Celebration Awakenings – by Leia Cator @mscator

Tags

awakening, celebration, spirit, spiritchat

We continue our “Summer Series” for our weekly Sunday morning #SpiritChat conversations with our guest – Leia Cator. The topic will be “Celebration Awakenings”. I hope you will join Leia and me on Sunday June 23rd at 9am ET in #SpiritChat on twitter. Thank you.

There is a dance I do every morning with the dawn. We sit together, celebrate the new day and watch the sunrise. A golden hour where I say prayers of gratitude, plan my day. Breathe in the quiet and the unspeakable beauty of the morning. The colors are astounding and teach me how lucky I am to be alive. Most mornings, I take hundreds of photos and share them on Twitter and on my blog. My art is life-affirming, rejuvenating, and I hope inspirational. I have done this as often as I can over the past seven years. The ritual helps me to shine and celebrate what is and what can be. My vision is to better create and share my gifts with aloha.

1. Robert Frost wrote, “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” What does spiritual awakening mean to you?
2. Should an awakening be celebrated or kept private?
3. Do you think an awakening is born of sorrow or joy?
4. Is an awakening gradual or spontaneous?
5. My celebration awakenings are manifested in the sunrise. Is there something in nature that helps you celebrate?
6. Who do you consider a creative visionary and why?
7. Lao Tzu said, “From wonder into wonder existence opens.” Describe wonder.
8. Must we let go of something in order for our spirit to gain an awakening?
9. Eden Philpotts wrote the universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for us to discover. What would you like to discover?

Leia Cator (USA) was born under the lucky Honolulu moon and raised in the Waikiki surf. A rare cancer diagnosis galvanized her desire to spend each moment celebrating life with aloha. That was 20 years ago.

A lifelong writer and budding photographer, her work intends to motivate, educate, and inspire the world. In her spare time, she rides a Harley, tries for the Springsteen pit, and catches the sunrise every morning off the back lanai of her home in Asheville, North Carolina. For Leia, life is a celebration of passionate colors…

Connect with Leia on her blog titled, Daily Celebrations!

Update: Here are the questions asked during the chat. Enjoy, and feel free to answer in the comments… The full transcript and statistics are available at http://bit.ly/sc-tr-0623

Q1. Robert Frost wrote, “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” What does spiritual awakening mean to you? #SpiritChat

Q2. What is the spiritual significance of an awakening? Do we need one? #SpiritChat

Q3. Can Sorrow or Joy lead to a spiritual awakening? Why or why not? v/@mscator #SpiritChat

Q4. What must we let go of, in order for our spirit to gain an awakening? v/@mscator #SpiritChat

Q5. Should an awakening be celebrated or kept private? Why? #SpiritChat

Q6. “My celebration awakenings are manifested in the sunrise.” -@mscator How does nature help you celebrate? v/@mscator #SpiritChat

Q7. What is the role of community in helping us manifest, Celebrate Awakenings? #SpiritChat

Q8. Moving forward, We can awaken our Self by these actions… #SpiritChat

Intention and the Spirit – by Jill Leigh

Tags

goals, intention, intentionality, spirit, spiritchat

We kick off the “Summer Series” for our weekly Sunday morning conversations with our first guest – Jill Leigh. The topic will be “Intention”. Please enjoy this framing post written by Jill Leigh for our discussion. I hope you will join Jill and me for what promises to be a very interesting conversation. Thank you.

What role does intention play in your life? Is it part of your spiritual practice, your way of being?

Intentionality serves as a means of discerning choice and desire. Used to hone focus and to keep the eye on the prize, intention is a key spiritual concept, one that is prescribed throughout religious, metaphysical and alternative healing practices.

Learning to apply intent is a beautiful spiritual practice, assisting the seeker to develop a level of mindfulness about thought, word and deed. Intentions held in conscious awareness inform the mind, body and spirit, and support metabolization of energy for manifest reality.

Intentions are best applied through positive focus, what is wanted, desired or needed, rather than the opposite. And yet sometimes people find themselves focused on intention through what they don’t want, need or desire. ‘I don’t want another relationship like the last one.’ Or ‘I don’t need another car that breaks down like this one does.’

