ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: The Story is Not the Person!

Everyone around you has a story and you have only heard the part of the story that they want you to hear.  Everyone has a part of themselves that is hidden away, being protected, staying safe by not being revealed.  Behavior is not the story.  Behavior is often the cover-up for the story.

When you understand this about the people around you it is easier to be gentle with those folks.  What if that person just lost a loved one and doesn’t feel comfortable sharing that with you?  What if that person was so horribly abused as a child that they cannot bear to be hugged by anyone because it re-traumatizes them?  What if that person just got off the phone from a very disturbing conversation and they are in the middle of processing the information when you try to talk to them?

There is an endless list of possibilities for what is going on in another person’s life and most items on that list have nothing to do with you.  Do you keep this in mind when you interact with other people?  Can you be sympathetic to the part of the story that they are protecting from exposure and give them the benefit of the doubt?

Each of us has a responsibility to ourselves and to others to learn how to live in community with the people around us.  We are not private islands with ‘No Trespassing’ signs on our foreheads!  The most important lesson to learn about living in a civilized society is to learn what healthy boundaries are.  Learn what to let in and what belongs to the other person.

Asking others to respect your boundaries includes allowing them to ask the same of you.  Some people have very private stories behind the fence of their boundary and that is theirs to protect.  By the same token, you are allowed to hold parts of yourself private from public scrutiny and anyone who doesn’t respect that boundary does not get the privilege of interacting with you.

In learning how to interact with others in a healthy way it is important that you know your own story.  What motivates you?  What has happened in your past that is influencing your present?  What parts of you have you disowned that are lurking in your shadow bag waiting to be rediscovered and reintegrated?  With whom have you had an interaction that might influence your current relationships with baggage from the past connection?

Study your story.  Write it out.  Do a timeline of your own life.  It can be useful to do a timeline of your parents’ lives as you know them, or as they can share with you, and compare that with your own.  Sometimes we can uncover hidden beliefs about ourselves by noticing what has moved onto our timeline from our parents.

Notice when you get stuck in your story instead of continuing to create it.  Are you in a loop that has you repeating a part of your past story that is holding you back from growing in the present?  Are you re-traumatizing yourself by repeating that story over and over again and never giving yourself a chance to open to new possibilities that allow you to release that old story?

What parts of your story are you hoping no one else will discover?  Why?

Part of being on the path of personal growth is expanding your consciousness to encompass ALL of who you are.  Every part of your story is important in shaping you to be the person that you are today.  And this is true for everyone around you.

Own your story but do not be governed by it.  Be conscious of your responsibility to continue to grow.  Help others to grow by allowing them to have their own stories while keeping healthy boundaries for yourself.

And you can change your story!  There are many techniques available to help you to do this.  Empower yourself by taking the first step – write your story.  Then the work can begin.

PS:  Spring Book Special: Get Your Woman On!  Embracing Beauty, Grace and the Power of Women – The Amazon Best Selling book that I co-authored with some amazing women – is available this month at a very special price – $12 with free shipping in the US and some great bonuses!  This would be an inspirational gift for Mother’s Day for a woman who would like to read 39 stories of transformation.  Here’s how to get your copy: Book Sale

What’s New with You? — Richard’s Commentary, and the I Ching for the New Moon

One of the thoughts that caught my attention in Rosemary’s “Exploration” yesterday is:

“And what new stimulus is there in your environment to keep you growing? Or are you content with the status quo and resisting forward motion?”

We live in a totally dynamic Universe supplying our need for new stimulus constantly. All we have to do is pay attention to what’s going on and assess and respond to the stimulation around us. For example we are just now in New Moon energy (as of April 10, 2013 at 5:36 AM EDT) and we are just now in a new astrological year with the Sun in Aries. And Aries, the House of newness and action, is really full of stimulating planets right now. This is from our friend Gloria Hesseloff:

“The New Moon in ARIES holds special promise because 5 other celestial bodies are also in Aries! It can rock your world!

“(Note: Seriously, you may have noticed this unique Aries time is impacting many of us or our friends and family, especially those who have prominently in their charts Aries, Libra, Capricorn or Cancer. This energy can feel aggressive, angry, domineering, etc…)”

There is plenty here to stimulate growth, change, expansion, evolution. With all this energy in Aries, Spring time in the North, New Moon, it will be difficult to remain content with the status quo! It is a great time now to capture this energy to assist us in moving forward! Gloria goes on to say now is the:

“Time to reflect on:

  • What am I ready to bring to life at this time?
  • Where do I need to take a stand?
  • How can I take advantage of the unlimited possibilities available to me?
  • How can I make changes that are real, not just superficial?
  • The Universal energies are supporting courageous action with this New Moon.”

