notes continues, with this edition devoted to Sutra #3: “When the time is on you, start and the pressure will be off.”

May we all heed this one, and get off our buts! (“But, what about…?” Or: “But, how will I…?”) 

“When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off”

[Sutra 3, Yogi Bhajan]

 

Start where you are!

When the time is on you– that just conjures up a feeling of the weight on your shoulders, doesn’t it? Time somehow personifies into an ogre, the ever lurking “Procrastination (Wo)Man,” pressing down on you, constricting your every movement. You’re stuck! Or, so it seems. Alas, what is a soulful, spiritual being to do?

Start. Start where you are. Seems obvious, right? What often happens, however, is that we tend to get ahead of ourselves, and feel as if we should “already be further along.” So, starting from where we are feels like a failure, from the get-go. So we don’t go. Anywhere. At all.

What does it mean when we tell ourselves we should be further along? According to what time table? According to the imaginary one in our head?

Even according to the laws of physics, we can only take the next step from where we are, right in this moment in time. While fanciful imaginings of time travel are as fun for me as the next seer, trying to catapult ourselves ahead of the natural next step is like trying to jump onto a fast moving train. That only works in the movies (and even then only about half the time). In our minds it feels just about as implausible, anyway. So, we simply avoid moving forward altogether. We stand still. Our courage wanes. Our dreams stay on hold.   All the while, the pressure continues to build. And, the longer we postpone it, taking that first step just seems all that more arduous.

Focus on the joy, the sense of fulfillment, instead of the dread

The burden of the waiting, and the avoiding, ultimately exacts a much greater toll than does the actual doing. So, I invite you to join me in hereby proclaiming, from this point forward: “the wicked dread is dead!”

Consider this wild  thought: What if  you were to start?

Instead of feeling the pressure being on, how about feeling the pressure being off ? Ahh…feel into the welcomed state of relaxation. The one where your furrowed brow softens; your shoulders lower back down to their natural position; and your breathing becomes slow, steady, and replenishing.

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela

Approach your intended result from a place of confidence and remove all doubt. As you center yourself, experience the task at hand as if you have already handled it with great aplomb. Stop the worry at its source – in your mind. Allow yourself to move forward from a place of inspiration, not perspiration. Let your spirit, your soul, be your guide.

Spirit is above time and space

“When you are afraid, ‘What will happen tomorrow?’ you are not living, you are just dragging. Spirit is above time and space.” –Yogi Bhajan, 7/29/78

We are in a time of elevated awareness and consciousness.   With that elevated consciousness, often comes increased pressure. Expect it, and you’ll be ready. You won’t be caught off guard. Embrace these new levels of pressure, rather than stalling out and avoiding them. “It is now time that we must learn the way to be happy and to thrive under these new elevated levels of pressure.” – Yogi Bhajan, 7/27/99.

Tips for Starting

Remember, Sutra #2: “There is a way through every block.”  Believe that to be so, and be confident in taking that first step.

1. Take any  step in the direction of your intended end state. Sound too daunting? Make the steps smaller. Break them down into bite-sized chunks. [For a refresher on dismantling blocks, go here.]

Still too big? Make the steps smaller yet again, so that your first step is the size you KNOW you can (and will) take.   Martha Beck, PhD calls these “turtle steps.” Feeling of success builds confidence. The proof of the pudding, is in the eating.  (proverb).

2. Set a timer or countdown clock for 11 minutes. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in that amount of time. It brings into sharp focus the immediate task at hand. Moreover, the very act of actually STARTING gets you in motion, and up, out, and away from that nasty procrastination pothole.

3. “Make it to the mat!” As we explored in a previous post, it’s important to put yourself in the right environment to jump-start your activity. As my kundalini yoga teacher says, “just making it to the mat” is the critical first step. Get yourself over to your writing desk, or to the piles of files you’ve been avoiding. Set up an environment that feels good and welcoming, and gets you warmed up and ready to GO! [For more tips on making it to the mat, go here.]

Rise to the occasion! Start, and the pressure will be off!

Okay, your turn:

What prevents you from getting started? Recall how you felt when you (finally) started on a project that you had been avoiding…In retrospect, do you wish you had gone ahead and started sooner? Will you start sooner the next time around?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.

Sutra #2: There is a way through every block

 

As we introduced last time:

Yogi Bhajan, a master of kundalini yoga and spiritual teacher for decades to thousands worldwide, taught a set of principles that he coined the Five Sutras of the Aquarian Age. This edition of Soul Notes continues our 5-part series, with this one devoted to Sutra #2: “There is a way through every block”.