While figuring out what is not wanted, desired or needed can be the initial process for developing an intention, it’s merely the basis for framing an intention.

Taking a moment to articulate what is wanted, desired or needed in positive terms is an important component to manifesting that objective.

The Spiritchat community is fully intentional in inviting you to join us on Sunday, June 9 at 9am ET to discuss this topic and support one another in living our lives through intentional focus.

Bio:

Jill Leigh (aka Chakra Khan) blogs about, teaches and practices chakra-based energy healing strategies with therapeutic, clinical and complimentary healing practitioners. She has studied, taught and practiced energy healing for 22 years, and is the Director of the Energy Healing Institute.

Connect with Jill on her blog: http://energyhealinginstitute.org/blog
Connect with Jill on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChakraKhanJill
Connect with Jill on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillChakraKhan
Connect with Jill on Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/112848980492743873723/posts

Update: Here are the questions asked during the chat. Enjoy, and feel free to answer in the comments… The full transcript and statistics are available at http://bit.ly/sc-tr-0609

Q1. Visualize “intention”. What does it look and feel like to you? #SpiritChat

Q2. How has setting intentions helped you in your life, business, relationships? v/@JillChakraKhan #SpiritChat

Q3. What has happened when you have tried to manifest something without a clear intention? v/@JillChakraKhan #SpiritChat

Q4. What is the difference between intentions and affirmations? v/@JillChakraKhan #SpiritChat

Q5. “It is more important to be of pure intention than of perfect action”. Agree or disagree? Why? #SpiritChat

Q6. What role does intention play in healing? v/@JillChakraKhan #SpiritChat

Q7. Is ‘highest possible good’ enough of an intention? v/@JillChakraKhan #SpiritChat

Q8. How do you use intention in your spiritual practice? v/@JillChakraKhan #SpiritChat

Q9. What intentions are you holding for yourself now? For the future? v/@JillChakraKhan #SpiritChat

The Spirit of Perfection

Tags

perfection, putity, spirit, spiritchat

What is perfection? On the face of it, this question need not be answered at all. We all may have different ideas of what “perfection” consists of. Some of us may consider it to be a “state of flawlessness” while others may think of it as a process by which we may be improving or refining something, to get to that state (of perfection). The word perfection itself comes from the Latin perficere ~ to complete. So, we may consider something or someone to be in a state of perfection when they are complete, or, say, whole.

The state of being complete or whole has significance when viewed from a spiritual perspective. Some believe that we are inherently whole, complete perfect – and our imperfections are simply a matter of perception. The perception of others, and in many cases, our own perception of ourselves, makes it seem that we are imperfect. Once this perception takes root in our mind, we then begin the journey of returning to that state of perfection. For a lot of folks, this takes the name of “self-improvement” or “self-betterment”, as the gears of continuous refinement start to turn…

In some cases, and for some people, the pursuit of perfection can be, or become, a heavy burden. They may have grown up in, or currently may be in environments (at home, school, or their professions) where they have to deal with the “perfectionist” personality. The parent, spouse, teacher, friend, colleague, or boss who may not demand perfection, but expects it from you. How do you deal with the weight of this expectation? Or are you in such a (spiritually advanced) state where you do not feel this weight at all?

Perfection can perhaps be a “kindler, gentler” attribute, if it is viewed as an “ideal” state ~ a state in which our spirit feels that peace which surpasses all understanding. We have all felt that state from time to time, and the memory of that state creates a longing to return to that “perfect” state as often as possible. However, this longing, or desire, can create a tension in our spirit ~ a tension that can make us stronger, as we do the work needed to be in the state of “inner peace” as frequently as possible.

For those of you who have been with our weekly conversations on Sunday mornings for a while, you know that #SpiritChat is far from perfect 🙂 Every week, we gather with the hope and expectation that we will learn something more, something different about ourselves, and that this learning will move us forward on our path. I invite you to join me and the wonderful #SpiritChat community on Sunday June 2nd at 9am ET, as we continue this journey – imperfect as it is…

Until then, be well. Namaste.