Gou-EncounteringIt is with all this Aries energy supporting me that I cast my I Ching Gua for this New Moon to take a look at how the month may play out and how I can best interact with these energies. And I received a surprising pair of Gua. Here is the first:

Note that the second line is a changing line (a nine) which yields a new “Approached Gua”. The initial Gua tells us something about the current energies, the status quo if you will, and the approached Gua tells us something about the changes we can expect. Since I cast these Gua for the month (the nextDun-Retreat moon cycle, or “moonth”) we start out with the energy of Gou (Encountering) and end with Dun (Retreat). Here’s the Approached Gua:

And here is my interpretation:

Gou is about encounters with other people. The I Ching expresses caution here, to be careful of these encounters, to not take people as they first appear; not to distrust, necessarily but to reserve judgment. And it is better to meet people in person rather than at a distance (indirectly, e.g. via email!).

The Approached Gua, Dun, indicates a retreat after this or these encounters. This is a positive retreat, one to gather strength for another time (next month perhaps).

Both of these Gua offer caution about “little people” and to avoid inappropriate or unproductive encounters with them. The wise retreat to gather strength and reinforcements. This tells me to not get bogged down with small stuff. Advance by retreating!

And note that if you are following my I Ching readings each moonth that my last Gua was Heng/Long Lasting, which is the Gua immediately preceding Dun. So, after remaining steadfast during the previous month it may now be time to step back to assess and regroup!

With the I Ching timing is everything. I also note that while both of these Gua this moonth urge caution, Gou corresponds to the 5th month (June) and Dun corresponds to the 6th month (July). These will be very productive months for the year. Now is a time to be watchful of encounters and to retreat into planning to prepare for the summer months.

Considering all this energy in Aries, these are very cautionary Gua to received. I will be storing up this energy, putting it into plans and getting ready for a big summer!

Do you use any divination tools in your life? They can help you with the ever-present influences from the environment, help with interpretation and with guidance on using the energies for forward motion, but only when it is advisable!

ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: What’s New with You?

Where is the newness in your life?  Are you in a rut?  In a routine that doesn’t allow you time and/or space to grow?

Now is the time to explore the ways in which you have gotten stuck and are holding yourself back from your expansive greatness.  Sometimes it seems easier to stay put, to stay where things are simple, uncomplicated, the same.  But are you growing?

If you are alive in a human body then there is something more for you to learn.  That’s what the human life is all about.  We are learning machines, from the moment we’re born and we have to figure out how to get around in this physical world.

Babies are growing and exploring and trying new things all the time.  All those ‘No!’ messages are helping the baby to learn what can and can’t be done, what’s safe and what’s not, what’s accepted and what’s not.  As we get older we start giving ourselves those ‘No!’ messages for very different reasons.

What would you like to learn or explore that you are telling yourself ‘No!’ so you will stop exploring?  What learning experience are you denying yourself because of a list of reasons that might, possibly, be excuses for maintaining the status quo?  How are you holding yourself back?

Brain science is discovering fascinating things about how we think and how we can change our thoughts.  Every thought either reinforces a previous thought or creates its new pattern in our brain.  The thoughts we repeat deepen the groove of that thought and make it easier to revisit.  New thoughts must be repeated to create a deeper pattern and, if left unvisited, will wither away.

What are your patterns of thinking and what would you like to change?  There are techniques for making those changes, and to change your mind you have to be conscious of your old patterns and the new patterns that you want to reinforce.  You can do this!

And what new stimulus is there in your environment to keep you growing?  Or are you content with the status quo and resisting forward motion?

Living a Conscious Life requires that you accept yourself on a path of growth and that you are proactive about seeking to expand your awareness and advance your understanding.  You are not the kind of human being who believes you are done learning new things and are content to sit around without exploring any new ideas.  You challenge yourself to grow and to explore.

This task is not as easy in a vacuum as it is with a like-minded tribe.  Who is your Consciousness Tribe?  With whom can you explore ideas, share thoughts without concern about judgment or condemnation?  Where are the people who will challenge you to consider a viewpoint that you haven’t considered before?  Do you have these folks in your sphere?

Or are you content to hang out with people who represent the ‘you’ of decades ago, who will not challenge you to think outside the box of your old ideas?

Your tribe is yours to find.  Sometimes we need a new tribe.  Sometimes our tribe grows with us and we can stay with the same explorers while we all expand our consciousness.

Are you being challenged to find something new in your life?  Ponder this thought today and then look around you and your day-to-day life.  Maybe it’s time to try on something new and see how it fits.

What’s new with you today?

PS: New! Spring Book Special: Get Your Woman On!  Embracing Beauty, Grace and the Power of Women – The Amazon Best Selling book that I co-authored with some amazing women – is available this month at a very special price – $12 with free shipping in the US and some great bonuses!  This would be an inspirational gift for Mother’s Day for a woman who would like to read 39 stories of transformation.  Here’s how to get your copy: Book Sale

Change, the Brain, and Life Force Energy—Richard’s Commentary

Change has certainly been on my mind lately—can you tell from my posts? Some of this change energy, maybe most of it, is coming from outside sources, including the influences of the planets, stars, heavens, recalling the quotes I used from my astrologer friend, Chris Largent, last week.

It is important to be aware of these outside influences in order to react, reflect and respond appropriately. And this happens on the inside, the only source and cause of true change. We have to consciously step through that gateless gate!

I was still in the middle of all this rumination when I wrote my “morning pages” this past Monday. Here’s what I’d like to share:

Everybody seems to be on edge, maybe a threshold, balancing on that edge, uncertain, teetering forth and back, wondering, hesitant, angry at the hesitance, fearful of the advance. Yet, advance we must straight into April and lovely days ahead to celebrate wakefulness.

It is good to wake up. It is good to be alive. Yes, I have met with irritation today, my old friend. And he is as grumpy as ever, rasping about people in his way, people with attitudes, people not following the rules – his rules. I have met with him and asked him to leave. I have too much to do to deal with irritation. It is a pointless and wasteful feeling. He is gone and I welcome the clear, clean air of April.

And maybe I’m a fool to seek happiness and joy in all things. There is often good reason to be in irritation’s field. But reason doesn’t make it right. The foolishness of joy is not wrong. Maybe it is unreasonable but never wrong.

I will seek out joy today. I would much rather be in his company. Some days I would rather be happy and irrational, living with Pi and Phi, than living in my left brain with the thinker, too often stinker.

Flow, goodness, grace, Tao. These are the way. This is The Way, the Immortal Way. How can an irritable man ever be good company, live as an Immortal? This is not the way!

And so I write, I look for the change. The door to Immortality stands wide open. The threshold of that door is joy. Happiness lives beyond. The simple act of crossing that threshold concludes the Pursuit of Happiness. It is right there, a fool’s paradise, so easy to reach out to, beyond. Just beyond.

Is this an April Fool’s joke I’m playing on myself? Can it really be so easy? And what if it is? Isn’t everything I write about choice? I believe it is. Stepping across the threshold is a choice. And this door of the threshold? It is that gateless gate of Zen. It swings both ways. There is always the “anti-choice” of reversion to old ways, meeting up with irritation again! Why I would want to do that is a mystery but it does happen. But maybe with the support of Heaven it doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe I can stay on the grace and happiness side of the gate. Maybe the world over there is perfect, just as it is. There is nothing wrong on that side of the gate that needs my attention. It is all good, just as it is. All I have to do is see it that way. And maybe some would say this is looking through “rose-colored glasses”. So what? Those who say that covet the glasses!

Is there sickness, old-age and death on that side of the gate? Of course there is! All the people caught up in all their desires are still there. Those still pursuing happiness are still there. It is a gateless gate—there is nothing that gate separates! In this sense nothing has changed. They have not crossed the threshold. It is I who have changed. It all only bubbles up from the inside. The gate that is not a barrier is inside. The threshold of joy is inside. The choice to cross the threshold is made in silence, promised to no one, confessed only in the stillness of every moment.

Change is that simple. And this may be the most difficult vow I can take and keep. Is there any way that I can say goodbye to irritation, dismiss him forever? This is only one step to take beyond the threshold. And from that new place I can hope to say, yes to this promise. One step into the new current is all it takes. And the flow will take me in a whole new direction…I am willing to let that current take me.