 

 “THERE IS  A WAY THROUGH EVERY BLOCK”

[Sutra 2, Yogi Bhajan]

This sutra is one of hope, inspiration, and a call to trust in yourself and your own divinity.

Believe this to be so!

First off, it’s important to believe this to be so! Believing, and trusting, that there is indeed a way through every block instills a feeling of HOPEful(not helpless)ness. What you decide to do next stems in large part from this belief. I invite you to consider it a fundamental foundation from which to carry you forward if and as blocks present themselves.

Feel stuck, and searching for a way to get “unstuck” and need help moving forward?

As Yogi Bhajan proffered: “[A]ll it takes is committing one’s self within one’s self.” Ongoing commitment allows our inherit nature to take its course. Just as an ice cube melts as warm air envelopes it, so too do our perceived blocks, as we allow our own nature to take its course.   It is in our nature to seek infinity. “[T]he finite will exalt the Infinity, the Infinity will exalt the finite.” (The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, published in Aquarian Times, September 2007.) Let things that “get in your way” dissolve. Allow your light, your truth, your infinite nature, to emerge.

Discernment: Examine, Explore, Inquire

Awareness is a huge first step in moving through your blocks. Okay, awareness, “check.” Now what? Once we are aware or conscious that there is a block, which way is the best way through? It may take discernment, deliberation, reflection. Deliberation is smooth, slow, methodical consideration.

In those moments when facing a “block,” consider the following:

Is it real, or perceived? Is it an actual block, or does it only seem and feel like a block? Is it truly blocking your destination, or can you go around it (choose a different path, to get to your destination)? What IS your destination? Feel into it. Allow your heart (not your mind) to speak. – The divine speaks through the heart; truth emerges from the soul, not from the mind.

Bring it out from the inner depths and out into the light! Let your own light shine through – through the “block”! See it from another angle. Hold it up to the light, as if it were a prism. What (new) reflections do you see now?

This is where meditation, journaling or yoga come into play – very helpful! (Oh, and breathing…remember to slow down, take a pause, and breathe!) ~ For tips on and types of a daily practice, go here. ~

Recognize when it’s quicksand pulling you down, and when it’s merely gravel shifting beneath your feet.

Conscious Choices     

You are in control of your choices. One choice may be to allow the block or situation to melt, like a “block” of ice…let it dissolve, decompose. Among other things, this preserves energy for you to approach the larger blocks, the “big boulders” that show up on your path, your spiritual journey. Be aware that not all blocks are created equal. It is okay (and wise!) to decipher which ones are which. Is it a block that can be dismantled, like a structure, broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces? Is it a block that may benefit from a change in shape? Consider whether it may be recombined in some way? How about reconfiguring the components, like a set of building blocks?

Remember, one of the choices available to each of us is: to do “nothing”! If made consciously, to fit a specific situation, doing nothing may in essence be “everything”.

Releasing Judgment

When a block appears, many of us tend to get caught up in the judgment – of ourselves, of the situation, of other people who may be involved. Really, however, that gobbles up lots of precious energy, and does little if anything to propel us forward.

And, often we unnecessarily compound the (perceived or actual) block, by allowing ourselves to get caught up in expectations as to form, timing, and the exact result that may come once we’ve moved through the block. Trust that there is a way through every block, and focus on the beauty of all that is, within Sutra 2. Trust that the form, timing and exact result will be in and for the highest good. This releases the pressure, and helps us step away from unhelpful distractions. It also creates space, so that we may acknowledge the true desire from within our heart, not the ‘masquerading one,’ the ‘trickster’ one residing in your ego.

Next: Take (Soul-Inspired) Action

You are self-empowered to choose how you move through every block. Remember though, to make a choice. Decide.

Even if it’s a decision to let go and let live – do it from a place of sovereignty, not by helplessly “giving up” and relinquishing control of your own life. It’s not about capitulating, or abdicating responsibility for your station in that moment, and the direction to which you’re heading. You are in control of the RUDDER on your boat! You get to decide where you’re steering, and to which spot on the horizon you’re heading! Yes, you’ll face trade winds, and headwinds, and cross-currents – these, however, need not be BLOCKS on your journey. They are merely influences, and ever fluid, forces. You’re still the captain. The commander!

Cease resistance. Lean into all that you are. Into all that is. Infinity.

Okay, your turn:

What, if any blocks, are you facing today? Is it a block, or a perceived block? What does your empowered self say is the next step? Where are you pointing your ship, and what soul-inspired provisions are you bringing with you?

I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.