HOPE by @AwakeningTrue

Tags

choices, hope, love, virtues

HOPE by Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino

In many conversations over the past three weeks, I have felt the need and the responsibility to be hopeful, and to share messages of hope with others. This caused me to spend a considerable amount of time thinking about hope and exploring its power relative to one of my favorite topics – love. At the beginning of this exploration, hope seemed more ephemeral than love, more like a flickering flame that, when the wind blew, persisted only if it was protected by sheer will and determination.

Why, I wondered, did I see love as more steadfast, more permanent than hope? Why did I view love as the strongest sibling in the family of these virtues, along with other virtues, that so many of us are committed to demonstrating in our thoughts, our words, and our actions?

We speak about unconditional love – love without conditions, without expectations or requirements. When we choose to love someone unconditionally, when we commit to loving unconditionally, our love is unwavering. Why, then, does hope feel more conditional? What is unconditional hope?

I know how to remain loving when someone says or does something hurtful. I know how to remain compassionate when tempted to judge rather than forgive. But I must admit that during these past three weeks, there have been days when I did not know HOW to remain hopeful. Meditation and journaling helped me understand that hope, like love, is a choice. This obvious conclusion had not been obvious to me on those days when hope seemed so elusive. Today, though, I better understand that conclusion and I choose hope. I choose to be hopeful and hope-filled, reminded that this is how we are able to move through the most challenging hours or days or weeks of our lives.  

Some of us live in places where Spring is now arriving. The crocuses and daffodils that survived the snowstorm and icy weather near my home last weekend are symbols of hope for me as I commit to choosing unconditional HOPE, unwavering hope, from this moment on.

I very much look forward to discussing hope in this Sunday’s #SpiritChat, and to learning from this hopeful and hope-filled community.   

Thank you all very much, and many thanks to Kumud for the opportunity!!  

Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino — @SharonDAgostino, @AwakeningTrue and @SayItForwardNow

Author’s bio: I believe in the power of love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, gratitude, and…hope! And I believe that each of us has an important role in shaping a kinder, gentler, more compassionate world for all.

Kumud’s note: I am delighted that Sharon @AwakeningTrue will be hosting #SpiritChat on Sunday, March 20 at 9amEDT / 1pmUTC / 630pm India on twitter. I am so looking forward to all the hope and love that emerges from her leading the conversation on this topic. Thank you, Sharon!

 

 

Photo: Daffodils by Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Spiritual Identity

Tags

awareness, identity, love, spirituality, vibration

What does our sense of identity consist of? Where does it come from? How does it change over time? What makes us lose our sense of identity? Why do we identify much more with certain environments or people as compared to others? How does our identity manifest in our living?

These are some the questions that I mulled over during my walk on a gloomy Friday morning as the Sun was doing its level best to break through and provide a bit of warmth on an unusually chilly spring morning. As I watched a pair of geese swim peacefully with mallard ducks in the pond, I felt a surge of peace within me too. It was a reminder of how much of my identity is shaped by nature through its effects on my energy levels and inner vibrations.

Why does nature have such a powerful impact on our identity? I believe it is because of the amount of diversity that nature offers to us — there is something in nature for everyone to relate to. Regardless of the time of day, the season, the weather, our emotional or physical state, we can often identify with nature and its ability to heal and comfort us. The always available nature of nature, ready to serve us unconditionally, helps us experience the nature of divine love.

When we experience unconditional love, it removes fear and adds courage to our sense of identity. In addition to nature, there are people in our lives who can deeply affect our identity too. The ones who influence us in a positive, uplifting way are the ones whom we identify with deeply at a heart and soul level. I like to think of them as identity partners. Our inner vibrations align closely with theirs, we feel at peace around them, and they elevate rather than negate our sense of identity.

In order for our identity to fully manifest through love, we may need to examine that which stands in its way. This greatest obstacle is often our ego, particularly when it is fed by an excess of anger, expectation, sadness, and more. An excess of positive emotions can also create imbalances for our ego, which can then manifest in our identity as arrogance and hubris, and disconnect us from our true self.

