8-24-2020 Today the air is filled with smoke. I let my cats out for awhile then call them in, Honey seems content to stay out for just a few minutes, while Shrimp will stay outside as long as I allow her to. Last Friday night was the thunder and lightening, it wasn't until Wednesday morning that the ash made it onto the property here; looking like a blanket of grey pollen dusting the cars and falling down right in front of my eyes. What to say? Peoples homes being burnt down, all the wildlife lost, a tragedy. This trauma might seem unbearable. What to do?Wherever you find yourself at this time on this planet, please tune into your heart center and take some slow deep breaths.If you are someone who has been impacted by the fires, my heart goes out to you.If you are feeling panicked by this recent event but not harmed by it, then allow yourself to feel safe. I don't know why tragedy strikes one person and not another. It sometimes seems random and certainly not fair. I am in no way attempting to trivialize anyones experience; I have had my share of tragic and painful events. If we are still here and able to breathe, we can be grateful. Settling in our bodies, calming our minds is the first step.
8-14-2020 I have been focused on Self-care for a very long time and I equate it with Self-Love. So what is Self-Care actually? For many people, self-care is but a small blip on their radar. Even many spiritual teachers and leaders focus on how to give to others, how to be out in the world. But you know that instruction you get by the airline flight attendant, "Put your oxygen mask on first, then help those next to you." Somehow this gets lost? I don't particularly want to go into the many reasons why for now, and there are many; I would rather put attention on how to cultivate an inner climate of self-love and self-care. Survival, we are designed to survive. So whatever you learned about how to best survive with the least energy expenditure, that is what you did. When we take this path over and over, usually not having been provided alternatives; we are conditioning our body systems and this becomes the way of life. Our thoughts, feelings, perceptions and habits develop roots and this becomes our way of being. It is important to understand what happens in the autonomitc nervous system and how we learn to deal with stress or rather distress. I really appreciate Deepak Chopra's definition of the stress response. Stages of Stress, 1. the stressful event; 2. your inner appraisal of it; 3. your bodies reaction to it, taken from Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. We can see here that phase two is where we can take the opportunity to intervene. This requires our ability to slow down, pause, to provide ourselves some time and space. This is why there so much emphasis on being in the moment, Being in the Now.
9-13-21 Hi there, It has been sometime sinceI've visited this page. it is my intention to write here on a weekly basis, so stay tuned please. Today's topic is family wounding, anyone out there able to relate. It sems to me that here is where we learn our Value, if we were failed here, we may find ourselves feeling unappreciated, dismised and altogether not Valuable to others and feeling low swnsw of self worth as a result. We go forth in life experiencing a lot of disappointment and believing it is our fault or certainly, "there is surely something Wrong with me ". We may feel ashamed that we are not good enough, after all, this is what those closest to us are demonstrating. You are not alone, although it may feel this way. There may be some comfort in knowing you aren't the only one, but this comfort is not enough to heal ourselves. We all want to belong, it is natural and healthy to reach out to others, to try and find validation in someone outside of ourselves. Yet, if you are an adult, that validation may come with lots of hard work, or it may not come easily, because we are most likely reaching out from the wounded self, and we may end up with more neglect and shaming. The Good News is we can turn inward to the vast resource that is our true home, our true Self. This might not feel encouraging at first but as we develop the inner, true Self, this Self will never let us down, honestly. There is the hump of learning to turn inward rather than the learned turning outward. This will take practice, a practice that is well worth it and will keep on giving, I promise. Remember to breath from your Heart center, Much love. Cia A 7-29- 22 In reading, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki, I was presented with another metaphor for stability. He teaches that whatever is going on in our foreground, there is a solid mountain and a clear sky in the background that is constant. What we experience in front of us, or what we experience as all around us and inside of us too, may be beautiful or not so beautiful. It will change in some amount of time, it always does. We can rest assured that whatever is happening, there is still a solid environment that is constant and consistent, a true stability in which we can trust. The understanding I have come to accept is what Suzuki, offers is true; and yet as humans in this human existence, I believe we also need to establish a solid foundation beneath our feet. A sense of safety and security from which to feel strong, solid and secure. A way that we can feel anchored inorder to explore, expand, grow and heal;so that we may become resilient. It is from this resiliency we are able to step off into our lives fully.Many of us were not provided the nurturance, support, protection or love needed in our early lives as we developed; and perhaps even more tragic is the absence of teachings or support through our many levels of society. We now are required to take up this journey of awareness and healing on our own. This can seem arduous at best or even impossible. I strongly believe that there is always a solution available to us and that healing is absolutely possible. There is a greatness in all of us. When we can accept this transformation as a gift to ourselves rather than a burden; life can become satisfying and even Joy-Full.Take some time today for nurture ~ to honor your essential Self. Check in with yourself ~ pause ~ notice the quality of your breath ~ allow your mind to slow down ~ choose to experience a moment of Relaxation!6-19-23 Hello, I trust that I find you in a moment of awareness. Life has a way of challenging us, especially when we really don't want to be challenged. Óur awareness can help us recognize that we have the capacity to meet our lives challenges. Take a moment to be still and quiet. We may feel urgency to act, yet calm and clarity can be present when we are still enough to understand our perceptions and how we might shift them. Take a moment to breathe in consciously from your heart center, a little slower and deeper. Allow yourself to receive what you are needing. Namaste