Tag Archives: mindful

Revisiting: Walking Your Sacred Path

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We are born into our present incarnations to follow our sacred path moving ever closer to “Enlightenment.” Along the way we are challenged by interactions and experiences which are there to teach us lessons we require to move further along our path. Each of us is unique and must walk our sacred pilgrimage in our own way. Know you are NOT alone. You are a part of the Divine Spirit but your distinct path will guide you to special learnings designed to assist you and to share with other pilgrims you encounter. As we are “one,” we are here to take the hands of the fellow travelers to aid them in their distinctive sacred path.

When we feel lonely, we are caught in a trap of separation which our mind and our egos create. At times like these, we can attempt to remember that our role is to support other seekers and reach out to share our story. The perspective that you offer as you share your success or failure (and failure does not really exist) offers your witness a chance to learn from your travails. You are a Master. No one else can be who you are and perfect in your own way. Share your story AND be available to witness the telling of your communication partner’s story. You give a great gift by allowing them to give to you in sharing their wisdom…

If you can remain “present” and “mindful” with each step you take on your sacred journey, you will reach your most important learnings most quickly. This is easier said than done but avoiding the traps of dwelling in the past or feeling the fear and anxiety surrounding the unknown future, you will live and learn most gracefully. Detachment and less judgement will add to your mastery. Again, this important lesson is easier said than done…

A wise mentor has encouraged me to walk my sacred path from my heart and avoid the limitations created by my mind. For me, this means that I listen to my intuition and allow my guides to assist me to make course corrections along my sacred path. Guidance has been most helpful and supportive for me. I have learned to acknowledge and trust that small voice which I “know” creates the messages I feel in my soul/heart. Along the way, I must let go of the “toxic memories” from painful past experiences so I can move forward into new adventures. So, hear the “truth” with your heart not the altered thoughts and judgements from your mind! (You are NOT a victim. At some level you have been part of the “plan” which includes those difficult experiences, which we learn most from.)

Where ever possible, “be the voice of forgiveness.” Learn to say, “I forgive you AND I love YOU!” The world needs so much more of this consciousness and this will expedite your travels along your sacred path. You are a Blessing!

Walking Your Sacred Path

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We are born into our present incarnations to follow our sacred path moving ever closer to “Enlightenment.” Along the way we are challenged by interactions and experiences which are there to teach us lessons we require to move further along our path. Each of us is unique and must walk our sacred pilgrimage in our own way. Know you are NOT alone. You are a part of the Divine Spirit but your distinct path will guide you to special learnings designed to assist you and to share with other pilgrims you encounter. As we are “one,” we are here to take the hands of the fellow travelers to aid them in their distinctive sacred path.

When we feel lonely, we are caught in a trap of separation which our mind and our egos create. At times like these, we can attempt to remember that our role is to support other seekers and reach out to share our story. The perspective that you offer as you share your success or failure (and failure does not really exist) offers your witness a chance to learn from your travails. You are a Master. No one else can be who you are and perfect in your own way. Share your story AND be available to witness the telling of your communication partner’s story. You give a great gift by allowing them to give to you in sharing their wisdom…

If you can remain “present” and “mindful” with each step you take on your sacred journey, you will reach your most important learnings most quickly. This is easier said than done but avoiding the traps of dwelling in the past or feeling the fear and anxiety surrounding the unknown future, you will live and learn most gracefully. Detachment and less judgement will add to your mastery. Again, this important lesson is easier said than done…

A wise mentor has encouraged me to walk my sacred path from my heart and avoid the limitations created by my mind. For me, this means that I listen to my intuition and allow my guides to assist me to make course corrections along my sacred path. Guidance has been most helpful and supportive for me. I have learned to acknowledge and trust that small voice which I “know” creates the messages I feel in my soul/heart. Along the way, I must let go of the “toxic memories” from painful past experiences so I can move forward into new adventures. So, hear the “truth” with your heart not the altered thoughts and judgements from your mind! (You are NOT a victim. At some level you have been part of the “plan” which includes those difficult experiences, which we learn most from.)

Where ever possible, “be the voice of forgiveness.” Learn to say, “I forgive you AND I love YOU!” The world needs so much more of this consciousness and this will expedite your travels along your sacred path. You are a Blessing!

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Pleas

Basic Mindfulness Part 2: Living in a Mindful Way

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Being Mindful has been a question for me. After my three day Mindfulness retreat, I am more Mindful about the things I have not been mindful about. What the heck does that mean…??? Well, read a bit further.

I learned at the retreat what I think I already knew but had not learned how this feels or how to incorporate being more mindful into my habit driven lifestyle. No surprise, the key to being more mindful is to be aware and “present” by paying attention to your breath. Again no surprise, I learned that being more mindful works better when I focus on only one thing at a time. For example, drive focused without other distractions. (More examples to follow.) This focusing on one thing at a time is kind of challenging in our 24/7, multi-tasking world, but it certainly makes sense.

We practiced slower walking and breathing, awareness and appreciation of nature, and more meditations. The first two key ingredients to being more mindful (with 10 listed) where 1. to be aware of myself and my environment and 2. was to view each activity in your day with “Beginners Mind” and the feeling of wonderment. I liked these first two a lot. In fact, I really enjoyed all 10 ingredients in the book we used as a text but found number 6 a bit more challenging for me to fully appreciate and understand, let alone to practice. Number 6 was to live in “Equanimity.” I can barely spell Equanimity let alone know how to practice it. After consultation with my retreat group, its leader Chau Yoder (who is amazing) and my special Guru spiritual consultant, Paula Forget, I believe I am much closer to knowing what this is all about.