The good news is that we, through our awareness and practices, can get closer to our true identity, which often gets hidden under the layers of dust which accumulate over time on our heart’s mirror. The energy of our identity partners — nature, supportive friends and family, spiritual guides — is available to us. We simply need to choose to tune our heart’s frequency to their transmissions filled with peace, harmony, and yes, love.

There are so many aspects to our identity, and yet, we discover, that they all emerge from, and eventually merge into One. Will we take the journey to discover?

Kumud

Join us for our weekly community gathering on twitter in #Spiritchat, Sunday March 13 at 9amET / 730pm India. We will play with some questions about identity, and connect with each other over tea and cookies. Namaste. – AjmaniK

So many aspects to our identity… and yet they all merge into One

In Loving Remembrance

Tags

love, memorial day, purpose, remembrance, yoga

The act of remembrance is a multifaceted thing. Some practice it in deep silence while others may engage it with sound and fury of music and focalization. Some may pick up a brush, dip it in colors and paint their memories into masterpieces, while others may dance their way across wooden floors in the company of new friends.

Regardless of personal preference, the practice is important because it reminds us of the frailty and fragility of our own life. Remembrance and memorialization have been with us as integral parts of our lives for as long as human memory exists. Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians built great pyramids. Why? So that they could be remembered, not forgotten.

This fear that we shall somehow be forgotten in death is perhaps what drives us to seek a purpose-filled life, a life where we ‘make a difference in the world’ and even ‘leave it a better place’. What could we perhaps do in this life that would make us immemorial? We could begin by remembering why we’re here in the first place.

One simple explanation of this ‘why’ is that we are here to remember love. Not just ordinary, human love, but to partake in the experience of divine love. In the Yoga tradition, this experience can be felt through Bhakti – a deep, constant, immersive remembrance of the beloved in the divine. And yet, this is only one way to love.

The Yoga of action, or Karma Yoga, also leads us to divine love. We simply have to remember to dedicate all our actions to the real doer, the divine. The Yogas of knowledge (Gyana) and meditation (Raja), both have pathways to lead us to the remembrance of the presence of divine love in our lives.

Our greatest spiritual challenge is that of forgetfulness. We forget that the opportunity to experience divine love is available to us in every given moment. Yes, love requires labor. But what if we were to remember to integrate deep immersion, inspired action, experiential knowledge and in-the-moment meditation into our labor of loving?

With loving remembrance, we can develop awareness of oneness, and our lives can become living memorials of truth and joy to all those whose silent sacrifices of life-force have fired our hearts with higher purpose. Let our gratitude flow towards them today.

Namaste,

Kumud

Join us for our weekly Twitter chat, Memorial Sunday (in the USA), May 30 at 9amET / 630pm India in #SpiritChat, as we discuss remembrance and love. Namaste ~ @AjmaniK

Love and Forgiveness by @AwakeningTrue

Tags

forgiveness, humanity, love, wisdom

Love and Forgiveness 

True forgiveness is like a rainbow – a rare and beautiful gift, precious and elusive.  As a child, I was often told that it was important to “forgive and forget.” No one explained that the step of forgetting – of letting go of our hurt and pain – may be even more important than the act of forgiving.  I understand that now that it is. 

I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness and when I consider the importance of forgiveness in all of the relationships in my life, and in everyone’s life, many questions come to mind… 

… Is it actually possible to “let go” of hurt?

… Do the people who have forgiven me “hold on” to the pain or sadness I caused them?

… Have I truly forgiven someone if I re-live, from time to time, the pain or sadness I experienced?

… How do I know, beyond a doubt, that I have been forgiven?  How does anyone ever know? 

The answers to these questions, and the mechanism for letting go of pain, seem unknowable to me until I add the most essential element in my life: LOVE. 

