An Angel Returns Home

ABDELLAH IN PARIS - MARCH 2006

This is for me the beginning of a personal effort to recapture and understand the rhyme and reason, insight and lesson, and even beauty associated with what would appear to be a single event but which is really the culmination of a long series of synchronicities which lead up to, and even followed the event itself.

So, where to I begin? Well, those of you who have been following my blogs know of my wonderful friend Abdellah and our very special relationship, which included not only the lovely times we spent together in India, but even a 9 day visit I made to Paris to spend time with him in March of 2006. You can read a short account in the blog posts: http://mindfulnessjournal.blogspot.com/#114495322641587364

Abdellah is the only person I ever knew who truly and literally lived each day as it if was his last…truly lived in the moment.

The only meaning money had for him was as a means to bring happiness into the lives of people (not just “others”, himself as well, as he was a person who truly loved and respected himself).

NADDI


He lived each and every day fully, and worrying about “having enough for the future” was a completely alien concept to him. He was my living lesson in non-attachment.


BHAGSU WATERFALL CAFE 2003

Abdellah’s quest during the short few years I knew him, was to get closer to God. This was his reason for pursuing the different philosophies he pursued, such as Kriya Yoga. He was looking for the best way to connect to Him. Well, he is now where he always wanted to be. With God - and I am happy for him as I know he is at peace and content. He was just an angel here on Earth waiting to get back home.

A PUJA AT BHAGSU WATERFALL


And the lessons I learnt from him, I was able to put into action in my own life by using money “I did not have” and “could not afford to use” – to bring joy and happiness in a surprising way, into the life of another person. And this small act snowballed and the effects of my one small action continued to bring further happiness to others as well.

The lessons I learnt from Abdellah, the days filled with joy and laughter we spent together, the deeper meaning of living life to the fullest which I was permeated with every time I spoke to him, the smiles of joy on the faces of all those who knew him every time his name was mentioned, are all things which will remain with me forever.

He will always be with me. Abdellah was a practicing Buddhist, and I just have to maneuver my way over a bunch of ants so as not to step on them, or watch a mosquito fly by without "clapping" it between my hands (I did that once instinctively when Abdellah was with me (!)...I have NEVER done it again!), and I think of him. [Abdellah's Mother is Muslim, and his step-father, who he grew up with, is Jewish (he has relatives in Israel), and one of his favorite foods is kneidlach, which I happily made for him with chicken soup one evening in McLeodganj. I also taught him how to make challah when I was in Paris with him. ] I just have to think of sausissons which he introduced me to at Kailwood in 2004, and I am in food heaven. The wonderful meals we shopped for, cooked and ate together, the movies we watched with his wonderful insights - he studied film in university in the States - the insights into Buddhist philosophy I received from him, but more important, in daily living...all these things keep him alive within me. Showing true loving-kindness, compassion and goodwill to all - not an easy thing to do ALL the time, was something that he could never NOT do. It was simply part of his essence. A living lesson in truly loving and respecting all living creatures, including himself. Like the wonderful plans he had drawn up for his new home in India, originally planned at the farmhouse in Kangra but later moved to an area near Palampur that his friend the Banker in Dharamsala was helping him with. A beautifully planned home, lavishly furnished with the best of everything including giant full wall size plasma TV screen.







AT KOKILA'S FARMHOUSE IN KANGRA WHERE HE WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNING TO BUILD A HOUSE

Well, let’s start with the fact that the last time I saw Abdellah was when he left Dharamsala to go back to Delhi and home to Paris, last year sometime in May 2007 if I am not mistaken. We had spent several really fun days together as usual, but his time in Dharamsala was short and we didn’t have the intense type of visit we usually do in India, where we spend extended periods of time together. So when I decided to go back to India in February 2008, we knew we would be meeting up for 2 weeks the beginning of March before he flew back to Paris after his several months studying Yoga in Mysore. He would come up to Rishikesh, and it would have been his first visit to Rishikesh and I knew he would love it, and was excited about seeing him.

I wrote to him from home to confirm the visit, but when he didn’t reply I didn’t think twice about it, as this was part of who he was and I never was disturbed by his lack of response to my e-mails. I always knew he read them all from the conversations we would have afterwards when we met. He just hated writing. He would prefer to call me by phone, which he did every couple of months, usually calling on a Friday night and saying “Shabbat Shalom” and throwing me off balance for a few seconds before I realized it was him calling.

I then wrote again when I arrived, and again as the beginning of March got closer, but still received no response. Someplace deep down inside I felt a twinge of worry, but ignored it, thinking that he perhaps had changed his plans, and would certainly be in touch with me when he was able to. And then the beginning of March came and went and no word. I even met our mutual friend Nikolai in Rishikesh and asked about Abdellah. He also said he had been strangely silent for a long time…even for him.

ABDELLAH AND NIKOLAI AT KAILWOOD IN MCLEODGANJ - 2004

But he also agreed with me that there was no reason for worry as this was typical behavior for him…Abdellah was my big lesson in true non-attachment, and I tended to agree with Nikolai, but something still didn’t seem right to me. But I brushed it aside. I would be home in Israel soon (it was a short trip to India) and if I hadn’t heard from him by then, would call him, or call a friend of his in Paris, which was the only other way I had of contacting him. And I continued with the short remaining time I had in Rishikesh, disappointed with not having seen Abdellah, but figuring there was a good reason for him not being there with me. I was after all, enjoying the company of Ben tremendously, as well as my healing meetings with Dudi, and was being kept quite busy and happy as well.

When I arrived home, still not having heard from Abdellah, I went to call his friend in Paris several times, but something always “got in the way” of the phone call. It just seemed to be something which would not happen. And then one day, I forwarded an e-mail to a group of friends, and when doing this, Abdellah’s name would always appear in the ”TO” window as he was alphabetically first on my list. The rest would be BCC , but anyone who opened the mail could see I had sent it to Abdellah. One of the recipients was Nikolai, and he sent me an e-mail simply saying “do you know-just in case- that Abdellah passed away about a month ago?”

Well, first of all it is not an easy thing to write and I certainly don’t envy Nikolai for being the one to write it to me, and second of all, what do you do when you read something like that? You go into shock and denial at first, I can tell you, and then you begin to feel guilty about not knowing about it sooner (but how could you?), and then you begin to think “Why didn’t I call sooner” (but what good would that have done), and then you burst out in tears, and then uncontrollable sobs, and you need to sit down, you need to speak to someone, you need to understand, you need to comprehend what you just read, and you cry and cry and cry until everything hurts and there are no more tears…and then you begin to cry again. And finally, you can breath once again and you begin to realize the impact of that simple sentence. You will never see Abdellah again…not in India, not in Paris, not anywhere. He will never call again and surprise you with a “Shabbat Shalom”. He will never come up behind you on the street , say “How YOU doin’ my friend” and when you turn around, see his amazing smile in front of you. You will never cook another meal together with him,


KITCHERI IN MY ROOM AT KAILWOOD - 2003

drink coffee with him, go shopping with him (shop until you drop style) again, never watch another movie with him again, never have him watch you dance folkdancing in the guesthouse room, never listen to music again with him, never just sit and talk with him or travel with him, or laugh with him, never go to Udeechi Huts in Naddi for fried chicken with him, never, never, and more never!

UDEECHI HUTS IN NADDI 2004


And then I began to do my best to put together a story of how this all happened. Being in touch with other mutual friends I was able to put together the sad story of his illness and surprising death. I will not detail it here, as there is no reason to do so, but will simply say that he contracted pneumonia in Mysore, and by the time he was flown home to Paris by his insurance company, quite some time later by the way, the virus had done too much damage and he was unable to recover. He was 47 years old. I further checked with them and his family, found out some precise dates of events etc., read stories many people had written about him, collected pictures etc.

