Tag Archive for: inspired action

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Owning your own piece of PEACE…

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. 
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To be aligned is divine!

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.
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It is through compassion, that we understand

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.
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Start, and the pressure will be off

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.
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Inspirations from the Mat

Making it to the mat

As my kundalini yoga teacher says, just “making it to the mat” may be the most important step in any consistent yoga practice.

She means it in the physical sense – make it to your yoga mat to begin. It is, however, of course, so much more than that. It’s the launching pad that sets you up for spiritual, energetic, emotional and mental acuity, and yes dare I say, enlightenment. Okay, so maybe my even mentioning the word “enlightenment” brings out eye-rolls from some of you. Or, for others of you, it may truly serve as your inspiration. Either way, it’s important to make it to the mat!

Our Sunday morning kundalini yoga class has become my church, if you will. It sets the tone for my whole week. So, too, does “making it to the mat” – as often as possible (and it’s especially powerful to do on a daily basis). I’ll speak more to the importance of a daily practice in another post. For now, take my word for it – consistent, daily practice (yoga or otherwise) reaps rewards both tangible and intangible!

Led by our kundalini teacher, in our Sunday group, we recently completed our second round of a 40-day practice. For me, making it to the mat, during the early morning hours especially, brings about a deep and beautiful communion – a communion with natural rhythms, a renewed connection to Spirit, and a solid groundedness for the day.

Why the early morning hours? Known as the ‘ambrosia hours,’ the early morning hours signify when the world is quiet and fluid.

The kundalini tradition places special emphasis on the morning hours, due in large part to it being the time of day when nature’s energy is at its highest. Just as nature flows more fluidly at this time, so too does our spirit, and well-being. I invite you to treat this time as sacred. Your soul will thank you for it!

As poets and songwriters have often penned, it is true that it is always the darkest before the dawn. As in nature, the soul – like the sun – awakens and emerges, bringing with it the light to shine on us all. The ancient Celts believed this, and it stands just as true today. I invite you to approach each day with a sense of renewal. It’s a fresh opportunity to shine your light as only you can shine it. Imagine the possibilities!

Take this very day, TODAY, for example. Would today have been different, had you started it during the early morning hours with a sense of renewal, and embracing it as a fresh start? If you did start today with a morning practice, reflect on how you felt during those morning moments. What did setting aside this sacred time, just for you, set into motion? And, consider this: what will you do differently tomorrow? Jot down what comes to mind. Or, better yet, get quiet and let your intuition speak. What does your soul desire for you to do differently tomorrow?

I’d love to hear what comes up for you. Please share by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!

© 2015 Lori A. Noonan. All Rights Reserved.
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