When we love unconditionally, and when this love guides our thoughts about others and our actions towards them, I know it is possible to “forgive and forget.”  When we love someone unconditionally, the way we hope they love us, we recognize that in our shared humanity we all make mistakes.  We apologize when we sometimes say or do things that hurt others, things we deeply regret.  Others apologize when they hurt us.  And if we are wise, we choose to love and to let go because if we do not, we continue to feel the pain we experienced or caused, and it remains a heavy burden to carry.  Only love can enable us to fully forgive, to let it all go, to drop the burden and move on.  Only unconditional love can help us wipe the slate completely clean.

We are all wonderfully imperfect, and in loving and forgiving ourselves and each other, we experience the same sense of awe we feel when suddenly a rainbow appears after a storm.  The miracle of a rainbow.  The miracle of true forgiveness. The miracle of unconditional love. 

Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino — @SharonDAgostino, @AwakeningTrue and @SayItForwardNow 

Author’s bio: I believe in the power of love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and gratitude. And I believe that each of us has an important role in shaping a kinder, gentler, more compassionate world for all. 

Kumud’s note: I am delighted that Sharon will be hosting #SpiritChat for all of us on Sunday, April 18 at 9amET / 1pmUTC / 630pm India on twitter. I am so looking forward to “Love and Forgiveness”, and all the grace that emerges from her leading the conversation on this topic. Thank you, Sharon!

Rainbow of Forgiveness – Photo by Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino

 

 

The Essence of Self-Love

Tags

awareness, healing, love, spirituality

The Essence of Self-Love (by Elisa Balabram)

Last month, our host Kumud Ajmani and #SpiritChat, celebrated 9 years of weekly spiritual and inspirational conversations. Congratulations! I may have joined six months or so after its launch, though I’m not sure when exactly. Since then, invariably every conversation includes at least one Tweet on #SpiritChat that makes a reference to Self-Love.

I’m copying a paragraph from a recent article I wrote on my blog Inequalities, Racism, Self-Love and Action that I think is relevant. I imagine that a world filled with self-loving individuals would be a more peaceful, respectful, joyful and loving world, would you agree?

“Self-love is not gloating or self-aggrandizing. One could argue that if someone is gloating, they are seeking approval from someone other than themselves, in order to give self the permission needed to feel loved. To practice self-love is to go beyond societal and cultural expectations of one’s successes and/or failures.  Self-love is the deep knowing within oneself that one matters, has value to offer, is a light, for simply existing and being one’s heart centered, authentic Self.”

For me, the essence of self-love is a clear unimpeded connection to one’s heart space, soul wisdom, and love within. It includes giving self: acceptance, love, kindness, and permission to fail. It may also require taking things lightly, being free of judgment (work in progress), treating self as one’s best friend, and creating opportunities to express oneself authentically and creatively. In addition, I find it helpful through the self-love practice, to develop an awareness of the inner critic, and to apply tools to minimize its influence. How are you practicing self-love and what does it mean to you?

Join us this Sunday at 9am ET for a conversation about “The Essence of Self-Love” and share your experience with it.

Elisa

Elisa Balabram is a lecturer, intuitive business/life #coach, writer & #author of: Ask Others, Trust Yourself & Mending a Broken Heart: Lili´s Magic Journey. Her blog is at https://www.askotherstrustyourself.com

 

It is with great pleasure and gratitude that I welcome Elisa (@womenandbiz) to host #SpiritChat on Sunday, Aug 9 at 9amET on Twitter. Please join in and share with Wlisa and the #SpiritChat community. Namaste. – Kumud

Elisa Balabram #FF @womenandbiz on twitter

The Heart’s Quadrants

Tags

agape, heart, heart matters, love

I am not much of a sport’s watcher any more, perhaps because I’m not much of a TV watcher any more. However, this year, I found myself tuning into the Super Bowl because – actually, I’m not quite sure why, but it just happened. More than the game itself, I was actually paying a bit of attention to the ads. I have to admit, I was totally taken by the story told by the ad that talked about the four types of love… 

While thinking about the topic for this week’s #SpiritChat conversation, I knew that I would end up talking about something heart-related. February is heart-health month, and this year has that extra-special day at the end, for which I have a  special affinity (more about that in two weeks). And then, this morning, reflecting on the heart, I was reminded of the four quadrants of the heart. This made me wonder – is there a connection between the four types of love and the four quadrants of the heart?

