Living Our Spirituality in a New World

Our spiritual beliefs are personal and individualistic. They may derive from a formal religion, an eclectic combination of beliefs and deities as mine does, (Christian, Tibetan Buddhist, Hindu), a philosophy that involves communion with nature, (surveys about low Church attendance in Cascadia reflect the way nature feeds us), or any other views that uplift and heal us.

My personal spirituality, a combination of early Christian training, Tibetan Buddhist teachings, Hindu deities, metaphysical  symbology and daily walks in nature, help me to be present and in the moment and support me as I go through my days, helping me stay grounded and in touch with myself and with spirit.

I have no problem with the word prayer, thinking of it as “asking”. I call on a variety of beings to support and guide me; angels, spirit guides and recognized religious icons, known as Ascended Masters in metaphysics. Lakshmi is my favourite and a powerful influence for me.

Although you’ll hear Indians say “Money, money” when her name is mentioned, she’s so much more than that. Lakshmi is about the heart and basically she just wants us to be happy. Once, lying on Dr. Wang’s acupuncture table with needles in my heart area, the thought form “Lakshmi” popped into my mind. Immediately I sensed her presence in front of me, then inside my heart area, filling me with love. The experience lasted only a second, but the impact was profound.

Outside the hotel where we stay in Paharganj, Delhi, sits a large, beautiful statue of Ganesh, the Elephant God. He can help us in many ways and one of them is to assist writers. I have a small, white porcelain likeness of him on my desk to this end.

Having grown up in a Christian Church and from past lives involving Christianity, I have a  strong affinity to Jesus, who also is love. Several years ago I purchased an eighteen inch statue of Mother Mary in a local nursery; she has a place of honour in the bedroom. Mary is a very powerful figure for aiding and supporting women, whether or not we are Catholic.

In a world that often feels different from day to day, whatever feeds us spiritually will be of great benefit in dealing with the practicalities of a tightening economic world and the subtle energetic changes both outward and inward. Our unique activities will help us find balance and a place of peace, of comfort.

I leave you with this image, offered to us during Judith Onley’s 11/11/11 channelling from US (United Souls of Heaven & Earth). It’s a beautiful idea and I think you will find it uplifting:

Imagine that we are all standing in a circle of holding hands at all times. Feel the connection with the others in your circle. Do this as often as you like, from the moment you awaken until you retire for your night dreaming, if you so desire.

Tashi Delek  

Ellen

Spiritual connection, it’s not optional now

A couple of weeks ago I was telling my chiropractor and friend that I’ve realized it’s no longer an option whether to be connected with my spirit or not. Over the past few months, in the changing time since my Mom passed on it’s become mandatory, I’ve found, to go into that place, my centre, deeply in, and to connect with that calm, peaceful place. Then I feel more joyful.

This realization unfolded slowly, over a few weeks, when I noticed that when I’m in touch with my spirit I’m not only content, but have the energy to do pretty much whatever I choose to do. For example, I had endless energy to clean and prepare the house for the small, cozy Celebration of Life we held for Mom a few weeks after her death and to host the event. That was my first clue.

Having realized this and articulated it to someone outside myself, I must say I don’t always do it. Some of the time I pause and use one of my many ways to go to that place, but at other times, when push comes to shove, I move away from my centre. If there’s too much going on around me, to much activity, to busy a schedule, my good intentions sometimes fall by the way.

But that’s okay, because all I, or any of us can do, is do something differently, as soon as we realize we’ve gone “away from base” so to speak. It could be anything that takes us out of our minds and our daily routines – for me my first line of defence is to get outside, preferably to walk beside the water, but anywhere outside that has a tree will do.

As often as I can, I give some attention to my morning meditation – a proper intent instead of a cursory, “must do” shallow attempt that at times passes for meditation. Some evenings I add a brief evening sitting too, just 5 to 10 minutes. It all pays off – my day always goes better when I meditate, even if the time has been filled with thoughts. Occasionally I’m visited by visions, like the recent one that showed me panoramic low hills and a parting of the waters. I wondered if it represented the two  worlds – the spirit world and the physical one here on this planet, and suggested that they are merging.

Whatever works for you is good, try different things. As far as meditation goes, training helps definitely, but it’s not mandatory.

When all is said and done, the pressures of the daily world shrink in significance, like in the old saying that a person who is dying never says they wished they’d worked more. As we move into a new way of living, we begin to step outside ourselves, and become an observer, able to separate ourselves from our “baggage”, our unfinished business, whatever words you prefer to put on it. When we let go of our baggage, we let go of control, and step into a place of not knowing, a place of possibilities. Uncomfortable at first perhaps, but most worth it.

Tashi Delek  

Ellen

What’s Going On?

For some time it’s been a surprise to me that more people aren’t talking about the massive energetic changes taking place around us on our planet, in our own backyards and within ourselves.

At least a year and a half ago, perhaps two, Martha Beck told us during a quarterly call, that several television and radio interviewers had spoken to her “off the record” after the interview, saying “Something’s going on, something’s changing. What’s happening?” They wouldn’t or couldn’t discuss this explicitly, or perhaps at all, on the air, but they were acutely aware that there was a changing atmosphere in their daily interactions.

Personally, it’s not unusual for me to feel, in some ways, like a different person from week to week, sometimes even from one day to the next! My moods are different, my thoughts and awarenesses, my taste in books is shifting, and the energy in the neighbourhood feels even more tranquil some weeks than others.

Information from the Mayan calendar validates what I and many of us have been sensing. According to a Mayan chart, early this year we reached a level of awareness, (level 9), wherein our consciousness changes every 18 days!!. Previously we shifted about once a year, this is an enormous difference.

Why aren’t we talking about it more…to our friends, families and neighbours? When I do have conversations with others they often say that they feel very different, perhaps that they don’t feel right,  they’re off balance, sometimes they’re experiencing physical symptoms.

We operate, for the most part, in a linear, left-brain society, so it’s not acceptable in the mainstream to speak of these “woo-woo” things. But I’m beginning to think that the biggest barrier to conversations is that we do not have the language to describe what is happening to us on a personal level energetically.

But not sharing results in feelings of isolation, even thoughts that we might be crazy. When we feel we’re the only one experiencing anything, whether it be a family crisis, trauma, addiction, sexual abuse, or other issues, we tend to feel alone. Most of us need the validation of knowing that others are experiencing something similar.

So let’s begin to speak out about the elephant in the living room – in whatever words come to mind – to those we feel comfortable with – I think we’ll discover that we have many shared experiences.

Please share with us your experiences if you feel moved to do so, through the comment box.

Tashi Delek  

Ellen

Spirit and Nature

Today, as is often the case, my daily walk took me along the route by the Gibsons harbour. I travelled as far as I could before the pathway ended and the beach began, then walked out on the new wharf at Grantham’s Landing, the one rebuilt by the residents last summer. It was a great feeling, standing with feet braced on the floating dock, gazing at the North Shore Mountains in the distance. The mountains were so clear it almost felt like I was being pulled towards them. The experience felt similar to ones I frequently had living and working in McLeod Ganj, India two years ago, when we lived in a monastery and tutored Tibetan English students. In that place I was closer to spirit than ever before in my life, and this morning I felt a hint of that connection once again.

An old bible teaching from my childhood slowly unfolded in my head: “I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth”. That’s as far as my memory took me, perhaps because I got stuck on the word “Lord”. Although brought up as a Christian through my formative years, my spiritual beliefs are very eclectic.

I began thinking about the formal Christian religious teachings still taking place in the world, even the progressive adaptations in the little Church near our home, and realized anew why this structured, simplified form of spirituality, one that assigns names to something too ephemeral for words, does not fill my needs.

I still gain something from my occasional appearances at Church, but am fed more from  nature, from Buddhist teachings, and most of all from being in places of spirit such as McLeod Ganj, India.

This blog is meant to be a forum for, an account, if you will, of the internal changes many of us are currently experiencing, as our world takes on new perspectives and raises its consciousness.

My new book project will chronicle spiritual journeys of myself and other women, as we and our planet shift into what many call the 5th Dimension, a place of intensified beauty and peacefulness.

I invite you to share your comments on any of my blog posts and to send me your personal stories if you feel moved to.

Tashi Delek  

Ellen