This is the water of my life. It is moving now, spinning beyond the stagnant backwater I have been stuck in for too long. This pretty April day with Sun, high sky, light breeze ringing bells is a brand new day for this fool to let go of old companions of irritation and rules and head into the unknown space of happiness flowing with whatever currents will come to jostle, cajole, and rejoin me onward beyond joy!

…so it all came tumbling out! And in tomorrow’s post I’ll offer a sequel to this flow toward change, toward happiness I stepped into this week…

ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Change, the Brain, and Life Force Energy

Breathe into the base of your spine and allow the breath to move all the way up your spine into your brain.  If there is any constriction along the spine the breath cannot move energy all the way into the brain and thoughts die.

All thoughts in the brain need the energy of Life Force to be maintained but this energy does not just come from conscious thought.  The unconscious mind can also energize thought by repeatedly visiting that thought and giving it power.  This is how ‘old tapes’ can remain powerful in one’s life, even at the unconscious level.

What thoughts are gaining power by being revisited at the unconscious level?  What do you believe about yourself that you are not changing because you keep reinforcing the old belief?

The only way to change is to change.  Change the thought pattern that generated the behavior that resulted in an action.  Trying to change without addressing underlying beliefs and thoughts is doomed to failure.  ‘Trying’ to change is just that – ‘trying.’  Changing takes real change.  Anyone who wishes to change must start by changing something, even one little thing, to signal the brain to embrace the coming change.

If you wish to change your eating patterns and diet, then change something about how you eat.  Don’t sit in the same chair, eat at the same time or table, buy at the same grocery store.

If you wish to change how you exercise or move, change the clothes or shoes you wear.  Choose a different location, partner or time of day.

If you wish to change work habits then rearrange your work space.

If you want to change the energy at home then redecorate, change lighting, play different music, open different windows, use different doors.

Change something first, then change the brain.  Change the brain and you can change everything else.

Your Life Force Energy is within you as a fire burning brightly but sometimes your perception of it is dimmed by the blinders of your thoughts.  Ramp up the fire, the flames of Life Force Energy, and burn away the blinders.  Shine that Light upon the world around you.

All of this energy relies on an open spinal column through which the energy can flow, from root to crown through the brain.  You have the power to open this energy channel through a combination of visualization, physical exercise and energy work with light and color.

The focus is on the column of Light that is YOU, the individual.  Use color and light to set the vibratory frequency level that opens you to your own greatness.

Then Be that Unique Greatness – YOU!!!

PS: Do you want some help with the changes you are inviting into your life? Apply for a Discovery Session with me; it’s easy! Do it here

Surprise!!! – Richard’s Commentary

While thinking about my response to Rosemary’s article on this subject I received an email from a mentor/teacher/friend, a deep scholar and also a gifted astrologer, about the energies of the times we are experiencing. I’m quoting a bit of his latest offering to set the stage for my thoughts about surprises.

More on the BIG astrology now – it IS that important – from Chris

“The aspects of the end of this week represent a rupture in consensus reality.  In other words, what we take to be true about ourselves, our community, our nation, and our planet could be challenged or expanded (or both).  My best advice is that if we see an opening in the “medieval fort” of everyday, programmed awareness, we should run through that opening.

“The possibilities for expanding consciousness are huge.  But we have to choose to engage with those possibilities.  We have to step outside the fort and challenge things we take for granted.”

Chris Largent

 Surprise!!!  A “rupture in consensus reality” certainly has the element of surprise embedded in it! Wow! But what does this really mean?

We have been anticipating big shifts with all the thought-energy, the expectations generated around 2012.  While much of the hype is gone, many understand that the Winter Solstice, 2012, was a turning point, not THE EVENT itself. We are now in the midst of that long turn. Some are suggesting that we may see big shifts with the Summer Solstice as the transformation to a new era begins to unfold in earnest. And many astrologers are aligning events in the Heavens with the correspondences of ancient calendars to conclude big things are happening.

Beliefs are certainly shifting and rapidly. Just look at one example around the issue of same-sex marriage rights. No matter what side of this issue you might support there has been an incredible, rapid shift in American acceptance of the LGBT Community and their rights to equal treatment under the law! Consensus reality is reforming here in a surprisingly positive direction. Chris goes on to say:

“The consciousness doors that open now will allow for big inner and outer shifts through the summer of 2014 – but the opening is NOW.”