What about love? The four types of love are deemed to be philia (love that grows out of friendships), storge (love that is founded on family relationships), eros (the romantic love) and agape (love that comes from acts of service and selfless actions). And what about the heart? The heart’s upper quadrants are the two atriums or atria  – the right, which collects the impure blood through the venous system, and the left, which collects the purified blood from the lungs. The lower quadrants are the two ventricles or the pumps. The right ventricle receives the impure blood from the right atrium, and then pumps it to the lungs for purification. The left receives the purified blood from the left atrium, and pumps it to the organs through the arterial system. 

On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there is any correlation between the four types of love and the heart’s quadrants, is there? Delving a bit deeper, I thought of people whose love resembles the quadrants of the hearts. There are the “receivers” or the atriums – always available and open to us, helping us to lighten our load in any way they can. They do not judge whether our output is “pure” or “impure” – their role is to simply be receivers. “Atrium people” are perhaps primarily engaged in the practice of philia or agape love by their actions of presence and active listening, aren’t they?

Then, there are the “givers” or the ventricles – the ones who “feed” us continuously, whether we are asleep or awake, regardless of our mental and emotional state. The “givers” help us absorb the goodness that every breath brings into our  hearts, and remind us to share that goodness with every cell in our bodies. Our heart’s two ventricles are essential to life and living. The same is true of those who are the ‘givers of love’ in our lives, isn’t it?

What would our lives be without the magic of friendships, the special bonds of family, the incorrigible romantics, or those who are ever-eager to give? Who are our heart’s atriums and ventricles, the ones who teach us about philia, storge, eros and agape? Do we not live our best life when all of the heart’s quadrants work as a unified whole for a single purpose – which is to flow higher love?

Kumud

P.S. Join us for our weekly chat, Sunday February 16 at 9am ET / 2pm GMT / 7:30pm India. We will talk about the heart and its giving and receiving of love through all its quadrants. Join us to tea and cookies. Namaste – @AjmaniK

 

On Loving Remembrance

Tags

love, memorial day, memory, remembrance

How are our memories created? Where do our memories reside? What makes certain memories indelible while others fade away over time? How do the memories of those we love, those we live with, affect our lives? What is the best way to pause and honor the memory of those whom we never knew, but who made great sacrifices for us?

Some of these questions filtered through my head as I sat in the parked car, contemplating the path I was going to walk in the forest yesterday. I thought of the questions, and then let them go with love in the breeze, as I began the walk towards the river. A few minutes later, I was at one my favorite junctions, and the choice lay ahead – to walk the broad familiar or the unexplored narrow. I did not have my best walking shoes on, so, as if to say ‘what of that’, I chose the latter.

I followed the riverbank for a short while, and then re-traced my course in the other direction, pausing for quite a while on some of my favorite rocks in the middle of the river where the waters had receded enough to allow me passage. And, as often happens, the muse flowed words of remembrance in response to my questions. Some of these, I share with you. Maybe you will find some answers within…

Out of the corner of my eye
I saw the heron with full wingspan fly
Over the river flowing shallow ;

I must have interrupted her morning sojourn
As I knelt and bowed at many a turn
To walk the fisherman’s walk ;

No fishing pole in hand I held
Except for a camera with phone 
To come closer to the river flowing swift
And listen to the bluebells alone ;

And the chipmunk who stared at attention
In his stance from the fallen tree trunk proud
What beautiful solitude awaits us
A mere few yards from the madding crowd ;