Equanimity is a very important, but a challenging (for me,) part of the Mindfulness life. This term refers to being able to look at and appreciate experiences in your life without getting caught in the “drama” of the experience. Paula Forget suggested that I look at each experience from the higher perspective of a “spiritual being” caught in a mortal body. As I look from a higher perspective, I may not “judge” the event, individual or experience but just see, perhaps feel it, as a neutral activity that can be curious and interesting. When I am successful, I may even feel empathy and appreciation for the circumstances which have lead to this experience and more fully understand my “lesson” or “challenge” from my participation. Even if this lesson is painful, which as a human I will feel, I can still feel appreciation for what I can learn from this challenge on my pilgrimage through life. This detachment does NOT mean you do not care or feel the physical or emotional pain. It means that you are not locked up without finding the higher perspective regarding how to celebrate (?) this difficult challenge.

One more example and an exercise you can attempt… Hold a tangerine. Look at it fully. Appreciate the work of people who delivered this fruit to you and the forces of nature which allowed this fruit to grow. Feel the tangerine. Scratch the peel and smell the tangerine. Slowly and carefully peel the tangerine, perhaps keeping the peel in one piece. Pull the first section out slowly and place this in your mouth. Breathe! Feel the tangerine section in your mouth. Move it around with your tongue. Press it against your teeth or slowly take a bite. Breathe! Taste the sweetness. Appreciate the sun and forces which developed the sugar of this fruit. Slowly swallow the first section and then slowly repeat this for as much of this tangerine as you wish. If you were not distracted and were focused upon this exercise, attempt this at your next meal… Try to not speak for 10 minutes while you eat… Be mindful. Breathe slowly. Appreciate.

Full List of 10 Qualities of Mindfulness are:
These are Pages 18-20 of Laurie Cameron’s book: “The Mindful Day, Practical Ways to Find Focus, Calm and Joy From Morning to Evening.”

1. Awareness
2. Beginners Mind
3. Acceptance
4. Insight
5. Impermanence (Life is temporary and so are all the challenges…)
6. Equanimity
7. Interconnection
8. Compassion
9. Gratitude
10. Joy

Special thanks to Chau Yoder for these helpful acronyms:

Consider C.A.R.E. when dealing with life’s experiences
C. Compassion
A. Appreciation
R. Respect
E. Equanimity

To Assist you with this, try P.B.S.
P. Pause
B. Breathe
S. Smile

One more tip for dealing with a situation which “Triggers” you. R.A.I.N.
R. Recognize
A. Allow
I. Investigate with Kindness
N. Nurture (Yourself and the Appreciation of this Challenge)

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Mindfulness. What Does this Mean?

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Pre- Mindfulness. Early next month, I am signed up to join a “Mindfulness” retreat. There is no way I can pretend to know what Mindfulness is or where this experience will lead me. Is this a modern “fad” or strange cult coming to us from Eastern Philosophy? So, I looked it up…

Definition of mindfulness in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

1 : the quality or state of being mindful
2 : the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis; also : such a state of awareness

I love this definition, BUT, I clearly do not know what these strung together words really mean AND how can I possibly use this in my daily life???
“the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis” Sounds great… Very much a Buddhist philosophy, perhaps? The term, “Mindfulness” is used by many people who practice Yoga and Meditation. It is also bandied about by New-Age Mystics as if to join their club you better know the jargon (or we will look down on you and your lower level of consciousness…)

My problem, or at least, my challenge, is to “maintain a nonjudgemental state of heightened or “complete” awareness” (of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis…) How do you BE non-judgmental in a world where our language and our culture can not define anything without making comparisons (which are judgements) to define or describe an activity or thing??? Even more challenging is HOW DO YOU STAY IN THE MOMENT, when our definition of “time” makes us compare the past with the present with awareness that there will be a future??? And, what does “complete” mean in this context?

Well obviously, I have a lot to learn, or to know, or to be aware of in the moment.

I have been “Judgmental” my whole life. I was raised that way. I am good at being judgmental AND you/I like to do what you/I are/am good at! This does not make being judgmental right, as in correct (which is a judgment,) but it is my habit. A difficult example: Is the bark on a tree “Brown” or is that just a judgment??? Is that a Fact or is it just an opinion based on a judgement? Boy, I am confused and in big need of a three day mindfulness retreat.

No matter how confused you can be, YOU are still perfect! (Judgement???) The Universe can not exist without: you, your soul, and the “role” you are playing! Since we are all “one,” I am you and you are me AND YOU are a Blessing!

More on my Mindfulness challenge after I “survive” my retreat. Love me and wish me luck. No matter what, every time we raise our consciousness through our life experience, we raise ALL consciousness. And, that is a good thing! (Judgement!!!)

Though I struggle with being present and non-judgmental, I like to believe that I am striving to learn how to live more fully in this state of consciousness. My struggle is not unique. My solution, if I can find one, will be unique to me and a most worthy experience of wisdom to share… Grow and be as fully present and conscious as you can be!

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog