AN AWAKENED LIFE

EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE IS 'YOU.'

2011-12-04T06:27:00.000-08:00

There was once a powerful Guru who was visiting her ashram in India. This particular Guru loved to take a stroll in the beautifully scented gardens and woods around the complex. Every morning, she would walk the paths through the trees, observe the birds that were nesting there and make sure the grounds were being tended and cared for in the most tender and sensitive way possible.

One soft, pre-dawn morning, the Guru was silently moving through the gardens and giving the chief gardener instructions for the care and maintenance of the trees. After thirty minutes or so of walking and giving directives, the Guru and the gardener turned to head back to the office. Once inside, the Guru asked,

“What is being done about the mother bird in the mango tree, by the far wall to the east of the garden entrance, whose nest has been disturbed?

The gardener was astonished at the question. He was aware of the tree, but was not aware of the mother bird and more amazingly, neither he nor the Guru had ventured close enough to that particular tree to be able to observe a disturbed nest.

Fumbling that he would go and take a look later and see what could be done, the Guru nodded and silently walked away.

The Guru was able to perceive that the mother bird was unhappy because she was able to feel a state of discomfort within herself as she walked by, even though she was not close enough to physically see.

As amazing as this story may be on first hearing, we all have the capacity to perceive in the same way and we often do, though in many instances these subtle impressions are ignored, discounted or allowed to fall to the wayside...

Excerpt from: BE YOUR OWN GURU a transformational online course in conjunction with DAILY OM. For a free course giveaway during the month of December, go to: www.livinginalignment.org

THE SOUNDLESS SOUND

2011-11-09T02:32:00.000-08:00

Early this morning,
A bird is singing,
And the pure gift echoes,
In the heart of the heart.

This soundless sound,
With no beginning,
And no end,
Arises and subsides,
As an ocean,
With no shore.

My sweet, little friend,
You offer your prayer,
And I hear you,
As my own voice,
In worship,
Together,
On the altar,
Of Love.

DREAMS AND BECOMING THE PATH

2011-07-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

As a child, the veil between the dream state and other realms of existence was shimmering and transparent, becoming more so after a dramatic spiritual awakening in 1989. Saints from diverse paths and traditions entered dreams to give initiation and teachings and although I had never studied anything of the Shamanic path, Shamans suddenly appeared to lead me in unusual and elaborate rituals.

In one lucid dream, I found myself with a group of Hopi Elders. Given a dark, green herbal mixture to drink, I was stretched out on the earth while the Master Shaman began walking across my chest. Breaking open the rib-cage, his foot plunged into my body, turning and massaging the heart. Then he told me, “The heart is being turned and squeezed in order to contain the message of the Blue Star, in accordance with the Hopi prophecy.”

In another initiation dream, I found myself in South America with two native women who instructed, “It is necessary to take the (second) green initiation in order to move through time and space.” Then I was taken to a wise, female Master Shaman whose face shone with a green luster. Standing together as she instructed, we began moving in an anti-clockwise spiral, chanting a song to the four directions. A few moments later on being drawn back to waking, the Shaman woman called into my waking world that she belonged to a tribe sounding like ‘I-Y-A-H-U-A-C-A.’ Her message, “There is discomfort when the great divide is being crossed,” continued reverberating throughout my being as I slowly opened my eyes.

A couple of weeks later, I was intrigued to meet a young woman who confided she had recently returned from studying with a Shaman in Peru and that her teacher was, “A Shaman from the Ayahuasca tradition.” As soon as she uttered that unusual word, I knew without question that it was the name of the tribe I had heard the Shaman woman utter in my dream.

In the years since my spiritual awakening, grace continues to flow into and through my life in the most powerful and compelling of ways and with it, I am continually brought back to a place of deep gratitude. What I have come to appreciate is whether we think we are ready or not, whether we are even consciously aware of being a 'seeker,' grace comes unbidden, entering the fabric of our lives and serving to bring us to the truth of who we really are.

Whether we are taught this in the waking or subtle states of being, all paths, faiths and belief systems ultimately bring us to the ‘Truth of the One.' And at some point in our evolution, we are destined to become the embodiment of that Truth. Eventually we will stop searching for a path. In the end, through the challenges of facing our own light and our own darkness and by being completely emptied out, we will come to know, "It is finished. I AM complete. I AM the path."

Except of a lesson on The Art of Lucid Dreaming, from the Living in Alignment online course. For details go to: http://www.livinginalignment.org

DREAMING OF INDIA

2011-07-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

Early one morning a couple of years ago, I had a lucid dream of being in India. Startled by the power and beauty of being there once more, I am immediately at home. The fragrance of pungent incense is suspended in the heavy, moist air, mixed with the unforgettable smell of rich earth. I find myself walking through a small village, between simple dwellings, held together with clay baked walls and dry grass roofs. Heat presses in, holding me still, centered in every movement.