Kumud

P.S. I was going to write about what would happen if we were to somehow reach a state of perfection – where no more refinement is needed, or possible. Think entropy. But I will save that thought for one of the questions during the chat…

Practical Spirituality – On Courage and Commitment

Tags

commitment, courage, spirit, spiritchat

The month of May in our weekly #SpiritChat conversations on twitter included the topics of diversity, mothering and harmony. As I look back through the discussions, one word that came up very often in the context of “what holds us back” from expressing ourselves to our full potential is ~ fear. In fact, fear represents a wide range of feelings, emotions and beliefs that can limit us, and our spiritual growth, if we do not practice how to understand and control it.

So, how do we understand and control fear? One possible way is to get familiar with, and practice courage. For courage can be an antidote to fear when invoked at the appropriate time. The #SpiritChat community did have a conversation about courage (May 2012) which examined fundamental questions like “what is courage?” and more. The dimension that we can add to the previous discussion is in the context of “Practical Spirituality” ~ of practicing courage with commitment.

The great philosopher Plato had tried to define courage ~ albeit inconclusively (see notes on the essay titled Laches). While all of us may not agree on the exact definition of courage, perhaps the definition is not as important as the practice of courage. Our definitions my be different, but we all know courage when we see it. The courage of a mother sparrow fighting off predators to protect her newborns. The courage of a friend or family member, who is in chronic pain, waking up every morning, putting a smile on their face and facing the world. The courage of first responders in crisis situations, rescuing lives by putting their own lives in jeopardy. The courage of those who choose to be true to themselves, sing to their own tune, to honor the spirit of diversity and harmony.

I am sure that you can come up with many more examples of commitment and courage in action, in motion. One question that comes to mind in the context of fear and courage: Is courage the only antidote to fear? Are some people just intrinsically more courageous than others? Or have they developed inner strength, and perhaps more courage, with practice? If courage can be developed by (spiritual) practice(s), what are some of these practice(s)? What is the connection between courage, diversity and harmony?

As I do (almost) every week, I invite you to a conversation about courage and commitment, in the context of practical spirituality, on Sunday May 26th at 9am ET with our #SpiritChat community. Tell us about your daily moments and acts of courage, and inspire us to overcome our fears. Thank you.

Kumud

P.S. Some of you may be aware that the final Sunday in May is celebrated as Memorial Day Weekend in the USA. It is a weekend that honors the commitment and sacrifice of all those who have paid the (ultimate) price to protect our freedoms. May we pause and reflect on their courage.

Towards a Spirit of Harmony

Tags

harmony, spirichat, spirit

The idea of harmony is well known in the field of music. It is perhaps best described as “the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect”. According to many experts, harmony is referred to as the “vertical” aspect of music, as opposed to melody, which is the “horizontal” aspect of music.

Let us take this idea of harmony into our everyday lives. The combination of “simultaneously sounded thought processes”, which produce a current of harmonious thought to elevate our thinking, could be considered as harmony. However, if we do not have, or develop the patience, to listen to these diverse thought processes, we may fail to tune into the underlying harmony of the lessons that are being directed our way.

The philosopher, Lao Tzu, has stated the importance of harmony very elegantly:

When we live in complete integrity,
We will be innocent like newborn babies.
We will sing all day without being hoarse,
because we will be in full harmony.

To be in harmony is, is to live in the Great Integrity, the ultimate wisdom.

When harmony reigns, and we rule ourselves with felicity, everyone gains, and we will all live in simplicity.

– Lao Tzu ( Tao Te Ching)

The ideas of integrity, simplicity, innocence and wisdom – all of them seem to emanate from the elevating idea of harmony. So, whether it is listening to a piece of classical music, or paying attention, being fully present to the one who is communicating with us – we can seek and find harmony. My good friend, Wayne Mcevilly reminds me:

an ear need not be “trained” in order to distinguish harmony from its opposing forces – an infant has this capacity –

So, perhaps, we need a return to “infancy”, in order to rediscover harmony? Will we rise to the challenge? Will we find harmony within the discordant notes of our “life noise”? How will our concerted, conscious movement towards harmony uplift our spirit? What are some ways that we can find harmony within diversity?