I can hear the chirping of fledgelings
And the rumble of motorcycles loud 
I pause to kneel, to sit on haunches
To breathe in the earth's green cloud ;

And the flat rounds on this bank remind me
Of skipping stones in the Indus in Leh
So much is different and yet the same
Water, air, sun and swallows hold sway 
My heart feels like it’s going to burst forth with memories
Of lullabies filled with love from that day;

And the dancing of sunlight on ripples
Asks - does it take much courage to flow?
Or does it take courage to stand...
For the truth we've all have felt from beyond the know ;

Yes, yes it does take courage to admit of tears
Of all our meager holdings to let go 
We swim in the river of desires
Forgetful of love's seeds given us to sow ;

So when this world weighs you down now and then 
Find a river whose other shore you can't see 
Remember -- love's courage helps us walk
And leads us to who we're destined to be... ;

Yet forget not that for love to bloom life
We need to master the courage to die ;

But what is it -- that we are to die to and for?
That is perhaps the question's cry
I often wonder, and try to remember —
As I watch the swallow who's learning to fly... 

Kumud

P.S. Thank you for reading this far, and letting me share my musings with you. May 26th marks the observance of Memorial Day Sunday in the USA. Join us on twitter at 9amET, as we discuss some (spiritual) aspects of ‘loving remembrance’. Namaste. – Kumud @AjmaniK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Towards the end of the circle of my walk, I came upon this young tree with fresh green leaves, seemingly growing almost horizontally out of the love of the soil accumulated around the tree trunks of fallen trees… #MemorialDay

The Mathematics of Love

Tags

love, mathematics, spirituality, upanishad

What does love have to do with mathematics? On the surface, perhaps nothing. Love, as we experience it, is beyond the domain of simple math. However, there is a higher math that can be ascribed to Love in action. This is beautifully stated in the opening verse of the first paragraph of many an ancient Indian text:

That is whole, and this is also whole.
For only the whole is born out of the whole;

– Ishavasya Upanishad – 1.1

At first glance, this verse seems to violate the simple math of division. In the physical domain, if you create a new this from some initial that, this cannot equal that whole. Physical mathematics suggests that the created, is, in some ways, less than that which it is created from or created by. But, the mathematics of love is a bit, if not wholly, different.

Consider this. I am serving food to people moving through a buffet line. Am I capable of serving every person with the same energy and enthusiasm that I used to serve the person before them? If I am serving, creating love with every action, then the answer is Yes!

To reiterate. If I create a loving action (this) for someone, in this moment, with all the energy of love in my heart (that), then I have created something of a whole nature. I did not hold anything back for the next moment of creation. I transferred my whole energy into that moment of loving creation. Now, in the next moment, I can repeat the same process of creating a second loving action (this), with the same loving energy with which I performed the previous act of creation.

I create the whole out of the whole. Over and over again. That is the mathematics of love!

The second verse of the ‘mathematics of whole’ states

…and when the whole is taken from the whole
behold, the remainder is whole.
– Ishavasya Upanishad – 1.2

Again, this seems to contradict the simple physical math of subtraction. Yet again, love transcends simple math of subtraction. When I give someone a hug with all of my heart, am I not capable of giving the same whole hug to the next person? In addition, if I receive a hug from someone who gives it to me with all their heart, does it reduce my capacity to receive a similar quality hug again? Yes. Love transcends the simple math of addition too.

The mathematics of love is beyond simple addition or subtraction, because it is the mathematics of the wisdom of the infinite. It allows us to operate in a dimension which goes beyond this and that.

An understanding of the Mathematics of Love can awaken us to realize that Thou art That. I am whole. And so are you. And that is all the wisdom that we may need.

Peace. Peace. Peace.

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. I invite you to join us to discuss ‘The Mathematics of Love’ – Sunday, February 11th 2018 at 9amET/2pmUTC on twitter. Namaste, and thank you, for ALL your love – the whole of IT -Kumud!