I refuse to dwell on the “what if” questions etc., as there is simply no point in it, and prefer to put together for you a series of small synchronicities surrounding my arrival in India in February, my stay there, some unusual things that I realized through hindsight which show the interconnectiveness of our souls even after his death. I can truly tell you that I “see” Abdellah more now than I did when he was alive…he is with me very often. Watching me at folkdancing, attending a recent silent retreat with me, and during one of the meditations sat next to me, and in his typical fashion of never taking anything in life too seriously, said to me “Well, I see someone has finally got you to shut up!” (He very often commented that I talked too much!). He is actually sitting with me now and has already made a couple of comments about what I am writing. I wear a bracelet he once bought for me (by surprise…sending it to me by mail after I had already left India…after I had admired it in a jewelry store where we were shopping together for presents for his family members)…and I can feel him physically with me. His presence is powerful and loving and gentle and brings me great happiness…whenever I am feeling down, he comes around and brings a big smile to my face. I can truly say that I do not miss him , as I very rarely saw him anyway. When I return to India in a couple of months, I’m sure it will be difficult, but I am also sure that he will be there with me as well, just as he is now.

So now, just a small list of those things discovered in retrospect, bringing things more into focus and understanding.

I arrived in India actually quite ill, having fallen sick at home several days prior to my flight. Upon my arrival in Rishikesh, I actually began running a very high fever, which is very unusual for me, I rarely, if ever, have even a low fever when I am ill. After two days the guesthouse people took me to a doctor as they were quite worried about my condition, and he said there is extremely serious congestion in my lungs and he suspects pneumonia. He was an ayurveda doctor and gave me certain herbal medicines to take, but also recommended 3 days of antibiotics due to the extreme severity of my condition. I was quite surprised as I don’t usually get this ill. This was around the 14th of February. Later on, checking back on my blog, I realized that the first day I felt well enough to leave my room, or the small area near it in the guesthouse, was on February 22nd. This was the first day when, all of a sudden, all of the symptoms I had been feeling, completely disappeared, as if I had never been sick.
A couple of days after that, I met Ben and one of the first things he brought me to read was a booklet called “Do Not Grieve” which he had picked up at a local ashram in town. At the time, I simply read it and found many interesting ideas regarding life in general, and graceful acceptance of all that happens etc., without ever thinking that I would actually need it for true grieving. But there is was…in my room….
another thing which happened to me and is also documented in a blog post is a feeling of sudden and deep sadness for no reason which overcame me, and brought me to tears which could not be stopped. I had to leave the company of friends and run up to my room. It lasted for a few days and only when I did a full energy cleansing of my room did I begin to feel better and start sleeping again at night. I tried finding a reason for the sadness, but simply could not….everything was just beautiful in my life at the moment. It is something that came from a deep deep place within…only afterward I understood what it was and what had caused it to service.
Upon returning home to Israel, I began my Reiki Sharing group and at the first meeting, one of the people working on me said she felt a deep, profound sadness within me, so intense that it was difficult for HER to bear. I again said I could think of no reason for such sadness to be sensed as I was in an extremely tranquil and harmonious time in my life and all seemed to be going really well for me.

Once I found out the dates connected to Abdellah’s illness, his death, his memorial services etc., I went back and checked the above things by date as well. I was SO intensely ill just at the same time that Abdellah was at the most critical part of his own illness with pneumonia. The day he passed away, and no longer felt the suffering from the symptoms, was February 22nd! The same day I first was able leave my room, feeling complete relief from symptoms as well.
The booklet “Do Not Grieve” came in very handy the first day I heard the news at home as it helped me to put things into perspective and come to terms with what had happened.
The day of the Reiki Sharing Group turned out to be the same day that a Memorial Service was held for Abdellah in the States, and again the sadness was felt by me. And the sadness I felt in India, well, my soul KNEW what had happened…it just had no way of communicating it to me on an intellectual level, so even not knowing, I also KNEW, and the sadness already enveloped me.

And of course Abdellah continues to do things for others even though he is no longer here with us physically. The lessons I learnt from him, and continue to absorb, lead me to understand that someone near and dear needed immediate help, and that even though everything common sense told me said I could not help them, Abdellah said I could and should, and so I did, and wonderful things have happened to an entire family through that help but with thanks to him.

I will end this post with my thanks to God and the Universe for bringing Abdellah into my life, and to Abdellah himself for all the wonderful days he spent with me, and for the lovely moments he still spends with me to this day.

Goodbye My Friend!

MORE ON FORGIVENESS

This will be short and to the point. I was watching a (really kitschy) TV program on my PC the other day, but one sentence of dialogue just popped out at me, despite the fact that I was barely paying attention. It was as if it was played on a loudspeaker at full volume and written in neon lights all at the same time. It was a lesson for me regarding a "test" I had been given the day before and which I failed miserably (and was frustrated with myself as well as very unforgiving of my own behavior, as well as the behavior of the other parties involved). It was also a direct message for a client who arrived just a couple of hours after I watched the program. It was a perfect case of synchronicity, being complimented by a card reading she did with me regarding a certain issue, and everything just flowed together to form a perfect answer to her confusion and uncertainty about how to move forward. Here is the quote:

BEING UNFORGIVING IS LIKE DRINKING POISON AND WAITING FOR THE OTHER PERSON TO DIE!

I wish I could give credit to the person who wrote it but have no idea who he is. Think about it and then perhaps take a moment to reread the following two links to other posts on this blog regarding the same issue:

Living in the Shadow of the Past and the Power of Forgiveness

Another Golden Opportunity to Get Yourself out of the Shadow of the Past

With much love, light, joy and laughter

Jane

The Power of Positive Thoughts, Manifestation and Faith

While beginning the planning of my next sojourn in India, I realized that regular readers of my blogs must be under the impression that nothing inspirational, thought provoking or exciting happens to me when I am back in Israel!

Well, the opposite is true. Every single day is an amazing adventure, a mystery waiting to unfold in amazing and quite surprising ways, full of synchronicities, messages and blessings. The reason I do so little posting while in Israel, is simply that I have less time to dedicate to my blog and so these articles, which are just waiting to be posted, accumulate in my notebook and in my head to the point where I don’t know where to begin first…right now there are AT LEAST 4 I would like to share with you. I will begin with the current place in my life and work my way back, but the posts will deal with the following which start from the most recent and work their way back:

1. My moving to a new flat
2. The story of my teaching Reiki to someone from Moscow who found me on the internet!
3. The Retreat I went to “by chance”, meeting my Guides and the messages channeled to me.
4. The Passing of my dear friend Abdellah
5. The idea of “Fear and Faith…you can’t have both”

And of course all the subsequent messages and lessons learnt from each of the above.

Soooo….let’s begin with the “simple” fact that I am moving to a new flat in a month’s time! This happened “all of a sudden” after a very long series of events and synchronicities leading up to it.

First of all, for many months now, perhaps a year, I have been manifesting more comfortable living arrangements. I have been living in my current flat











for almost 4 years, when I came back from a trip to India with no home, no job and no money. This flat was “given” to me as a temporary solution and I actually lived here the first 6 months free of charge, until I found proper work and could begin paying rent. This was not something I asked for. At the time I had simply asked for solutions to the no home, no job no money situation and this was part of the solution prepared for me by the Universe.

But the flat, even at that time, was completely dilapidated and in a serious state of deterioration after being neglected for years by the owners, who’s only desire was to rent it out and make money. Now, 4 years later, the condition of the flat is, obviously, even more serious, despite my doing many repairs over the years at my own expense. (The owner refuses on principle to put any money back into the flat).