Looking down, I see bare, brown feet, stepping out from under my long, orange robe. Villagers passing by, bring their hands together in silent greeting and bow. I greet them with the same pranam, bowing to the light before continuing on to follow a narrow path, gracefully formed beneath a canopy of trees.

It used to be, in these dreams of mine, I would be looking for the Enlightened Ones who inspire and light my way. Now, I realize searching is over. We are looking through the same eyes.

Early that morning, in my dream of India, I realize I am gazing through the compassionate eyes of Father Bede Griffiths, an extraordinary mystic who I had heard little of before. On waking, I rise with the intention of reading about his life and discovering what He wanted to teach me. He who was dreaming new insights into my world and I into His.

A few days later, I happily came across the following video and watching in awe, Father Bede Griffiths walks along the same path I had walked in my dream, proving that in essence, whether we know it or not, we are the same One.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8980319065355588161

TAKING MY SEAT

2011-07-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

You asked me,

To,
Take my seat,
On the altar,
That was you.

Little did I know,
That the cost,
Of sitting there,
Would,

Be,
My,
Life

A GRACE FILLED LIFE

2011-06-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Many people,
Choose,
A thousand distractions,
As excuses,
To fill,
The cup of their lives,
And turn from You,
Not knowing,
That death,
Is knocking,
At the door.

If only,
They could,
Hold still,
For just one second,
Your kiss,
Would put an end,
To suffering;
Waking them,
To the joy,
And,
Limitless wonder,
Of,
A grace-filled,
Life.

THE SONG OF THE BIRD

2011-06-06T02:39:00.000-07:00

In the dark stillness,
Of the pre-dawn morning,
A bird is calling.

The pure sound,
Flying through,
The door,
Of my open heart.

You are welcome,
My little friend,
Having arrived,
Laden with sweet messages.

These sacred gifts,
Are offered,
From the source of Love,
And can only,
Be opened,
In the fragrant silence,
Of,
A grateful heart.

THE SECRET DOORWAY

2011-05-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

We are lost,
Until pain wakes us from the dream,
And salty tears point the way,
To the abode of the Self.

Desperate to follow,
We bend,
Forced to put down,
The burden,
Of me and mine.

And entering the secret doorway,
We discover a palace of Light.
Where we find our own reflection,
Dazzling and laughing,
In the perfection,
Of appearing,
As a thousand different faces,
And a thousand different forms.

A THOUSAND BLAZING SUNS

2011-04-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

I Am the fire,
of the seven suns.

Burning and destroying,
all that is not of service,
to the Light.

I Am fearless,
the shadowless One,
Reflecting the luminosity,
Of who you are,
And who you are not.

Be warned,
Do not gaze into my face,
Unless you are willing,
To lose yourself.

If you have not taken a step,
On the path of Love,
Be afraid for your life.

You see,
I will burn,
What you believe is yours,
and transform it,
Into a thousand, blazing suns.

I KNOW YOU

2011-04-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

When I came to know myself,
I realized,
I know you.

And,
I know,
The thousand things,
You believe,
Keep you small,
And apart,
From merging,
With the Light,
That you already are.

THE MIRROR OF THE HEART

2011-03-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

When the inner work is done,
And the mirror of the heart is polished clean,
Everything standing before us,
Is our own perfect reflection.

Bowing to the reflection,
There can be no judgment,
There can be no 'other.'

Everything and everyone,
Is the Pure Self.
This is the simple Truth,
If we have the heart to see.

NOTHING TO DO

2011-03-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

There is really,
Nothing,
For you to 'do.'

Other than Be,
With your-Self.

Everything manifests,
In its own way,
And own time.

YOUR SALTY KISSES

2011-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

For far too long,
I stood,
On the edge of the shore,
Praying you would show your face,
And come to me.

What a waste!
If I had known,
Simply staring at the ocean,
Was holding you at bay,
I would have dived in,
And allowed,
Your salty kisses,
To consume,
The idea,
Of ever being apart..

THIS CRAZY WORLD

2011-01-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

In this crazy world of loving you,
I seek your footsteps,
In the silent places,
Found beyond words.

And placing,
One careful foot in front of the other,
I follow,
Knowing nothing can be done...

You see,
It is far too late.

There is only You,
Who can soothe,
This willing madness.

The Wind

2010-12-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

The wind is moving through the trees,
Pushing against each leaf and branch,
Meeting no resistance.

Mother Nature teaches us,
To bend,
No grass, flower or stem,
Holds itself rigid.

When we let go,
We understand,
Whatever comes our way,
Is a blessing.

SILENCE

2010-11-08T03:25:00.000-08:00

Underlying,
All sound in the world,
Is sweet, velvet silence,
Profound and compelling,
Roaring,
"Dive in!
An Ocean of Light,
Is what you are."