Rosemary has this to say about consensus reality:

“As a human being, it is easy to fall into the trap of always wanting to be in control of your life. That would be nice. But the Earth is inhabited by other human beings who also want to be in control of their lives. What happens when these two desires collide?”

What happens is, willing or not, consensus reality is reformed around that collision. Of course it doesn’t have to be a collision! Chris says:

“…we are like currents in a river.  In other words, we look at the world in terms of fluid processes (and whole systems).  If we look closely at our lives, that’s what we see: we flow within larger patterns, and we create patterns as our life-processes flow with other life processes.”

I love this analogy of lives that flow together, but there’s no doubt that there is colliding yet to come as we bump through the next months of transformation! As consensus reality dissolves around us we need to be prepared for the reformation of our reality. These are exciting times! And while I don’t always like surprises (I’m one of those people who likes to be in control) I am now at a stage of life where anticipation of big changes and moving forward on the evolutionary path of consciousness is very appealing.

What other cultural surprises might we anticipate? Well, they wouldn’t be surprises if we knew about them in advance! Are you prepared for the long predicted and anticipated shifts? Are you ready for the BIG SURPRISE?

ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Surprise!!!

What is your attitude toward surprises?  Many people say they don’t like to be surprised. They want to know if there is a surprise party for them about to happen.  They don’t like change.  They don’t like the feeling of ‘not knowing.’  They don’t like to feel that they are not in control.

But what about loving surprises?  Loving that surprise party that a loved one engineered just for you.  Being thrilled when someone does something nice for you or gives you an unexpected gift.  How do you feel when that happens?

Life on the Earthly Plane is full of surprises.  Some of these surprises are as thrilling as that unexpected gift.  Some, however, are not so much fun.  Are you willing to accept the ‘not knowing’ as an essential part of life on Earth?

As a human being, it is easy to fall into the trap of always wanting to be in control of your life.  That would be nice.  But the Earth is inhabited by other human beings who also want to be in control of their lives.  What happens when these two desires collide?

Life can become chaotic through no fault of yours.  Or you can thrive on the drama that chaos creates.  Things can go smoothly for about a minute and then some new wrinkle is thrown into your day.  How do you react?

The important part of growing in your level of consciousness is to make peace with the understanding that you will never be in 100% control of your environment and the circumstances of your time on Earth.  Other people around you have free will and will sometimes make choices that will conflict with your desires, especially if one of your desires is for total peace and control over everything.

And sometimes Mother Nature decides to let you know that she is in control of her biosphere – that you are allowed to inhabit HER domain but she is ultimately in charge.  Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, winter storms, lightning – these are not under your control and yet they happen.  What is your response?

Are you reading these words and thinking that they conflict with the concept of ‘your thoughts create your reality’?  There really is no conflict, if you think about it deeply.

The point is not that people don’t sit around wishing for a huge storm to come and destroy their house.  But there are a lot of people who are worrying about that eventuality.  Worry sets up the same magnet of attraction as desire does – did you know that?  Thinking about what you don’t want does attract that very energy.

And thinking about what you do want has to have some caveats attached to it.  Not the usual, ‘is it realistic?’ caveat, which really means, ‘can you see the way to make that happen?’  But are you wishing for something that takes away the power of others to have free will?

I’ve heard people say that they are trying to work with the Law of Attraction but that other person still hasn’t changed into what they want them to be.  Hmmmmm……  What’s wrong with this picture?

How about understanding that not knowing HOW you will receive that which you are desiring allows the Universe to bring it to you in unexpected, surprising ways?  And if you are working with the Law of Attraction you must be honoring other Laws of the Universe, including the Law of Free Will of all individuals.  You do not have permission to try to make others change.

When you demand control of your environment, you limit the ways in which the Universe answers your requests.  Your thoughts are projecting an often unconscious request to keep things just the way they are.  And, yet, there are laws of the Universe about change being ever present.

Your thoughts are sending out energy that does create those storms and that chaos and we’ll talk about that later.  For today, remember this equation:

EVENT leads to your REACTION and then you choose a RESPONSE.

While you might not control all the events that happen [Surprise!] and your reaction is your immediate ‘knee jerk’ feeling, you DO control how you respond.  Put your energies into practicing Conscious Response – choosing the response that demonstrates your personal growth.  Then you can relax into making peace with the ‘not knowing’ and enjoy the ‘Surprise!’