I invite you to join the #SpiritChat community on Sunday May 19th at at 9amET. Let us share together with our thoughts on twitter, and create a spirit of harmony that will resonate in the great integrity… As always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments. Namaste.

Kumud

Update: Here is the html transcript for our twitter chat. Here are the questions asked during the live chat on Harmony. Thank you, and Enjoy! 🙂

Q1. Visualize #harmony ~ what does it sound and look like to you? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336105456659480576

Q2. What brings you closer to a sense of harmony? What takes you away from it? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336106917506187266

Q3. What is the connection between harmony and diversity? How do we honor it? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336109283445981186

Q4. “Aim at complete harmony of word, thought and deed” – Gandhi. Is this practicable? How? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336111143812730881

Q5. Forgiveness is one key to achieving inner harmony. Agree or disagree? Why? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336113072013975552

Q6. What can younger/older generations teach each other about harmony? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336114175237558272

Q7. How does harmony (or the lack of it) impact our relationships and communities? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336115297260032002

Q8. Let us send out a message… We can create more harmony of Spirit by… #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336116263606702080

Bonus Q9. What action(s) will bring you closer to harmony this week? Reflect and/or share 🙂 #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/336117338808123392

On Mothers and Mothering

Tags

mother, mothering, spirit, spiritchat

The Mother’s Day holiday is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of May in the USA. Last year, our weekly discussion on Mother’s day had discussed “Mothers and Spiritual Caregivers”. I still recall the diverse emotions that flowed during that chat, and how I came to realize that this is a tough holiday for many, many folks.

It is tough for those women who want to be birth mothers, but aren’t. It is tough for those women, who are birth mothers, but for some reason, have not been able to mother those who they gave birth to, in the way that they would have liked to. It is also tough for those (women and men) who did not have the archetypical – warm, kind, loving – mothering influences that some of us may have been blessed enough to enjoy. It is extremely tough for children who may have experienced the loss of a mother, or mothers who may have suffered the loss of a child recently.

And then, there is the category of women who are mothers and daughters – trying to do their best in these two tough roles. There is also the single-mother category (including fathers playing the roles of mothers), which is fast-growing in our world today. Then, there is the category of the foster-mother and the adopting-mother. And the multitudes of folks who are caregivers, and in caregiving roles. Last, but not least, is the role-reversal category – children mothering their parents at different stages in life. I am sure that I am missing some categories here, but you get the idea. Of all these different roles that mothering entails – which one do you most relate to? If you don’t fit in any of these “mother” categories, how do you nurture your “mothering” instinct? Or do you?

I had a brief conversation about the word mother, and its diverse connotations – noun and verb, and the “law of substitutability” – on twitter with my friend @SandyMaxey. It is indeed amazing, how much one can learn very quickly in a few tweets! Sandy reminded me about the toughness that some mothers have to develop, and how difficult it is to “balance fierceness with softness” in mothering. This made me think – at what point does toughness become a liability in our mothering roles? What happens to our spirit when we are in a long-term state of “fierceness” in our mothering?

From a spiritual perspective, we can talk about the concept of the universal “mothering” power. It is the power that manifests in the form of a universal spirit that cares for, nurtures and protects all of us. We can also choose to mirror this universal power at an individual level by putting these three mothering qualities into action. This universal mothering power has no gender – it is freely available to men and women alike, even though it may seem to manifest more strongly in women. I am compelled to share this quote:

The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men – from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

So, what is it that makes those who “mother” us the torch-bearers of spiritual influence? Or is that a gross generalization? What influence (positive or negative) have your mothering influencers had on your spiritual development? With the advances in technology, are the roles of “mothers” in society diminishing?

As has become custom, I invite all of you to join us on Sunday May 12th at our regular time of 9amET in our weekly #SpiritChat discussion on twitter. We will have a conversation on the Spirit of Mothering. The toughest job in the world.

For all of you who are in a mothering role, or those who nurture your mothering spirit, I salute you. The world is a kinder, gentler place for you being here. Thank you.