Some time ago I realized, that despite the inconvenience it would cause me, I must find myself a more comfortable, pleasant form of living arrangement. The current flat is right in the heart of a lovely city in Israel called Raanana, which is generally very expensive, but the area the flat is in is consider an undesirable complex of very old flats built in the 50’s, and so the rents here are much lower than the rest of the city. It is also located smack in the middle of town so that I can easily walk to anything I need or anyone I need to see. I’ve never had such convenience. And although it is a flat, which I am not used to living in, it has lovely open grassy and tree filled spaces right outside and although near the main street, is extremely quiet and always has on the street parking available.

What I began to manifest was an apartment, which would not involve and long-distance move, perhaps even in the same city if possible at my current lower rental fee, with access to all conveniences by foot, with open space and green natural areas outside, but that the flat itself be in good condition, with new kitchen, bathroom and shower facilities, with closets, heating and air conditioning, clean, well painted, light and clean. With the same number of rooms so that my daughter could continue to live with me if she chose to, and with a room large enough as well to act as a clinic and workshop area. With lovely neighbors, easy access (either on a low floor or with an elevator)…etc. The list goes on.

I did this in my daily practice for months and months, always imagining myself living comfortably, but still enjoying my current situation and never feeling miserable that no changes had yet occurred.

And then, the time came closer for a renewal of my lease and I knew the current landlord would want to raise the rent (again), and I already felt I was paying to much considering the condition of the flat. So the first thing I did towards physically getting more energies into my manifestation process , was to begin asking neighbors how much rent they were paying (and all the other flats are redone and pleasant and clean etc.) and also told the person who is in charge of the building here that I am looking perhaps for another flat if the landlord wants to raise my rent again as, to put it mildly, I was already fed up with the place!

I found out how much others were paying and saw some really nice looking flats in the same building, and then I was told that there actually was a flat vacant but that the owners were not happy about renting it out (the parents had both passed over 6 months ago and it’s been empty since then) because they had recently redone the entire flat and were afraid of having tenants who would not care for it. So, the person in charge got in touch with them and recommended me as a possible tenant and put the idea in motion in their heads to think about renting it out.

Turns out, “by chance”, that this same flat is just one flight up from my current flat, directly above me!! And I was invited to come see it last week and if I did not see it with my own eyes, would not believe it was the exact same flat I am now living in after renovations. It was everything I had been asking for in my manifestations daily for months, and would not involve long-distance moving expenses, gives me the same conveniences regarding location and open space etc. that I have now, and , in effect, is everything I’ve been asking for including closets, heating, AC, whatever.

However, the rent they were asking for was much too high and so I began sending Reiki, and having all my Reiki friends so the same, to ask for a fair and just solution for all parties involved. I began mulling over the idea of spending much more in rent than I currently am, but even if I stayed in my current flat, the rent would be raised with no justification. So I decided what amount I would be comfortable with and that was my specific goal for a solution to the rent question. I was still not sure however, about the amount of money (fear was overcoming faith in this instance, and I found it difficult to overcome this…after all, we have to be practical, don’t we?) . My daughter shlomit surprised me completely one day when I came home. She had been telling me all along that there should be no question in my mind about the rightness of moving into the flat upstairs…that I deserved it…that I am worthy of much better living conditions than I have here etc) What she told me was that SHE would take care of the extra rent money. How? She is a student? She decided that she would get a student loan if she continued to study and use it to pay the difference in rent, and if she ended her studies, and began working, she would pay the rent difference from her salary!! So, everything seemed to be in place except for the landlords upstairs agreeing to the lower price. But I was still wavering in my decision of spending the extra money…perhaps convince the current landlord to do some minor repairs to make the place more livable? Do I really want to spend the extra money? Etc. Deep down inside, I already KNEW I deserved to move to the flat upstairs, but again, the fear / faith issue had arisen to shake my confidence in my soul’s knowing!

A couple of days ago, during my morning meditation practice, I was simply told to pick two cards, one for goddess guidance and one for angel assistance, and I sat down immediately and did so. These are the two cards that came up with a short explanation of each:

RHIANNON: Sorceress…”You are a magical person who can manifest your clear intentions into reality”: With these meanings intended:
Have absolute faith that your dream is manifested
Make a clear decision
Put your energy into manifesting your dreams
Know that you deserve to receive good
When you win, others win too
Keep your thoughts focused on your desire and away from fear.

I could not have a received a message more clear than the above!!! So before even checking out the angel assistant card I had picked, I decided conclusively that the flat above was prepared especially for me as part of the overview, many months ago, even before I KNEW I would have to move. I knew that the rent question would be settled to everyone’s satisfaction. That FAITH was the only way to go now and asked for complete freedom from fear in this matter, and then, using a new technique I learnt in the retreat I went to “by chance” a couple of weeks ago, called Hatmara, I did further energy work on the entire situation. And then opened the second card:

OMEGA: “Victory! Your desire is coming to fruition. Keep up the good work!”
Congratulations! You have chosen to follow your Divine guidance, and the Universe is flowing in natural rhythm with your decision. When you listen to the messages that your heart whispers, you swim in natural synchronicity with the tide of your life’s purpose. Stay relaxed and confident, and keep moving forward with happiness and grace. ….Your victory is inevitable in this situation, so you needn’t worry that temporary problems will thwart your desire. …Release your doubts to Heaven, and rest assured that a happy outcome is yours.

NEED I SAY MORE ABOUT THE ABOVE????!!!!

I immediately placed a phone call to my current landlord and explained that I was considering moving, but wondered if there was any possibility of basic repairs being done on the flat. The reply was that not only would no repairs be done, the rent would also be raised, and if I chose to leave, it would be OK as they could charge even higher rental fees to someone new. Hmmmmm….

I then called the NEW landlord, asked if they had considered their final offer in reducing their initial request for rent, and , quite pleasantly, they replied yes…and it was exactly the amount that I had already decided I was willing to pay!!. I asked all the questions I had to ask, she asked hers, and when we were both satisfied, she said she would get a lease prepared by a lawyer and get it to me for my approval and signature.
So I will be moving into my new home before the 1st of September!!!

And that is it for today….I will do my best to catch up with my posts here and ask your forgiveness for not being more attentive to this blog.

Much tranquility and harmony
Light love and joy
Jane

How I Found Reiki or....to be more precise

How Reiki Found ME!
This story goes back some way to around 1998 when I began working in a Hi-Tech Company, and one of the computer engineers was called Nicky. I had actually heard of Reiki before that but never had any interest in finding out exactly what it was or what it did. It had always just sounded to me like one of those “in fashion” New Age things that people were talking about, and held no real interest for me. I had become involved in alternative medicine, and alternative ways of dealing with life in general, but it was all in very down-to-earth practical ways-as I had always been a practical, down-to-earth “I’ve got to see it to believe it” kind of person.
At one point, Nicky and I began talking and he seemed an interesting, albeit slightly strange kind of person. But the more we spoke, the more I began to enjoy speaking with him. Something about his “energies” (would not have described it as such in those days I’m sure) attracted me. I don’t remember the exact sequence of events, but at some point, I was not feeling well at work, and he offered to help me. Had no idea what he was talking about but we went into a quiet room and I sat on a chair and he began “doing” something to me while my eyes were closed and I was relaxing. (I had already been doing meditation and yoga for many years so relaxing was not a problem for me). At some point I felt myself just “collapsing” from being so relaxed and he had to catch me before I literally slid sideways off the chair. Later, I began coughing terribly but when that was over, I felt fine. No more headache and fluey feeling. He explained that he had “done” Reiki on me, and I guess that was the first time I began wondering about what this Reiki business was. There were many times when the computers would have glitches, and Nicky would just walk pass, run his hands over them and they would be fine. Really weird. (It wasn’t until years later, that I found myself rebooting my computer a couple of times and even fixing an electrical problem in a friend’s car which got stuck about 1 hour away from the nearest garage in India by using Reiki all by myself!!)

And then the clincher, for me at least.
The company was doing clinical trials and they would bring these cute little piglets to do the trials on…and one arrived in a sort of pen one day and was quite frantic and running around from side to side etc. It was very sad to see. Nicky came down, together with another fellow worker who didn’t believe at all in all this “healing nonsense”. Nicky held out his hands in the direction of the piglet, and slowly, in front of our eyes, first the hind quarters of the piglet dropped in complete relaxation, and a minute later, his upper body dropped as well and he went straight to sleep! When they came down to use the piglet for testing some kind of instrument, nothing worked right as it seems that there were certain physiological changes in the pigs systems which did not allow the instrumentation to record what it had to correctly.

Nicky was eventually fired!!
But, after that, I began having more serious discussions with him and at some point he suggested I begin reading the Kryon channelings, - claiming they would give me a big jump forward in my spiritual development. I did, and they did!!
Shortly after that, I did Reiki I with Nicky, and following that, was directed towards Bach Flower Therapy which I became certified in, followed by a year of Energy Healing Studies including Color Therapy. While studying healing, I met Daniella, another Reiki Master, and did my Reiki II training with her.
And then my whole life began to change. Long long story short – at the age of 54, I left my job, went off to India and “by chance” met Akhilesh, Yoga and Reiki Master. (I was eating lunch at Nick’s Restaurant in McLeod, Dharamsala, when a lady asked if it would be OK if she joined me. And we began talking, and she started telling me about her learning Reiki I and II with this amazing person….and one thing led to another). I became a Reiki Master under his guidance over a very intense, 4 hours daily for 3 months sojourn with him. I will write about the experience perhaps at a further date.
I began doing full Reiki treatments to myself each day, and over a period of time very subtle, but enormous life changing events began stringing themselves together for me. I have not been the same since then, and each new day brings new marvels of Universal direction, guidance and loving balance into my life.
And now that you know how I became a Reiki Master, in short, I will go on to explain more about what this thing called Reiki is. In the next posting.
Much love and light to all of you

Jane

Challenges to the Reiki Prinicples

This will be a short post, just to give you some idea how our daily reciting of the Reiki principles helps put things into perspective, and how difficult situations challenge these principles…

Just for Today…

I will not worry…

as I have complete faith in God and His Universe and that EVERYTHING that is happening is unfolding exactly as it should for the Higher Good of all…no matter how difficult, and even cruel it may seem through our limited human depth of understanding

I will not get angry….

this is fairly easy when we are talking about our boss, some crazy driver on the road, a clerk in the bank or any other “simple” challenging situation. But in this kind of situation, it is very easy to fall into a pattern of anger…at everything that is happening and that we have no control over. Overcoming our anger in this type of situation is a challenge, and finding myself truly anger free at this time is a great blessing.

Count my blessings….

they are numerous and gratefully received….see

http://mindfulnessjournal.blogspot.com/#116082114114869094

for more details…I AM truly blessed

Love and respect every living creature…..

including myself. I am doing my best at this time to keep my own health intact and to respect my feelings by being in touch with my soul and only those people who can provide me with positive energies and insights…go to the gym everyday, do my practice every morning which includes yoga, pranayama , meditation etc., eat properly, rest when I feel the need ( find myself needing enourmous amounts of sleep) and be alone when I feel it necessary

on myself as well….again, my daily practice sustains me and for the present time, the most important daily work I can do, as everyone benefits from it. It is an anchor in a churning sea-like the eye of the storm- granting me harmony in chaos and tranquility in turmoil.

Just for Today...I Will Not Worry - Part I

This post is long overdue, but everything happens exactly as it is meant to and in the most suitable time frame, so a little background as to the reasons for the delay, and how those reasons themselves add further clarity, strength and understanding to the whole concept of worry as we generally understand it.

Following a very difficult period, not only because of my Father's passing (see my new blog for further details, updated postings etc.) In Memoriam, but also due to the new harsh reality of my Mother's financial situation and the need to find new living arrangements for her, the whole concept of "Just for Today I will not worry" was put to the supreme test.

There were some shaky moments to be sure, very shaky actually, but the constant use of Reiki, meditation and prayer have proven themselves once again. It took some time, more than my problematic impatience could stand at moments, but things are slowly working their way out in ways of course that I could never imagine.

Which is all part of it! Let GO and let GOD! Don't worry about the "how's". Don't set limits as to how the solution will present itself. Just know that ..."when we release our needs and prayers to the universe without strings attached, the heavens take care of coordinating the outcome."..."Look upon everything from the end of (your) prayer onward as having a part to play in the answer to your prayer..." (Caroline Myss, Invisible Acts of Power).

Hopefully the following will give you a deeper understanding of the principle..."just for today I will not worry"...and I am sure my own personal involvement over the past few months precisely with this principle, was not by chance. Nothing Is. It was all meant to give more depth and concrete understanding to me before presenting it here to you.

My Father passed away on Octber 16th, following almost 6 months of a difficult and lingering death, during which time I had also left my job as administrative assistant in a Hi Tech Company to be able to care for him and spend more time with him, as well as my Mother...it was an extremely difficult and stressful period. In addition, I had cancelled a 4 month trip to India just 2 days before I was meant to fly out, as it was obvious that the situation was very serious. (He passed away 10 days later). I had planned to spend the time in India to make better use of my months of unemployment payments, but as things would have it, that didn't work either. My Mother also was in a very precarious financial situation as mentioned above, and it was all getting to be too much.

Even saying "Just for Today I will not worry" became difficult...but I continued to do it! I found myself in a very strained position, financially, emotionally, physically, even spiritually...completely drained. When I simply could no longer ignore the fact that I was worrying about what would happen, I began meditating and praying (pretty much one and the same thing for me) in a more focused direction, asking for renewed strength, continued faith in God and trust in His Universe, for clarity, guidance and direction, as well as the wisdom to "see" the solutions as they were presented to be (as I was sure they would be). On October 27th, after a full prayer/meditation session, I fell asleep as usual...and that night had the following dream.

I don't remember it in its entirety, even though I wrote it down immediately upon awakening, but it was very long and quite lovely, involving much pleasant company, beautiful places, food, pleasure...But the two points which were brought home for me to "see" and understand from the dream, the answers to my prayer, the clarity, guidance and direction I was seeking, are as follows:

• Finding myself all of a sudden completely alone and in someone else's clothing (dreams are like that aren't they?) actually typical Indian men's clothing, and coming outdoors from wherever I was and feeling cold. The clothing was not warm enough for the sudden change in weather. Feeling quite chilled and not knowing what to do, I was all of a sudden given a shawl to keep me warm. Telling me, as I see it, that you will ALWAYS be provided with whatever you need to keep you comfortable in every new and unexpected circumstance.
• I next found myself confused while walking through alleys of what seemed like some old part of town, (not lost, frightened confused), just confused that I didn't understand how to get where I wanted to...as if it was something I already knew and couldn't remember...When I asked the first person I met, he simply said "Follow your instincts". I think that needs no explanation...but was for me at that point so profound that I woke in tears of joy.

To be continued shortly in Part II

Just for Today...I Will Not Worry - Part II

"Worrying about something that may never happen is like paying interest on money you may never borrow. "

Let's continue where we left off in Part I following my dream...

The above quote is very apt for what we are discussing now as it brings home the absurdity of worrying! But we are human, and worrying is something we are very adept at, and do often. So how do we train ourselves not to worry? By training! By practicing...and by understanding where worry comes from and why it is just simply an energy draining, non-productive, past- time.

Not worrying implies FAITH. Implicit Faith in the Universe to always supply us with all we need…without understanding the means by which this is done. It is simply beyond our human comprehension.

Faith...it is like a plant...it must be nurtured and cared for or it will whither and die. We can nurture our Faith by talking with God, but talking WITH does not mean monologue. It is not enough just to talk to God...we must listen as well. Be aware...or we will not hear what the other side is saying, as with any conversation, it must be a dialogue.

TALK to God (Universe, Source) every day. I make it a habit to do this morning and night and in between very frequently. Not just asking for things, but "seeing" and "hearing" and being aware when they happen in answer to our requests. Thank you for the parking space, the short line at the supermarket, an answer in only 5 minutes when calling technical support. these things are all orchestrated for us but we need to be aware of this and acknowledge our awareness....our "hearing" the other side.

Once we send our request out, things are set in motion by our Partner, our co-creator. Nothing "just happens". And once we cultivate this living, working system, and truly believe in it, there really is NO NEED TO WORRY.

Here another quote which I also like to use when trying to explain the futility of worrying to my clients and the need for manifesting solutions, rather than worrying about "what is going to happen?...what if I can't?...what if it doesn't?"...etc.

"If you take your eyes off your goals, all you see are obstacles."

This helps us to see that we must look beyond what we perceive as obstacles and focus continually on our goals, visualize them in detail, often, not only when praying or meditating, but throughout the day. To believe they will be manifested, but in ways we, as human beings, with our limited senses and understandings could never contemplate.

Not worrying implies FAITH.

Faith in God, however it is you perceive him, in the Universe, in your Higher Self.…There is an "overview" (a term used by Kryon:…see next post for further insights into this whole idea from Kryon), a full picture, which we as human beings can never see. We live in the world of linear time, where past present and future are just that: past (what has already occurred), present (what we see this moment), and future (that which has yet to happen). But this is again because we are limited by our human capacities. In effect, all time is NOW. (That also makes it easier to understand how we can use Reiki, or other methods, to bring about change not only in the future, but in the PAST.) For in Universal terms, there is no past present or future, but only NOW. This is the Overview that we are unable to see.

What we need to understand is that although we cannot "see" the actual ways in which solutions will unfold, we can manifest these goals by "Seeing" the end result exactly as we wish it to be. And once we have done this, we must leave the "how's" to God and his Universe, with complete trust. And when we do this, there is NO REASON TO WORRY!.

Always remember: "Thoughts become things...…choose the good ones", and you cannot go wrong. When we worry, we incorporate negative thoughts into our manifestations, into our prayers, into our requests, and this negative energy is received by the Universe and incorporated into the solution which is being formulated (or has already been set in place!).

Please continue with the post

Letting Go and Letting God- Parable of the Missing Bridge which follows these 2 posts.…It will give you considerable food for thought and more in-depth understanding of the idea of Trust in the Universe and the futility of worrying.

I would like to end this Part II of the First Reiki Principle with the following from Carolyn Myss' Book, Invisible Acts of Power, pp. 141-142 as it is so appropriate:

A Third Chakra Prayer

I realease into this universe my trust that my journey in life and all who walk my path with me are there by divine design. Therefore, I trust that along this path, others will always be there for me, even when I cannot see them waiting for me. And I open myself to be of service to those who m ay provide me the gift of empowerment.

THE PRAYER OF THOMAS MERTON

Dear God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself...and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe this:

I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You.

I hope I have that desire in everything I do.

I hope I never persist in anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road, thought I may know nothing about it at the time.

Therefore I will trust You always, for though I may be lost...I will not be afraid, because I know You will never leave me to face my troubles all alone.

Continued in Part III....next post...Parable of the Missing Bridge-Kryon

Do Not Worry Part III - Parable of the Missing Bridge from Kryon

Let Go and Let God

Following the previous posts which hopefully gave you further insights into the Reiki Principle “Just For Today-I Will Not Worry”…I am including the following from a Kryon Channeling. If you choose to read it, you will be taken further along into the idea of Trust in the Universe…the ideas presented are not unique in any way, but the parable of the Missing Bridge is one of my favorite examples for understanding the concept of “Letting Go and Letting God”. If you want to delve further into the channelings of Kryon and get further information, you can check out the Kryon Also note that the word “Spirit” is used frequently in these channelings, but God, Universe, Higher Source etc., could all be used just as easily…do not let semantics confuse you.


The first (thing to understand about trusting the Universe) is this: As you see and acknowledge the fact that the solution already exists even though you cannot see it, visualize the solution…. Now, this is important. Don't visualize what you THINK you need to create the solution. Let that be your partner's job (Spirit). Let US do that. If a human is going to run a race in the morning and wants to be one of the few who finishes, but doesn't know how he is going to get through that exhausting hill or around that tight turn, he might pray to God about the tight turn and the exhausting hill. We're here to say instead, he should be visualizing only passing easily over the finish line. Let US figure out about the exhausting hill and the tight turn. That's our job.

Let us review for a moment the parable that was given to you regarding Henry and the Missing Bridge. Some of you will remember that this was a story about Henry who was speeding toward a bridge that he knew was out. Everything that Spirit said to him was, "Continue on, Henry. Things are not always as they seem, Henry. You will be taken care of, Henry." The missing bridge was a metaphor for what human beings cannot fathom or see in the future that God has already taken care of. ….. For the solution to Henry's problem of the missing bridge had already been taken care of. You can read that parable again, (Kryon Book 7- “Letters from Home”, pp. 226-229)

As Henry approached the area where the bridge was supposed to be, he opened his eyes and realized that it was still gone. His fear increased... it was the last moment! It took everything he had in him not to stop right there, yet Spirit said, "Henry, continue on, continue on." So Henry in all his faith, continued on even faster than before, trusting God, and the partnership within. Just as he thought he was about to have his vehicle careen over the cliffs to a certain death in the valley below, he saw workmen on the road guiding him around to an area he had never seen before - an area completely out of sight that he had never, ever observed - hidden. And standing in full glory there was a beautiful new bridge! It was a bridge that was so big and so awesome that Henry realized that it had been under construction long before his need. He crossed it in ecstatic joy, realizing the power of his partnership with God.

Dear ones, this is the key to the parable. There are solutions … to problems you don't even have yet! By the time you get around to asking Spirit for the solutions, they've already been built, you see.... already been built. It's part of the balance. There HAVE TO BE solutions for the tests that you've agreed to... and there are.

Henry didn't visualize how his bridge dilemma was going to be solved. The thought of a miracle bridge popping before him was silly. The thought was beyond his human reality. So instead, he simply visualized moving to the other side... the end result. The runner visualizes breaking the tape. Regarding your problem? Visualize it all taken care of and then leave the details to us... but YOU do the energy visualization... often!

The second attribute, therefore, is that "things are not always as they seem." The answers may come in very shocking and unusual ways. Sometimes the miraculous energy will astound you. Sometimes the answers seem complex. In retrospect you might say, "long ago if person A hadn't done this, and person B hadn't done that... then my solution would never have been possible." There is something in you that realizes that person A made his move BEFORE you ever needed it. How complex this was, you might say. How elegant and perfect! Not only that, but within your solution, no matter how complex the interaction is with others, somehow everyone seems to win! Dear ones. That's the mark of a SPIRITUAL solution. Visualize, therefore, the solution as having been taken care of.

The third attribute is Don't LIMIT GOD. You don't know what we do. There are so many of you who are standing here asking for a bush when Spirit stands with …a whole forest (for you)! You don't expect it since you don't feel the self-worth of it. The solution to your little problem may contain the whole forest as a gift for you! Things that you don't even know about yet will be solved within the solution of the one problem you have on your lap... perfect within the simplicity of the physics and love of Spirit, and the complexities of your humanism.

So let US do the work. That's the overview of your partner (Spirit), the one you're holding hands with. That's the golden one in the golden chair - the one who knows everything about your potentials - about your contract - called the golden angel, or higher self. It has the energy of Spirit, yet it also has your name. Don't limit Spirit.

WRITING – From the Heart or From the Head

The following is posted on my India Blog as well, but felt it needed to find its way to this blog also. There is a more intense and thought-provoking post in the process dealing with Fear and Faith, but it is not yet ready for posting...perhaps it will be before I leave India...and then again, perhaps not!

I’ve come to an interesting understanding… My blog posts this trip have been fairly dull and uninteresting and whenever I sat down at the computer to write about my day, there was no true desire to write at all. So I simply put down the basic facts of the day’s experience and left it at that. The “heart” of my experience literally never got put down “on paper”. And that was the problem.

I am now sitting in a coffee shop along the Ganga, feeling the energies, absorbing the atmosphere, and, with pen in hand, FEELING the words for the first time this trip. I cannot go back and “fix” what has already been posted, but I would like to believe that the rest of the trip will, as in the past, first find its way through my heart and hand via pen, to paper, and then later simply be transcribed to the computer. The full range of feelings and insights can only be felt in this way it seems.

I truly have had an amazing journey here. So many things have happened in so short a time, that I honestly do not feel the need to be here longer than the originally planned 7 weeks ( which end in 2 weeks!). Everything I could have dreamt of and imagined to make this short time perfect, whole and complete, has happened. Healing on deep levels, great joy and laughter, unexpected surprises on all levels – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – all coming together in perfect harmony to bring full and profound meaning to this trip.

I have been blessed with all those people (angels) necessary to initiate and facilitate different processes whose end results are complete tranquility, harmony and balance. A feeling of wellbeing on all levels which I haven’t experienced in a long time, and was in desperate need of.

There have been those who have been guided to me to find answers to their own issues through the Divine guidance I am always offered. And there have been those sent to ME to help ME move forward in healing issues which have plagued me for too long. Issues which I have been asking for help with for a long time.

I now sit overlooking the Ganga, with a feeling of deep contentment, knowing that once again I have journeyed inward through Divine Grace and discovered further unexplored territories and landscapes in the depth of my heart and soul.

I look forward to returning to the “real” world and continuing my journey, knowing that I have all the faith necessary to fearlessly continue to travel the new paths opened before me. I am surrounded always with loving protection and guidance from God and His Universe, my Guides, and the angels.

I amy be writing further posts…but I doubt there is any way to truly put into words the full depth and range of feelings and insights I have experienced over the past short month.

INSIGHT: It is interesting that this first “writing” comes in the wake, and seemingly as another result of, the healing in the form of past-life regression and Tikun (fixing) I experienced 2 days ago. It fits into the pattern…my meditations are deeper and more tranquil of mind, my yoga asanas are easier with a newfound flexibility of joint and muscle, my quiet, still poses, are effortless and can be held indefinitely without loosing my balance, my pranayama (breathing exercises) are much deeper and exhilarating, so ti makes sense that as a result of this deep cleansing, unblocking and release of accumulated “toxins” from the past, my words would also begin to flow as well!

HAVE TO! MUST DO! TIME OUT!

To all those who have been wondering where I’ve disappeared to, and to those of you who know I am in India “recharging”…but still perhaps wondering why I haven’t posted anything lately…well, let me clear things up.

For the last couple of months before leaving for India, I had many insights for posts for this blog having to do with the question of “fear vs. faith”, taking our blessings for granted, additional Reiki stories etc…but never seemed to be able to find the energies to sit down at the computer. But I figured I’d have plenty of time in India and so did not feel pressured.
But since I’ve gotten here, I have done NONE of things I imagined I would (but this is generally what happens in India…things just “happen”…generally quite differently than you imagined…and you flow with them…it’s the beauty of being here).

But NOT doing these things I felt I “had to”, was really getting me down, and feeling guilty, and not pleased with myself. Thinking what my subscribers must be thinking of me, thinking how I am letting people down etc. And yet I still could not get to “doing”…so I asked for guidance, as I very often do. Yesterday,I bought a couple of new decks of cards as you might know if you read my other blog, and last night, before going to sleep, after consecrating and preparing the decks, I decided to try my new “Messages from your Angels” deck.

The first card that came up had the following message which has completely released me from guilt and the “must do” feeling…I will cherish each day of the last few weeks I have here and , as always, am blessed in many ways to be so lovingly guided at each step along the way

“Time out! You’ve been so busy taking care of everyone else’s needs, but now it’s time to stop and take care of yourself”

and the continuing message reads:
“Dear one, you’ve been working very hard! You’re very tired now, yet you keep pushing yourself to work more, more, more! I am here to firmly and lovingly take your hand, and tell you to “stop!” Cease working for a moment and take a respite. You have certainly earned it, and you will be more efficient and productive after taking this rest.

You give so much to others that at times like this you become unbalanced. Your inner child yearns for nurturing, and no one is going to give you that loving care but yourself and the angels. So, give yourself permission to take a much-needed time-out. Please don’t delay this guidance. We assure you that your responsibilities will all be met, and you will gather new energy and ideas during your time-out. “

So, the message is absolutely clear, and I WILL listen carefully to it and devote the rest of my time here ENTIRELY to me.

Love and light to all
Jane

Just for Today I Will Love and Respect Every Living Creature

…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself…leviticus 19:18

If we look at this, as it is worded in the fourth of the Reiki Principles, it appears to be fairly straightforward. It is pretty obvious to us that one of the most important things in this world is to love and respect others, show compassion and tolerance, patience and understanding etc. We also know that we must be kind to EVERY living being and this would of course include animals, insects, plants etc., etc.

The original wording of the principle as stated by Dr. Usui is slightly different, but the message is more easily understood with the above paraphrase which I prefer using in my Reiki classes and in my own daily meditation practice.

And the profoundness of the principle, if we truly think about it, opens the door to an entirely new way of perceiving the ups and downs of our lives, of relating to instances where we feel we have been wronged by someone, or taken advantage of, even purposely hurt or embarrassed, or injured in any way. Of relating to the different people who come into our lives and the way we accept and embrace all that is sent our way by God and the Universe.

In addition, if we add just two small words to the above principle, it changes the impact and intent even more deeply. Just for Today I will Love and Respect Every Living Creature…INCLUDING MYSELF!! If we do not truly love ourselves, how can we possibly love and respect our neighbor??

I will try and give insights into the following two questions we must try to answer:

1. Can we truly love and respect others if we don’t do the same for ourselves
2. Can we truly be expected to love and respect EVERYone??


Before going any further into the idea of loving even those who we perceive as causing us pain or wishing us ill, let us, just for a moment, think about our relationship with ourselves.

Do you love yourself? Are you proud of yourself? Do you respect yourself? Do you take yourself for granted? Do you put yourself down? Do you say unkind things about yourself ? Just for the next week, in addition to saying this principle each day with your daily prayers, meditation or whatever your regular practice is, try delving a little deeper into it. Pay attention during the day to the thoughts that you have regarding the things you do. Check the impulse to criticize yourself, or be compassionate with yourself. Note how you feel when you make a wrong decision, or get lost on the highway, or break a dish you are washing, or burn the supper, or simply forget to do something important. What feelings do you have, what words fill your head at the moment (stupid, clumsy, thoughtless, lazy). What sensations do you feel physically in your body? Where? Are you automatically hard on yourself, or, perhaps, compassionate and understanding.

Think about this for a week, and I think you will be quite surprised at what you find. Many of us cannot even say out loud “I love myself”, “I think I am great”, “I am perfect just as I am”, etc., but even those of us who CAN say these things and truly mean them, are still too often overly critical of ourselves.

I would even think to perhaps state the principle in a little different way. Instead of “Just for today I will love and respect every living creature…(including myself)”…How about: “Just for today I will love and respect myself in the same way I imagine I love and respect every other living creature” . Said in that way, it might make it easier for us to realize how much more compassionate we can be with others, how much more tolerant and understanding, how much more patient and loving, than we tend to be with ourselves.

Like a caring mother
Holding and guarding the life
Of her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Hold yourself…. And all beings

…Buddha

“We might quite readily offer such care to others, but we can learn to offer this same kind of gentle attention to ourselves. With the tenderness we might bring to stroking the cheek of a sleeping child, we can softly place a hand on our own cheek or heart. We can comfort ourselves with words of kindness and understanding. “ Radical Acceptance”, Tara Brach, PhD.

For once again, if we do not GENUINELY love and respect ourselves, our pretense at loving and respecting every living creature is just that…pretense… Self love is the first step in truly loving our fellow creatures. And when we love and respect ourselves, everything and anything that happens to us, can be dealt with in a healthy way.

Only when we come to terms with our own shortcomings and learn to accept ourselves exactly as we are, to extend unconditional love to the beautiful person we are, to be compassionate with ourselves even when we are not all we expected of ourselves, to love and respect ourselves and recognize the beauty of our soul within…to feel worthy and deserving and freely offer praise and genuine respect to ourselves…only when we cherish our own being, no matter where we may find ourselves at a particular moment, or stage in our lives, only when we offer ourselves encouragement and love at each step along the way and appreciate our accomplishments-no matter how small, only when we stop taking ourselves and our own needs and wants for granted and understand that we are just as worthy and deserving as everyone else…only when we truly love and respect ourselves can we begin to truly love the next person.

Many people will say “I don’t expect anything from the next person (my children, my spouse, my co-workers, etc.) that I don’t expect from myself.” Well, perhaps we are much too hard on ourselves! Others find it easy to extend loving-kindness, compassion, patience, tolerance, understanding, forgiveness and encouragement to others, while they dole out to themselves judgment, blame, anger, belittling words, harsh accusations, lack of forgiveness, etc.

But it is only when we can find the way to love ourselves unconditionally that we can truly understand the words:

…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself…leviticus 19:18

The idea has obviously been around for a long time and is not a new concept developed by Dr. Usui… The Great Hebrew Sage Rabbi Akiva said “This is the most important point in the Torah…the rest is just commentary”.

The idea of loving the next person as we love ourselves becomes very easy as we simply extend the same gracious and loving attention to everyone that we do to ourselves.

And that will bring us to the second part of this discussion…loving and respecting EVERY living creature:

Let us look at this idea of loving and respecting EVERYone …. This would seem almost impossible when we think of some of the strange, difficult, inconsiderate, spiteful and even abusive people who we meet in our lifetime. But there is a profound lesson in extending understanding, forgiveness (see the post re: Forgiveness ) , compassion , patience and tolerance to those who truly wish us ill. It brings us once again in contact with the idea of FAITH…faith that God is sending these people into our lives for a loving purpose…no matter how difficult that may be for us to see.

We must learn to Cherish those we dislike, even those we perceive as enemies, for they are gifts from God and we must be thankful for this blessing and pray for the wisdom to learn the lesson these people have been sent to teach us

We draw to us those who will help us learn about ourselves. Each time we are presented with a challenge dealing with another, we are really being presented with an opportunity to look inside ourselves to see what about us it is that needs working on, so that we may grow.

The idea of loving each and every person, no matter what, is quite difficult, almost impossible, but I present the idea to you for further thought and consideration, together with the following collection of quotes and insights, and perhaps your comments will lead to further discussion which will benefit us all:

Every person sent to us is a blessing meant to teach us a lesson we need to learn.

In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.

Dalai Lama

Everything that irritates us about others

Can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.

Carl Jung (1875-1961), Psychologist ~

I have learned silence from the talkative,

tolerance from the intolerant

and kindness from the unkind.

I should not be ungrateful to those teachers.

Kahlil Gibran

What angers us in another person is more often than not an unhealed aspect of ourselves. If we had already resolved that particular issue,we would not be irritated by its reflection back to us.~ Simon Peter Fuller (from 'Rising Out of Chaos') ~

No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) ~

Nothing can hurt you unless you give it the power to do so.

~ A Course in Miracles ~~

The main teachers of patience are our enemies."
Dalai Lama

and with this I wish you all much love and compassion, patience and tolerance, and freedom from fear to accept and embrace all that is sent your way by God and His Loving Universe.

Jane

NEW FEATURE-EASY NAVIGATION

Hi all
Just a quick post to let you know that in trying to find ways to make it easier for you to find the information you are looking for on the blog, and since the scope of the blog has grown, I have listed at the end of the very first post, a long list of available topics. If you click on one of the labels at the end of the post, you will be taken to ALL the posts dealing with that topic. (The first post to appear will always be the FIRST one but then just scroll down and choose the post you want to read). At the end of each INDIVIDUAL post, are additional labels which you may also wish to explore. To get an idea about what I am talking about, I have randomly listed some labels at the end of THIS post for you to try out.

Hope this makes it more convenient for you to find what you are looking for. comments welcome.

Peace and tranquility to all
Jane

WHAT IS SURRENDER?

"At the center of the Universe is a loving heart that continues to beat and that wants the best for every person. Anything that we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job. Those of us who have this particular vision must continue against all odds. Life is for service."

-- Fred Rogers (a.k.a., "Mister Rogers") 1928-2003

After many attempts at putting my ideas and thoughts into words for both you and myself, I finally turned inward for Guidance and Direction and the same day receieved a beautiful article by e-mail, which I will simply share here with you with credit to the author. It says all that needs to be said about what we've been talking about for some time now, and how my homecoming has taken shape. You can read about the homecoming on the India Journal and see some photos as well. Enjoy!

What is surrender?

Is it subjugating your will?
Is it not caring what happens?
Is it giving up?
Well, not really.

In every situation, we have the option to act, to attempt change, to apply our will to the given situation. Sometimes that application of intent and energy bears fruit and sometimes it doesn’t. The trick is being able to discern when it is appropriate to act or push, and when it is appropriate to let go and surrender to the flow of life. Sometimes we give up too quickly and sometimes we refuse to surrender, even when surrender is the very thing that will set us free.
So when is it the right time for us to choose surrender? Let’s say you always wanted to be 5’ 8” tall. You get to 5’7” and that’s it. This is an example of karma that can’t be changed. Well sure, I suppose you could go have the bones of your legs stretched through surgical intervention, but why? Does it really matter that much?
Or perhaps you have a beautiful and expensive shirt that you wear to a party. Someone spills grape juice on it, and you can’t get it out. You can try and try, but it’s not going to be the same color again. Sure, you can let go of the fact that you can’t wear the shirt any more, but will it serve you to still be angry and the person who spilled it? Probably not. This is the principle of surrender; letting go of that which you can’t change. Being angry will never bring that shirt back.
Anger or frustration is a choice; a choice to be attached to things, beings or situations being a certain way. Through detachment we are free to have peace regardless of what is going on. This is true surrender. It is the path of grace. By making surrender a conscious choice through positive attitude, awareness and acceptance, we are able to gracefully set ourselves free from the things that we can’t change. This gives us more energy to apply to the things we can and should change.
This frame of mind is particularly pertinent to those of us who always want to be in control of a situation in order to be safe. Really, that tight rein on reality is only creating a smaller box of what we are willing to accept in our lives. When we become more spacious with the things that ultimately don’t matter for our bottom line, we are freer to have more peace and joy regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. Really, it’s not the situation that ultimately affects us… it’s what we choose to do with it.
Where are you pushing against your life and resisting reality? How are you imposing your will on life instead of embracing life? By moving towards love instead of pressing against fear, you partner with life and the Divine as it is expresses itself through your life. When your eyes open to love, love is what you get to see and experience with more and more frequency.
May you have the graceful discernment to know when to accept what life is offering you, and when to act to create positive change. May you move towards love, and release your fear of life. May you live fully here and now, with the greatest bliss possible.