Can you believe it?
Will you put down,
The burden of me and mine,
Just for a moment,
And
Let
Go?

ALL THE LOVE YOU COULD EVER NEED

2010-10-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

Through the night,
The drumming of heavy rain,
Falls outside,
Filling the air,
With silence.

At times,
Dreams are flooded with the sound,
And now on waking,
Birds glide over soaked earth,
Crying.

What gifts you offer,
In rain and salty tears,
Opening hearts,
Enough to know,

"I Am Here.
As Presence,
And all the Love you could ever need."

THERE IS ONLY LOVE

2010-09-28T03:14:00.000-07:00

You once asked,
"Are you strong enough to contain the suffering of the world?"
Back then, what did I know of suffering?
And what did I know of love?

I see now,
That both intertwine,
Like a thick length of rope,
You have thrown to me,
And I have clung to,
As you pulled me so close,
I became lost in you.

Now I see,
In your radiant and compassionate heart,
How you take on the suffering of others,
And burn it away,
In the Fire of Your Love.

ASHES AT YOUR FEET

2010-09-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

You entered my dreaming world,
Humming and mixing herbs with fragrant oil.

Then, your lovely hands,
Took my feet,
And on the upturned soles,
You placed the scented paste....

I trust you so,
Giving everything so freely.
Knowing, in my heart,
That even as you lit the fire,
And brought it close, until feet were aflame,

I would not resist,
I would simply watch,
Little desires burn away,

Leaving the taste of ash,
And You,
Only You.

THERE IS THUNDER

2010-09-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

There is thunder in the air.
Moving in across this wide, clear day, it calls from afar,
Signaling change.

I hear the rumbling,
Outside, above the trees,
And inside my heart,
Banging against each hollow rib,

Reminding me,
The outer reflects the inner.
What do I need to let go of,
In this world of mine?

And what do I need to enfold,
In limitless sky-arms?

Any minute, the rains will fall,
Blessing what I most need to love.

HOW CAN I?

2010-08-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

How can I turn from you, when you hold me so close,

Your breath is my own.

We dance together you and I,

Laughing at the lie, that we were once were apart.

Dawn reveals there is no coming and going,

There is only,

Love.

AN INVITATION

2010-08-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

Wherever I am in the world, I can't help but look at the sky and think of you.

Vast and limitless, you stretch out over my small world as a reminder,

That you are here and here.

Shimmering and sparkling, you reflect the light of my soul,

And invite the small self to fall into the depths of That,

Which is right here,

Where I am standing as I gaze upon you.

NO TEARING APART

2010-08-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Don't others see I Am always locked in your embrace?

Though we laugh and talk about this and that, my heart is always with you.

Filling every thought and movement, you have coloured the cloth of my life and woven yourself into each delicate thread.

Sometimes, I try to pull apart, yet I can not.

My arm and soft shoulder is now yours.

We have leaned into eachother so deeply,

There's no telling us apart.

YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE

2010-07-27T03:01:00.000-07:00

Wherever I turn, I see You.

In heavy, rolling clouds You are present.

And as the wind, whipping and tearing through the day, it is only You.

I feel You too.

Shining through the faces of those I know and those I am meeting for the first time.

We recognize one another, You and I.

We know in an instant who has boldly taken a sip.

Imbibed the wine of the Self,

And become drunkenly lost in the embrace of You.

IN THE LIGHT

2010-07-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

You call to me in the light, sparkling and shimmering, as dew on the soft grass.

Here too, as wide leaves opening to receive, I see you.

In thorny branches twisting and turning to find their way, I feel your longing.

We believe we are seeking.

In Truth, you wait patiently. All you desire is to draw us into your great heart, to hold us close and to whisper,

''I Am Here Always.''

RADIANT YOU

2010-07-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

The joy of your fragrant, soft touch is beckoning me once more, whispering to turn and gaze into your heart, so wide and deep, I feel it beating as my own.

Petals arched back, reaching to the soft, pale blue sky, you give everything.

Sharing your beauty and light, you are a lovely gift, reminding us all to be still for just a moment and to let go, falling into the vast radiance that we are.

THE BEAUTIFUL WARNING

2010-07-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

You did warn me, many lifetimes ago, how I had to be strong and wide enough to contain everything.

Now joy spills out, so vast, it tears at the skin and bursts through this little form, wrapping itself in and around the wide world.

And pain too. I know every sorrow as my own.

Each crevice and fold of it, presses into tissue and bone.

When I believed myself separate from you many, many moons ago, you whispered:

''Are you strong enough to contain everything?''

Now I Am looking through your eyes and you are looking through mine.

I know your secrets.

I know you soothe pain, and you whip joy into wild, ecstatic delight, making it so complete there is no room for anything else.

AN ABUNDANT OFFERING

2010-06-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

My lovely, royal poinciana friend is doing it again.

Letting go of her full, vibrant blooms, they are spiraling down, taking rest on the surface of the pool.

They are lovely, these offerings.

Small, golden-orange flames, they reflect the radiant light of the heart.

Fire surrendered to water, they are whispering:

"Give what is most beautiful of yourself to the vastness of Spirit."

Those blooms were never mine to begin with.

They were always meant to be shared.

GRATITUDE

2010-06-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

Almost three years ago, when my inner guidance, framed in the fragrant silk of one of my Spiritual Teacher's asked, "When are you writing the book?" I had no clue that my world would expand in the way it has. Since then, I have been taken down roads I would never have dared imagine and I am grateful beyond words.

Writing on this blog is a way of expressing gratitude for the way grace has entered and filled my life, like a vast, limitless ocean.

I bow to That and in my bowing, I bow to you for visiting these words which arise and subside from the Pure Self.

I would love to hear your voice too.

I would love to hear how one of these postings has touched your heart or how aspects of your own world have opened to reveal the unifying nature of all things.

How would you describe the formless nature of the I AM?

Please don't be shy.

The world is waiting to hear from the magnificence of your own great heart.

MONSOON

2010-06-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Rain is falling once again. It begins softly, so softly and builds until it fills the senses, drumming and pushing against the ribs and my soft, open heart.

It does this to me, the rain, carrying me silently to India, a place I once thought I had left.

Yet, here I am again, adoring the purple-blue clouds which fill the sky, like an upside down ocean.

What an amazing life this is, that I am here and here.

Beloved, you were right when you told me,

"I Am everywhere always."

I know it now. You grappled away the idea of me and mine.

What is left, is vast, empty silence and a heart overflowing with the rain and a wide, limitless ocean.

DREAMING OF INDIA

2010-06-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

Early one morning, I dream I am in India. The fragrance of pungent incense is suspended in the heavy, moist air, mixed with the unforgettable smell of rich earth. I am walking through a small village, between simple dwellings, held together with clay baked walls and dry grass roofs. Heat presses in, holding me still, centered in every movement.

Looking down, I see bare, brown feet, stepping out from under my long, orange robe. Villagers passing by, bring their hands together in silent greeting and bow. I greet them with the same pranam, bowing to the light.

It used to be, in these dreams of mine, I would be looking for one of my Teachers. Now, there's no need. We are looking through the same eyes.

Early one morning, in my dream in India, I am Father Bede Griffiths. I make a promise to read a little about his life and discover what He wants to tell me.

He who is dreaming new insights into my world and I into His.

The same One.

WHEREVER I AM

2010-05-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

Wherever I Am, I see you. There's no hiding from me now.

I see you in the undergrowth as I cycle by. You show yourself in the sky reflected in the rain's pool as it lies across my path. Birds speak of you as they arc and circle above my head. And the wide sky bellows your name.

How is it I ask myself, that I could not discover you before this? Is it that you were so plainly in sight, you were hidden from view?

When staring at the bright sun, we can not grasp what is right in front of our eyes.

I see you now.

And in that seeing, I promise I will never let you go.

SEEING MYSELF

2010-05-25T03:21:00.000-07:00

A beautiful blue-gray heron is a daily visitor. Standing on sticky legs by the side of the pool, she draws her attention inward and holds her pose for several long minutes, like a yogi balanced in standing posture. Sometimes she gazes at her reflection, tap-tapping her beak in the water.

Her stillness soothes me, drawing me to the same silent space. I become lost in her. Watching, I am unable to say where she ends and I begin. I can feel her long, soft feathers, wide eyes and large claw feet, wrapping around the pool's edge, holding steady.

She and I are the same, lost in the silence as one.

REFLECTING LIGHT

2010-05-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

This morning, pedaling toward the cycle path as the sun was pushing through heavy, lilac clouds, my heart opened at the sight of pink and white poi trees. Planted and grassed in concrete dividers cutting through the middle of the road, I was touched by their gentle, oriental-looking beauty and their soft fragrance, filling my senses as I rode by.

The elegant trees were heavily laden and the same number of blossoms had fallen, skirting the roots, like wide, arcing petticoats. Lying in the short grass, the petals reminded me of mirrors reflecting back to the trees, the radiance of their own beauty.

Writing An Awakened Life, has been just like that. I was told to write about my spiritual awakening in order that I could understand my own journey and then reflect it back to others. Our paths and descriptions of our experiences may differ, however at heart, we are the same.

If like me you are a little shy, have the courage to share something of your unfolding consciousness through the light and beauty of your magnificent heart. If you do, I promise, it will be reflected back to you, more radiant than you could ever dare imagine.