PS: Why not surprise yourself this week with a Discovery Session with me? They are FREE! Go here to apply

What Does Self-Love Look Like? –Richard’s Commentary

“Love creates. Love bonds. Love attracts and holds securely. Love frees. Love develops and Love lets go. Love releases bonds that no longer serve.”

When I first read Rosemary’s “litany” about Love, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians came to mind, that often used text in Christian weddings: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (Quoted from the NIV Bible published by Zondervan.)

While these lists of what Love looks like are superficially very different, they certainly are parallel. Rosemary’s list is about creation and development. There are bonds in Love but those bonds need to serve, not hinder growth. And Paul’s description of Love can certainly apply to creative development, growth. His words almost more appropriately apply to the Love between parent and child; there is a definite paternal quality to his list which likely reflected his feelings toward the Corithians.

Then how do these descriptions of Love apply to Self-Love, the main topic of Rosemary’s post? Creation and development are key in Rosemary’s list. And I believe this is very true for Self-Love to grow and flourish. As humans we can never stop growing, Life is about learning our lessons. And these lessons are all about the evolution of Consciousness. The explosive creation of the Universe, out of Love, initiated this entire evolutionary expansion we find ourselves in the midst of. If we were loved into existence then isn’t it incumbent on us to continue that love-stream?

Then look at what Paul says in the context of Self-Love: it is all about development, growth of a child. What if we apply these actions of patience, kindness, recording no wrongs toward ourselves? This creates an environment for learning our lessons, for expanding our consciousness and contributing to the evolution of Consciousness.

Paul’s and Rosemary’s litanies about Love turn out to be highly parallel and mutually supportive!

And what if we treat ourselves as they both implore? Rosemary says “Love releases bonds that no longer serve.” And Paul says Love “keeps no record of wrongs.” These words are describing forgiveness. And, for me, Self-Love and self-forgiveness are closely bound. There can’t be one without the other. I can only love myself from the capacity to forgive myself. And I can only forgive myself from that secure base of Self-Love.

When I am feeling low I sometimes need to drag out that “record of wrongs” I keep on myself and remember they are past wrongs that I need to let go; I need to release those “bonds that no longer serve.” This is a recurring theme for me; forgiving myself is at the base of picking myself up by my own bootstraps.

“Love is kind, it is not rude, it is not easily angered.” “Love frees.” I need to apply these words to me, often and always. Then perhaps I’ll more easily know what Self-Love does look like. And then, too, I’ll be contributing more to the evolution of Consciousness!

What does Self-Love look like for you?

ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: What Does Self-Love Look Like?

For each individual the specifics of Self-Love will differ, but the underlying energy is the same.

Love is a very high vibration, much higher than Romance, with which many people confuse Love.  The energy of Pure Love is the vibrational frequency of the unifying force of the Universe.  Love creates.  Love bonds.  Love attracts and holds securely.  Love frees.  Love develops and Love lets go.  Love releases bonds that no longer serve.

These statements are true for every element in the Universe, from the smallest particle of matter to the energy of a human being to the largest planets, stars, galaxies.  Love is the strongest force in the Universe.

All Love flows from Self-Love.  The Universe-before-the-Universe so loved itself that it exploded into the Universe that you are experiencing at this time in the 21st Century.  Everything that exists in this Universe was created out of energy potential of the Love that existed in that explosion of Self-Love.  Every Universe came from that same energy.

In the life of every human being, there must be enough Self-Love to explode energy – that is the creative force energy – to manifest dreams into reality.  If there is not enough Self-Love, then energy is sucked into oneself without the pure expression of Love energy in the outer world.

Those who exist with little or no Self-Love cannot manifest their high vibration dreams and desires.

All Love blossoms out of Self-Love.  If you have a high enough level of this Self-Love then you cannot help but overflow into sharing that Love as Creative Energy in the world around you.

No relationship improves by working on it without also elevating one’s level of Self-Love.  No situation – job, career, financial, legal, etc. – will improve before the person involved increases the level of Self-Love within.

What does this look like?

For one person, Self-Love might appear as eating a healthier diet.  For another, it might be taking time to meditate or journal or walk in Nature.  For someone else, Self-Love may mean severing a friendship, ending a relationship or quitting a job.

One person might need to speak their truth aloud.  Another might need to stay quiet and change their situation.