© Sylvia Brallier
Author of the award winning book,
Dancing in the Eye of Transformation, 10 Keys to Creative Consciousness

More Insights From India You may Find Interesting

I know I have been neglecting this blog, and you all have my apologies....but if you go to the link below, you can read something which I think belongs more here than on the India Blog, but it IS part of the journey in India, so I have published it there with
THIS

link for you to follow to read it.

As always, your comments are most appreciated and lovingly accepted.

Jane

Cnntinued Answers from the Universe-My Need to Serve and Those Needing my Service

I have posted a couple of things you may find interesting on my India Journal and the links follow. They say God works in Mysterious Ways but there is nothing mysterious about what is happening to me here...receiving channelings for other people, instructions for healings, and now the following two stories about Reiki, are all direct results of my intensive prayers and meditations over the past months that all those in need of my special services be guided to me. And they are!! They just come...and I serve...in the best way I can, for each of their individual, unique, Higher Goods, according to the guidance and direction I am given in each case, without fail. The messages and signs have been coming in many different and unusual ways, but when we listen, they are always there. From the moment we ask with pure intention for something, things begin to happen. We just need be aware of them.

So enjoy the following 2 links with my love.

Setting things in Motion


Reiki Classes

FINAL VALIDATION FROM THE CARDS

I will continue this post in the same vein as the previous 2, the Message from the Trees and the First Lesson from India and Poem, as it is a continuation of these two previous signs sent to me and is a final validation for what I now know to be my new direction...

Friday Afternoon, March 9th, 5 PM

After the profound events of the past couple of days, and my reviewing them while posting earlier in the day...after not sleeping most of the previous night, I am exhausted.

Sitting on my terrace, listening to classical music and the constant chanting fromt he Temples, I decided it was time for a new Tarot reading relection this new move forward in my understanding and the "path" I am now moving along. I opened the cards and found myself moved to tears as each came up. For those familiar with the Osho cards, I'm sure just the titles will move you as well, but I will give a little background further on for those unfamiliar with the cards.

The order they were picked represents their placement and each card has a different meaning within the reading, but that is not as important as the cards themselves right now...so if you don't understand about the placement, it will not make the cards themselves any less amazing as they fell into place...here they are in order:

THE FOOL
RIPENESS
BEYOND ILLUSION
RECEPTIVITY
MATURITY

I tried to photograph them with my camera but had no luck...wish you could look at them while reading this post...

I was simply brought to tears of joy as they appeared one after the other, without even delving further into their meanings...I will give you a little idea of what each card speaks of, but the words which keep repeating themselves in these cards are the exact words in my poem and lesson: Trust, knowledge, knwoing, truth, obstacles...Read below for a little more about the cards.

Just as I was choosing these cards, another sign was sent to me....The sky had been overcast and hazy all day today. Not nasty, just hiding the clear blue of the sky - the clarity of the heavens. Just as I opened these cards, the heavens cleared. The haze cleared and formed into puffy white clouds which drifted apart to reveal the clarity of the sky. The puffs of clouds are almost pink on the pale blue of the sky at sunset. Clearer and bluer than it has been since monring. a further final validation of all that has been "clarified" for me in many differnt ways. The Truth being revelaed through the haze.

To the Cards:
THE FOOL is the very first card in the deck. "...with every steop, the Fool leaves the past behind...he is in harmony with all that surrounds him. His intuition is functioning at its peak. ...the fool has the support of the Univers to make this jump into the unknown. Adventures await him in the river of life. This card indicates that if you trust your intuition right now, your feeling of the "rightness" of things, you cannot go wrong. Your actions may appear foolish to others,...if trying to analyze them with the rational mind. But the "zero"(the number of this card) place occupied by the Fool is the numberless number where trust and innocence are the guides, not skepticism and past experience."

RIPENESS
"...all you need to do is relax right where you are, and be willing for it to happen. ... It is simply the right time."

BEYOND ILLUSION

"...move inside. There, you can relax into your own deepest Truth, where the difference between dreams and reality is already known."

RECEPTIVITY

"The Queen of Water brings a time of unboundedness and gratitidue for whatever life brings, without any expectations or demands. Neither duty or thought of merit or reward are important. Sensitivity, intuition and compassion are the qualities that shine forth now, dissolving all the obstacles that keep us separate from each other and from the whole."

MATURITY

Just interesting to note here that the first card I picked is the FIRST card of the Tarot deck, and the last card I picked is the LAST card of the TAROT deck...giving even further meaning to this reading...perfect beginning and end.

"...has come to a time of centeredness and expansivenss....all of life's experiences have brought him to this time of perfection...this moment carries a gift-for hard work well donw. Your base is solid now and success and good fortune are yours for they are the outcome of what has already been experienced within".

And that's it for now....I am still living in a glow, surrounded completely by the love of God and the Universe, my Guides and the Angels who are always with me.

I am truly blessed.
Namaste
Jane

MESSAGES FROM THE TREES- March 3rd, 2007, Rishikesh India

I spotted this tree on one of my walks in Rishikesh in March 2007, as well as the tree later in this post. They were directly across the mountain path from each other.

I knew they were a message for me in response to my recent requests for guidance and direction, clarity and understanding. I've already learnt from past experience that replies from the Universe come in many forms, so am always alert to answers that are sent my way.

Two days after seeing this tree, and contemplating its message, I received the following insight:

Every obstacle that comes our way is sent to us lovingly and with purpose by the Universe. Do not seek an alternative path in order to avoid the obstacle, but stand firm in what you know to be your chosen path, even when the going seems almost impossible. Embrace the obstacle lovingly, learn the lesson and continue to grow and thrive.


This is the second tree on the other side of the road and if you look carefully you will see it is two completely separate individual trees which have grown together as one at the top, but still maintaining their own identity where they are rooted in the ground. I think this says it all quite clearly regarding the success of a loving and intimate relationship.

Namaste
Jane

Thoughts, Insights, Understandings and Channelings from India

I would like to apologize to everyone who follows this blog regularly for the lack of posts, but as I mentioned, I am in India for an extended visit.

However, as usual, on these journeys, amazing things open up for me, and I'd like to direct you to the India Journal where you might find some interesting things to read.

If you are interested in my Panchakarma treatments, check the sidebar where there are categories listed and check out the "treatments" category for daily posts regarding the treatment and the results.

If you are interested in other things which are occuring to me on all levels, check out the topics which interest you.

I'd like to draw your special attention to two posts re: channelings I've received so far: First Channeling

and this one, even more interesting...I have not noted the details in the post but it is the first time I have EVER received a request to pass a "message" on to a third party!! You can read about it : here

In Memorium 1916-2006

As I have created a new blog in Memory of my father, this post can now be found at the following link:

http://daveyscheiman.blogspot.com/2007/11/death-is-night-between-two-days-rabbi.html