The whole beauty of one flower, in full bloom, does not preclude the beauty of the flower that blooms next to it… That is the Mathematics of Love…

Be Still and Focus on Love of Self – by @llake

Tags

love, self-care, stillness

Welcome to #31daysofselfcare2018 This morning was one rough morning. It followed a rough day that was yesterday. It’s really hard to deal with a series of problems that you can’t control, especially when the outcomes are tied to decisions that other people are making. It’s really hard to control anger and frustration. I struggle with…

via Be Still and Focus on Love of Self — Lillian Lake

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I will welcome our good friend, Lillian Lake (@llake on twitter) to be our guest for our weekly #SpiritChat conversation – Sunday, January 21st 2018 at 9amET on twitter. Our topic will be “Be Still and Focus on Love of Self“. Please read Lillian’s post on the topic (linked above) , and make sure to subscribe to her wonderful blog. Thank you, Lillian, for writing about this topic, and your entire #31daysofselfcare2018 series to get us started well in 2018  – Kumud @AjmaniK

In her own words, “Lillian is a focused, compassionate speaker, fostering meaningful life connections.” You can connect with Lillian, and find out more about her and her work through the following ways:

mobile: 207-557-5196

lillianlake.com

Franklin Journal columnist

twitter.com/llake

https://www.facebook.com/humantraffickingeducation/

https://www.facebook.com/lillianlake1111/

Love Bridging Life and Death by @mscator

Tags

death, life, love, pets, spirituality

On January 6, I found out that my dog Kolo has terminal bone cancer. Dr. Young gave her two, maybe three months to live.

We rescued Kolo– “Kolohe” which is Hawaiian for “rascal” –11 years ago and those of you who follow my Twitter timeline know that since early 2009 I have been sharing photos of her and our adventures hiking and enjoying life together in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. She is my dearest companion and my empathetic, steadfast protector.

An insulin-dependent diabetic with thyroid dysfunction, Kolo went blind in both eyes and underwent cataract surgery in 2012. If you’re interested, my blog, Kolo’s Blindness, provides more photos and a timeline of our remarkable experience together. I have so many photos of her that I have not yet posted, but there are some good ones there to share with you.

Kolo has exceeded her prognosis by over two months. I have been inspired by her strength while struggling with the impending certainty of letting her go. Grief at times shakes me to the core, but at the same time, I have had the gift of these past five months to watch her closely and pamper her. She takes delight in every meal and continues to watch the deer and the wild bunnies from my office window.

My Kolo has been an example of courage and adaptability in coping with her plight. I think she is wiser than me these days as I continue to struggle with and ponder grief and letting go.

In his novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Thornton Wilder wrote, “There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love.” We know that death is a part of life. How do we find the courage to face life’s challenges, adapt and let go with love? And even more, can we transform a major sorrow into something extraordinary? What links suffering, survival, and transcendence? And how do we help each other get there?

Q1 If life is a celebration of passionate colors, what is death?

Q2 How do we continue to truly live, in the face of the impending death of a loved one?

Q3 Coping with loss is a part of life. How do we find the courage to accept loss?

Q4 How do we embrace change when we don’t want to?

Q5 Should grief remain personal or is it better shared?

Q6 We know that we all are going to die. So why do we often behave as if we will live forever?

Q7 What would be the positive (or negative) consequence(s) of living ‘forever’?

Q8 What role does the spirit play in resilience?

Q9 How are we transformed by a deep personal loss? How do we “fully” recover?

Q10 How can a community help someone who is going through a hard time?

Aloha,

Leia

“Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.” Thoreau

http://www.dailycelebrations.com

Life is a celebration of passionate colors

What a wonderful post amid heartfelt reflections by Leia! Please join our long-time friend in #SpiritChat, Leia Cator (@mscator) as she steps up to host this very important topic for us ~ Sunday, June 4th at 9amET on twitter. Thank you, Leia! – Kumud @AjmaniK