Kumud

Update: Here is the html transcript and the pdf transcript for our twitter chat. Here are the questions asked during the live chat on Mothers and Mothering. If you weren’t able to make the chat (or even if you did), I welcome your answers in the comments. Thank you 🙂

Ready? Q1. What feelings/emotions does the word “Mother” invoke in you? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333569079547932673

Q2. What characteristic(s) of Mothering best define those who Mother(ed) you? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333570822243495936

Q3. What are some ways that you express your OWN Mothering instincts… #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333572398274187267

Q4. What challenges may prevent the full expression of our own Mothering traits? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333574305713623040

Q5. How do we balance the “protective” and “letting go” instincts in our Mothering? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333575736352989184

Q6. It is easier to receive motherly love than to give of it. Agree or disagree? Why? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333577770665906176

Q7. Visualize an image of the Divine Universal Mother ~ what do you see? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333579217621118978

Q8. Time to send out a Mothering message of Love to the world… Please share. #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/333580597052178432

The Spirit of Diversity

Tags

change, diversity, spirit, spiritchat, unity

Growing up in India, the theme of “Unity in Diversity”, was a common refrain in our social studies and civics text books. For a country with twenty-two states (at the time I was a student), many of them with their own languages (and many more dialects), customs and sub-cultures, interpretations of Hinduism and many other religions, it would seem that theme of “Unity in Diversity” would be indispensable to keep the country together. In fact, I remember writing many essays in middle school and doing many projects celebrating this theme.

When I moved to the United States, this country seemed, on the surface, very “homogeneous” as compared to the widespread cultural diversity that I grew up with. The more years I spent here, the more I realized that diversity has many aspects. It manifests differently in different countries and cultures, and, of course, there is tremendous diversity in the USA – one just has to look a little bit beneath the surface. External diversity can conceal internal homogeneity, and vice-versa.

Yes, it is indeed a herculean task to weave a thread of Unity in the face of external, visible diversity, as it exists in India. Perhaps an even bigger task is to inculcate some aspects of Unity in the heart of diverse people, diverse cultures and perhaps even diverse religions. This revelation was brought home (again) to me in a wonderful conversation that I had with my good twitter friend, @EdwardColozzi on Friday afternoon. Edward has been a wonderful friend of the #SpiritChat community, almost since the inception of the weekly chat. He is a Career-Life counselor, and a big believer in Unity and the concept of “One Spirit”. The topic of “The Spirit of Diversity” is inspired by our conversation about the discovery of “One Spirit” among our diversities.

Some of you may be aware that Science has been hard at work to identify this fundamental commonality – sometimes referred to as the search for the “God particle”. While Science remains hard at work, we can approach this from the Spiritual side. One proclamation of this Unity is made in the Advaita philosophy of the Vedanta ~ which states that there is the One, indivisible, and we all are manifestations of the One. An analogy would be that of the One milk, and the many products (cheese, yogurt, sour cream and so on) that are manifestations of milk… I am sure that you can come up with some analogies of your own too 🙂

Well, I believe I have said enough to frame our “Spirit of Diversity” discussion. A few questions that come to mind are – where does this Diversity among us come from? Why is Diversity necessary at all? And what would happen if all this outward Diversity were to disappear? Why is it important to understand the nature, the spirit of Diversity? And where does Love fit into the equation of Diversity and Unity?

I invite all of you who have read this far to join us on Sunday May 5th at our regular time of 9amET in our weekly #SpiritChat discussion on twitter. Let us celebrate our Diversity as we contemplate the ideal of Unity.

Namaste. Be well.

Kumud

The Spirit Of Easter ~ SpiritChat Pauses

Tags

easter, spirichat, spirit

Last year, around this time of the year, #SpiritChat paused on Sunday April 8th. The occasion was the Easter holiday weekend ~ an occasion for family get-togethers and travel. I invite you to read that post and return here. I had explained the reasons for the pause in our weekly chat, and why I thought it was important for us to focus on the Holiday. Of course, I am reminded that this year, many also celebrate Passover on this weekend. And I am sure there are many other celebrations in many regions and cultures around the world which mark this family weekend.

This year, in 2013, Sunday March 31st also happens to be the fifth Sunday of the month. So, we have already had our fair share of #SpiritChats this month, haven’t we?! If you have missed any of them, please go through the archive and enjoy the questions and transcripts. If you are relatively new to #SpiritChat, make a few new friends ~ if you are a #SpiritChat “veteran”, you know that we love to pause, reflect, recharge, renew and come back with gusto.

And we will do just that. As a matter of fact, Sunday April 7th, I will probably still be traveling back from vacation, and hope to be back on land 🙂 So, I am not sure who will be hosting the chat April 7th, or in what format it will be. Perhaps, folks of the #SpiritChat community will step up and make it happen ~ with or without me asking the questions. To paraphrase my good friend @waynemcevilly ~ “maybe it’s a good opportunity to see what the folks will do in your absence”. Intriguing, isn’t it?! (see update below!)

So, to sum up. We pause March 30th. And as we all pause, let us ask ourselves – Is our spiritual practice commensurate with the change that we seek within? Who will you invite into your heart and home as a sign of renewal? Who will you forgive? Who will you re-connect with? Yes. I couldn’t resist leaving you with a few questions to ponder. For I shall be pondering the same. Pauses help us ponder.

Update: We resume April 7th with the wonderful @EmeliaSam taking charge of #SpiritChat ~ the topic will be “Spontaneity”. Emelia has been a part of the #SpiritChat community almost since its inception. All of you will have a wonderful time with her! Her twitter bio reads: “Author.Educator.Doctor.Speaker.Change Agent. You deserve a life that you love. I’ll help you build one. #360SOUL” Thank you, Emelia, for agreeing to step up to host the chat at short notice. Very grateful!

Thank you for reading. I wish you all great spiritual renewal over the next two weeks. Be well.

Kumud

A Spirit of Renaissance

Tags

renaissance, renewal, spirichat, spirit

We have been talking about spring, a change in season, a renewal in nature and all the manifestations that come with it in the external (and internal) world as a result. We talked about letting go, making space for the sacred, moving towards spiritual success, and nurturing wellness through radical self-care over the past few weeks in #SpiritChat.

After last week’s chat, I received a couple of tweets that made me realize that the impact we have as a community goes far beyond we realize, or we can imagine. I have often said that “every tweet matters” and that “every tweet has an opportunity to influence someone positively”, even if only momentarily. We can nurture wellness in all that we do if we change this to “every thought matters” and “every thought has an opportunity to influence someone positively”. For our thoughts becomes our words, which when spoken with positive force, become our actions and our habits.

However, it takes a certain amount of change for us to adapt a thought process that is dominantly positive. In last week’s discussion, our guest host @JanetNestor shared a startling statistic ~ that 70% of our thoughts are negative, which leaves 30% for the positive. Even if this statistic does not apply to all of us, and even if it the numbers are closer to 50/50 for negative/positive thoughts, we still have a ways to go. So, what is this amount of change that will get us to shift to the positive, and stay there?

Borrowing from chemistry, the principle of activation energy comes to mind. Two chemicals will not react with each other unless a certain minimum amount of energy is supplied. A similar principle in physics is that of quantum change – once an atom is provided enough energy, it will “jump” from one state to another. I posit that our thoughts, positive and/or negative are like that too. They need enough activation energy to make a quantum jump from one state to another – hopefully from the negative to the positive.

I am convinced that this is the Renaissance that some of us are looking for. This activation energy, so we can make the jump. Where does this activation energy come from? One source of it is community – offline and online. When the offline world is not meeting our needs, we turn to online – and the opposite is true too. The other sources of energy are nature, art, music, books and meditation. Many masters have defined meditation as the simple act of sitting, observing our thoughts, like clouds moving across a blue sky. This act of slowing down is not a waste of time. It is critical to us tapping into the deep well-spring of energy that resides within us.

Yes, we need to take small steps, do small things with love, on a regular, daily basis. But occasionally, a renaissance in our spiritual lives can move us to a state which opens our heart to higher insights. As Leonardo da Vinci said:

There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

So, what we need at certain times in our lives is a renaissance of spirit, fed by activation energy, to make a quantum jump forward in our spiritual path. I invite you to come and explore this idea of renaissance ~ of revival, renewal, resurrection, reawakening, reemergence, rebirth, reappearance, resurgence, regeneration ~ with the #SpiritChat community on twitter. Sunday, March 24th at 9amEDT/1pm UK/6:30pm India.

I wish all of you great insights, and better vision. Namaste.

Kumud

Update: Transcripts for the live chat ~ A Spirit of Renaissance ~ bit.ly/sc-tr-032413 (full) and bit.ly/sc-tr-0324-qa (QnA only) ~ share and enjoy – Thank you!

Questions asked during the chat are listed below. I invite you to answer in the comments ~ note that you can share your answers in the comments in your twitter feed. Or you can click on the link at the end of each question to answer it and engage with the community. Do try it 🙂

Ready? Q1. Spirit of Renaissance. What does that phrase mean to you today? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315811988326461442

Q2. What are some activities that fuel your personal “Spirit of Renaissance”? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315813649090502656

Q3. Other than fear, what else prevents us from moving towards renaissance? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315814807007813634

Q4. Engaging in positive thinking is enough for a spiritual renaissance. Agree/disagree? Why? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315816619370745856

Q5. One meaning of renaissance is re-birth. What has to “die” within us, for re-birth to occur? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315818358589255681

Q6. Once a renaissance has begun within us, how do we sustain it over time? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315820171581341696

Q7. Renaissance is re-awakening. How do communities play a role in our re-awakening? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315821565117865984

Q8. Some personal best practices to effect a renaissance for us, our communities, are… #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315822890241097728

Bonus Q9. Who (person/project) is a role model of Renaissance spirit for you? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/315823824442650627

Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care

Tags

healing, self-care, spirichat, spirit, wellness

Janet Nestor (Special Guest Editor)

Every person alive is interested in the concepts of health and healing. Health determines
the quality of our lives. The word “healing,” the way we usually think of it (but not the
way we use it) indicates a positive change taking place within our mind, body, emotions,
and spirit—or within our family system. But, if we are not careful, the word “healing” can
take on negative implications. I am asking you to raise your level of awareness.

Most of us feel we have to heal our emotional and physical wounds in order to achieve
robust health. We feel that we have to draw upon outside resources in order to accomplish
overall well-being. If we are sick or injured we are interested in our speed of healing,
wanting to heal as quickly as possible. If we are anxious or depressed, we want those
feelings to disappear. When asked how we feel about our illness or injury, we reply almost
unconsciously using negative concepts that are deeply ingrained within our hearts and
minds. Often our replies sound similar to these:

• “I’m healing. I’ve been impatient, but I am gradually getting better.”
• “I never thought I’d still be healing from this illness after all these months. I’m
  ready to go back to work, but I’m not quite up to it.”
• “I’ve had better days. I’m tired all the time, and I nap a lot.”
• “Why did I have to get so sick? I’m tired of being in the house all the time and
  tired of being a burden to my family.”

Each time we think or speak the word “healing” in this way, we indicate that we are
somehow broken or impaired by events such as surgery, the flu, a car accident, an early life
trauma, a fight with a family member, or the loss of a loved one. Think about the innocent
words you and I might have spoken, completely unaware of their implications. Within
the same sentence we’ve used the word “healing” in association with words like illness,
suffering, and death to create what I refer to as a negative pairing. A negative pairing occurs
when the word “healing” is placed with words related to a weakened state of being, disease,
and suffering. Words like “illness” and “disease” are lower frequency words and perceived
as negative, therefore carrying a negative emotional–physical impact. When we habitually
pair a high-frequency, positive impact word like “healing” with low-frequency negative
impact words, we inhibit our mental–physical–spiritual ability to heal.

Negative phrases such as, “This illness has been exhausting” reinforce the fact that your
illness has lasted a long time and you’ve had to fight your way through it. “I am finally
healing” might be said to mean, “I was so sick I thought I was going to die.” Our carelessly
spoken words actually reinforce our suffering and support our current perception of
suffering. They remind us of our emotional–physical struggle with illness, feeding our
mind and body negative messages about the ability to heal. Each time you innocently
say words similar to those above, you may be slowing your recovery in any current and
all subsequent illnesses by declaring, “I’m a slow healer” and “illness threatens me.” The
more positive we are, the more we pair positive words and concepts together, the healthier we become.

Healing is not about recovery from illness, surgery, or divorce. It is about our virtues, or the
positive aspects of self: acceptance, wellness, joy, kindness, love, tenacity, vigor, tenderness,
and compassion. When we embrace our virtues and incorporate their energy into our
perception of life, we uncover our capacity for wholeness and wellness. Discovering and
embracing our inner light, our potential, is the true spirit of healing. It is the realization
of this empowered healing spirit, this limitless potential that I want to share with you.

Healing is achieved through: Turning on the light of your soul and allowing it to shine. Living from your heart center and within the awareness of your own light. Living within high frequency virtues that support and sustain a positive, robust life. Trusting in the process of life and trusting your own wisdom. Filling your mind with positive thoughts. ~ Janet Nestor

Here are some examples of how you might put your new definition and philosophy of
healing into use. Rather than say “I am finally healing from the flu,” it is much better to say
“My body is strong and getting stronger every day.” Instead of saying “The worst is behind
me now, and I continue to heal from my injury,” it is more positive to say “My body is a
miracle and very good at its job.” By changing the way you express yourself, you begin to
use positive words to define your healing and recovery. You’ll learn to do this as you use
this program to unleash your internal power and your inner peacefulness.

Food for Thought

• When I am sick or injured, I am able to be positive and nurturing with myself.
• Health, Healing, and Wholeness are spiritual concepts.
• I understand that my body is constantly repairing, healing, and balancing even when I am feeling happy and well.
• My mind-body-spirit system is “intelligent” and I can communicate with each system whenever I choose.
• My body believes every word I say and think and tries to follow my directions.
• What personal virtues, or positive attributes, do I want to incorporate more fully into my life?

Janet Nestor

I am very excited that Janet Nestor has contributed this week’s post for our weekly #SpiritChat. Janet is a published author of two books on wellness and healing. Janet “works with clients concentrating on personal empowerment and positive living via various Energy Psychology techniques, Mindful Lifestyle Training, Soul Detective work, energy healing and cognitive and insight oriented discussions”.

Janet and I invite you to join our discussion of “Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care”. Please join us and the #SpiritChat community on Sunday, March 17th at 9am ET/1pm GMT on twitter. I also welcome you to leave a comment for Janet below in response to her post, or to ask any questions. Thank you. – Kumud

Connect with Janet on her blog: www.mindfulpathways.com
Connect with Janet on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Pathwaystowholeness
Connect with Janet on twitter: www.twitter.com/JanetNestor

Update: Transcripts for the live chat ~ Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care ~ bit.ly/sc-tr-031713 (full) and bit.ly/sc-tr-0317-qa (QnA only) ~ share and enjoy – Thank you!

Questions asked during the chat are listed below. I invite you to answer in the comments ~ note that you can share your answers in the comments in your twitter feed. Or you can click on the link at the end of each question to answer it and engage with the community. Do try it 🙂

Ready? Q1. What image(s) or feeling(s) does “wellness” evoke for you? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313274998133510144

Q2. What area(s) of your Life feel like they need nurturing right now? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313276466701930496

Q3. If we know that self-care is important to wellness, why don’t we practice more of it? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313278475614175232

Q4. What is the connection between affirmations and healing ourselves? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313280317807017984

Q5. Negative thoughts often invade our mind. How do we minimize their impact on our wellness? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313281768675483649

Q6. How can mindfulness create a better self-care practice for us? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313283261038227456

Q7. In what practical ways can we raise our energy levels, nurture wellness? #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313284922943082496

Q8. I will nurture wellness, radical self-care by – share three actions… #SpiritChat
http://twitter.com/AjmaniK/status/313286646927876096