“In the short term and in the long run, how we treat people is our legacy. We have a daily responsibility to stay conscious of that and show up in ways we can be proud of.” – Sam Horn, Talking on Eggshells
It’s holiday time! That exciting time of year when we navigate the emotional terrain of spending time with loved ones. Anxiety, anyone?
Some loved ones are a joy to be with. Others can be more challenging.
Here are some helpful tips:
It’s not about them. We often have attachment as to how we would like our loved ones to behave. In fact WE have lots of ideas about how they can live better lives. Breathe and step back. Practice letting go.
Respond not react. Our loved ones know how to push our buttons. Disable your button. Disconnect from your high mindedness. Dissolve the need to have the answers. Practice responding peacefully and not reacting to situations.
Claim your intention. Instead of imagining all the terrible, awful, dreadful things that the holidays might bring, practice visualizing what you do want. What is your intention? To have loving communication? To have peaceful interactions? To have joy-filled experiences? Set your intention before you venture out the door.
Remember to breathe. Conscious breathing keeps us grounded in our awareness of our divinity and our oneness. Allow your breathing to center yourself in love. Pause and take a breath.
Practice gratitude. Gratitude lifts us up to a higher vibration. In that vibration of love, all things are possible.
I am grateful for my many blessings… I bless my family…I bless my body…I bless my finances…I bless my home…I bless my neighbors…I bless my co-workers…I bless the economy…I bless our country…I bless my spiritual community…I bless the world.
“When conditions are sufficient there is a manifestation.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
We made wonderful joyful connections! We talked and shared, laughed and danced and even shed a tear or two.
Our Wisdom of the Heart Women’s Retreat was truly a celebration of the Spirit. Lauri Jones blessed us with her amazing voice, original music and united us in harmony. The beautiful forest at Alton Collins Retreat Center provided a sacred backdrop as we came together in love. We left uplifted, renewed, reconnected and recommitted to our spiritual practice.
Here’s what the retreat sisters had to say:
This retreat has opened up my heart to feel love again, to forgive more deeply and to further appreciate who I have become.
Connecting with other spiritually like-minded women was an enormous gift!
I call this retreat a soul tuning journey: being in the space which allows me to be completely protected while I explore the areas of my life that needs to grow.
I come alone and leave with a new tribe. The laughter, tears and very real sharing is heartfelt and I can feel it in the very core of my being.
I’ve been attending Rev Christine’s retreats for 10 years and they always take me deeper within myself.
I love the sacred, beautiful, healing container you create for us to come together and go deep into spiritual practice.
I love the mix of spirituality and fun, the peace of Alton Collins and the wonderful food that nourishes us.
I love Lauri’s voice, her style and her gentleness.
The Wisdom of the Heart retreats really do help reveal the Wisdom of one’s heart-self.
Rev Christine has a way of acknowledging each person’s experience in a way that values the person.
This was an opportunity to find time to rest and relax and deepen my spiritual awareness. I found new “sisters” and grew closer to the ones I already knew.
This deeply spiritual retreat, as always, changed my life. It moved me from anxiety to wholeness and gratitude.
I appreciate the safe and trusting environment for all participants, allowing us to connect with each other and our souls.
“When you get into the consciousness of the flow of the creative process within you, there will be a constant inner-direction in your life, leading to a deep sense of meaning…” Eric Butterworth, In The Flow Of Life
Some days, I am more efficient at catching my thoughts moving in a downward spiral. I was working on a project recently and realized I was thinking there was not enough time, energy or resources to complete it. I felt my stamina fade and my brain start to shut down.
It is important to catch thoughts of limitation quickly before they have time to take hold. Thoughts that spiral down are similar to a runaway car speeding down the hill. If we let them go, they will run away with our imagination and make up all kinds of stories of worry and fear.
The practice is to stop the limited thought quickly and realign ourselves to the universal flow of life.
These affirmations from In The Flow Of Life by Eric Butterworth lift me out of limitation and energize me back into the flow.
Be still and know…I am in the flow.
I move forward in the flow of life; unhurried and unworried.
I am in the flow of life, and I move easily with the flow. I am radiantly and enthusiastically alive.
I am free from tension, stress, and strain. I go forward in the flow of life—unhurried and unworried.
I am a child of the universe, established eternally in the healing stream. I am strengthened, renewed, restored, and made whole in every way.
I know my responsibility is to see with the eyes of love.
I am in the flow of life, and I relate easily and lovingly, patiently and understandingly with all persons.
I go forth in the joyous certainty that whatever person or situation may come to me this day, it will be good, for I will be in the flow of good. And if I should have even a fleeting moment of concern, I will simply let go…and let flow.
I accept the reality of this situation, but not its permanence. I know that this, too, shall pass away.
Copy these into your phone or print this page and keep it nearby. Use them as reminders of being in the flow.
“Those who are awake live in a constant state of amazement.” – Jack Kornfield
“How do I know if my inspirations are coming from God from my own thought?” A client asked me this great question recently.
There is a point of surrender on our spiritual journey where we know that the essence of who we are is much greater than the flesh body and more immense than our limiting thinking. When we connect with the infinite presence of God we know there is but one power, one presence, one life. We are not separate from God’s Presence but one with it.
We know that all activity, ideas, opportunities, come from this creative Source. One way to deepen this experience is the practice of gratitude. Every time we give thanks for something good, we acknowledge our greater connection with God.
There is no magic to trusting our intuition. It is a continual practice to listen to insights that we have. One of the reason’s why the time we spend in silence is so precious. Intuition comes as a whisper and a quiet presence.
I invite you to use this attunement from The Book of Love and Creation by Paul Selig:
I am choosing to live my life in accordance with my higher knowing. And I am aware that all that is before me is created in conscious choice in alignment with my Creator. As I move forward, I change my knowing to align into congruence with Divine Will and with my own requirements for my freedom. I am Word through this intention to stand in my freedom. Word I am Word.
As we develop inner awareness, we are able to discern the difference between the ego wanting attention or the whisper of Divine Wisdom. As we deepen in our practice, we trust the inspirations of the heart.
Affirm: I am grateful for Divine Wisdom guiding me each day.