The high vibration of Self-Love eclipses lashing out to hurt another but that doesn’t mean that others might not choose to feel hurt or even to play the victim in the situation.  Self-Love leads one to stand in their own truth no matter what happens outside and around them.  There is no intention to hurt another and yet there is also no responsibility for the reception one receives when standing in Self-Love.

Self-Love is not the same as Self-Care but all Self-Care develops out of Self-Love if it is healthy care.  One does not rebel or feel guilty when Self-Care stems from Self-Love.  There is a neutral character to this Self-Care—it just IS because it is based in Self-Love.

Ask yourself if you Love yourself enough to make choices from a place of Self-Love.  Are you willing to look inside yourself and to love every part that you find there?  Are you open to loving even those parts that you are wishing to change, simply because they are YOU and they have served you in some way up to this point?

Self-Acceptance and Self-Care come from Self-Love.  As the Universe loved itself into existence, so should your Life be a reflection of great Self-Love.  If you are unhappy about some element of your Life, then focus on increasing your level of Self-Love so that your Life can change to reflect that higher level of Love vibration.

Love your Life into existence as you desire, letting it blossom forth from Self-Love.

PS: In honor of the Equinox I’m offering a Spring Cleaning Speciala big discount on your Scientific Hand Analysis Session$100 off! This is the time to learn about your Soul Purpose and the gifts you’ve been given to manifest that Purpose in your life.   If you’re ready to leap forward, just as you turned your clocks ahead, then send me an email and I’ll give you the discount code for your Scientific Hand Analysis Session.  Get your Spring Cleaning done by clearing away the questions you have about ‘Why am I here?’!  rosemary@TheScientificMystic.com

Are You Expecting? –Richard’s Commentary

The possibilities are endless! And this is exactly what I was hoping for. So, yes, I’m expecting some wonderful possibility to emerge this Spring! What about you?

This past Saturday I passed my Level 1 Qigong evaluation and am now certified to teach Jeff Primack’s base level of his Qi Revolution. Jeff’s goal is to expand the number of teachers of Qigong in the US; he is a true believer in this ancient form of exercise. And it has been pretty clearly documented as a superior approach to health and longevity. Here’s just one citation:

“In the early 1980’s, scientists in China began to study the medical benefits claimed for qigong. Since then, research on hundreds of medical applications of qigong have been reported in the Chinese literature. Of special interest … are clinical reports of the medical benefits of qigong that claim to retard or reverse some diseases associated with aging.”

–Kenneth Sancier Ph. D.

And here is an excellent definition of Qigong by Dr. Kathleen Hall:

“Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice that creates health by balancing the chi, or vital energy, in your body. Qigong is about discovering one’s true balance.

“Kaiser Permanente, the largest health maintenance organization (HMO) in the country, offers Qigong to their patients. They report they began Qigong with their chronic pain patients and had such great results they are now providing these classes for all health care plan members.”

With teachers and practitioners like Jeff Primack beginning to spread the word I think we will soon be seeing Qigong everywhere.

I’ve been practicing two forms of Qigong for about a year now. And I can honestly say I feel great, I have lost weight, I am sleeping well, and I feel much less stressful about life than I did a year ago.

And now the challenge begins. I am motivated to get started and only need to set up a class, gather some interested students and get going, right? Well, maybe it’s not that simple; but I do have a plan and “I am expecting” to step out in confidence and begin to bring this ancient longevity technology to as many people as I can reach.

This is part of my Spring break-out. Do you have a plan? It’s a great time of the year to review, revise and refresh your activities and assess your direction. Do an internal check on your health; figure complete-2Rosemary and I suggest doing a scan of all of your bodies, the physical, of course, and your emotional, mental and spiritual bodies as well. Remember this diagram we published a few months ago?

Do you feel blockage anywhere? In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) “When your chi is blocked or stagnant you get sluggish, slow and can experience illness.”  (Dr. Hall) And since Qi is vital energy it can block more than just the physical body. Qigong can release these blocks to relieve the sluggish “hang-over” from winter and provide just the spring-tonic needed to revitalize and nourish.

I have found that Qigong supports all four levels of the body. The movement and breath work are physically beneficial, the meditative aspects of Qigong support both the emotional and mental bodies, and throughout the practice there is a flow and connection to the divine that is deeply spiritual and truly inspiring.

This spring, try something new. Look for Qigong in your area. Give it a go; I think you’ll appreciate it!

And all the best with that!