Good Vibrations

In many ways it seems that we are still resting in the lull after the storm of 2012, for there is a stillness and a ‘quiet’ within, and without; the air feels fresh and clear, and there is a sense of peace that is hard to deny. Yet, on closer exploration, it seems that within the quiet, a great deal of activity is occurring, for nothing ever remains the same for long. As a result, there is an underlying exuberance and buoyancy that is gently dancing on the waves that continue to lap the shorelines of our souls. It is hard to put into words, but this exuberance is both tangible and palpable.

For some, the thought of continuing shift and change is exhausting, but for many there is a growing sense of acceptance that change is inevitable, for nothing is truly permanent. It is this acceptance that leads the way now for it is a sign of awakening and being fully conscious and present in the current moment. Accepting change and becoming One with the flow are not new concepts, but their application to our lives has shifted away from each of us trying to seek these out to simply allowing them to be. In other words, rather than trying to attain a state of awakened consciousness, we are it already in the present moment.

Such a shift takes courage and strength for it inevitably means stepping beyond the chatter of the mind and finding the joy in the grace and the peace within. The mind shapes and rules our lives in many ways, for our thoughts do shape our lives. Yet, beyond the mind we are no longer conditioned by the past or lost in the future, we become much more conscious of the present moment and this is where our true power, strength and vision lies. 

Many struggle with this concept for it is hard to remain centred on the present with external forces (responsibilities, work, love, life etc) all knocking at the door. However, all of these are outside of ourselves; they make our lives easier (and often more stressful), but they cannot bring us what we truly seek: Wholeness. Wholeness has to come from within for it is the ability to be awake and fully in the present moment that defines Wholeness. 

Yet, many get lost in attaining Wholeness for it is often a case of placing conditions on Wholeness (once I get that job, once I meet Mr/Ms Right, one I lose weight...), and this means that Wholeness becomes something in the future rather than something in the present. Beyond the chattering mind and beyond the storylines that shape our lives, we are already Whole; there is nothing to chase or attain, for we are it already. This doesn’t mean that in Wholeness we no longer have dreams or goals, they simply change shape, for they no longer define our lives, they enhance instead. 

So many become fixated by the need to tick off things to do, people to see and places to go before they can even contemplate that they are Whole, but this misses the point, for there is nothing external that can create Wholeness. When we seek these externally we become even more entrenched in the maze of the mind, for everything in life is conditional on our external achievements. This way, we can find ourselves chasing Wholeness forever, for we will always feel a sense of lack; this is akin to trying to chase the horizon, however hard we try, we never actually get to the horizon, for it is always out of reach. 

However, when we realise that the horizon is already within us and there is nothing left to chase, everything changes for we shift our focus away from the future towards the present moment, and this is where wisdom truly resides. 

As the exuberant and buoyant energy continues to dance on the waves within, there is a sense that the journey of awakening has changed, for we are now beyond the chatter in so many ways; we are in the space between the space, and we can feel the joy in those moments where we are not looking back or looking forward, but where we are conscious in this very moment. As a result, we can feel the power within rising up and the vibrations of intent and consciousness expanding as we feel the true joy and grace of being Whole...

A New Kind of Wonderful

As another New Year gets into full swing there is a growing sense of ‘earthing’ as each of us finds peace and stillness in the spaces within. After so much shift, transition and metamorphosis it comes as some relief to sense a tranquillity rising up from within that brings with it vision, wisdom and a powerful sense of knowing. Although many are still standing at the crossroads pondering which way to turn (if at all), many others are now contemplating the best way to embrace life in order to live the best life possible. The year ahead feels exciting, vibrant and full of life, and even though the path is uncertain on many levels, intuitively it still feels ‘right’.

Of course, embracing life and striving to live the best life possible has always been the aim, but with so much uncertainty, confusion and discombobulation it has been hard to see the wood for the trees. As a result, the ‘bigger picture’ shifted slightly out of focus as the day-to-day challenges kept us locked in keeping on keeping on. 

Yet, despite the challenges and the up’s and down’s, the awareness of the tranquillity within has enabled many of us to ‘keep the faith’ and to continue moving onwards and upwards. This determinedness came from a realisation that in order to move beyond the confusion and doubt we needed to move through it rather than away from it; not to wallow in it or become consumed by it, but to face our Truth and set our Selves free. Awakening is not simply about opening up to the new waves of consciousness and spirituality, but it is about living, being and standing in Truth and allowing this to shape and define our paths, our lives and our Selves. 

In many ways, it has been the presence of struggle and challenge that has enabled a great many of us to face our fears and our pain in order to find our strength, for it is often pain and struggle that sees us seeking out wisdom, meaning and understanding. When life gets tough we turn to spirituality for the answers: we pray, we affirm and we gaze longingly into the depths of the Universe in order to find resolution. Of course, those ‘answers’ don’t come from external sources, they come from within, and it is only when we really accept this that we shift from feeling lost in the struggle to feeling centred within. Whilst this doesn’t change the reality, it does change how we perceive it and deal with it, and this seems to be at the heart of things now, for self-knowledge is power and the more we go within, the more aligned and centred we become. 

The consciousness of living in the moment and embracing the ‘now’ is not just about being aware of the multi-layered, multi-dimensional aspects of the Universe and our roles within that spectacular panorama, it is about being awake in the moment and being fully aware of our Selves and our choices. We can choose to drift through life never really gazing at the scenery or connecting with whatever makes our hearts sing and our soul’s soar, but many of us have now crossed that particular threshold as such an existence feels even more hollow now. 

Yet, many will continue to walk such avenues in life, and that is their choice, but for those of us who have lifted our heads above the parapet, there is a sense of feeling more aware and awake than ever before. This feels exciting and a little scary, for everything now seems to be in sharper focus as we move through the ‘struggle’ in order to step beyond the boundaries of fear and doubt in order to live as brilliantly and as magnificently as possible. 

Healing the Self has been an important mantra over recent years; for it has shaped and defined the path of awakening on so many levels. Letting go of pain and trauma, and realigning mind, body and soul have led many of us down healing pathways. Whilst such healing is unlikely to stop, it seems important now to shift the focus away from analysis and exploration towards acceptance and a willingness to embrace All that we already Are. 

When we change the dynamic away from trying to fix and find Wholeness, to accepting and acknowledging our Wholeness in the present moment, everything changes, for we shift from chasing and seeking out answers and resolution, to standing strong as we are now. Our feet re-centre firmly on the ground as we pull back in all aspects of our Self in order to live life in the present moment; it is time to be awake and to let the joy of this radiate brightly from every cell of our Being and to feel the life rising up from within as we choose to live life and to be fully alive. 

So many of us have spent so long hovering on the periphery of life; not quite fitting in and always feeling ‘different’, and whilst this has been hard at times, there is a sense that it is this ‘differentness’ that matters most now, for this is the source of our gifts, our inspiration and our strength. The pain and the struggles that we have each experienced have ultimately led us to this present moment; the pain has given our lives context and strength, and our willingness to lean into this pain has allowed us to go beyond to a place of magical beauty and tranquillity. 

We are now moving beyond the conditional boundaries that have shaped and defined our lives towards experiencing a true connection with the unconditional, boundary-less, Whole that is both wonderful and amazing...

More Than A Feeling

As we step into a brand New Year, the air of excitement is both tangible and palpable as we open up to living more consciously and more vibrantly. The New Year is traditionally a time to set new resolutions for the path ahead, and this year, such resolutions feel even more significant than usual for the energy and dynamics of the power of intent has shifted exponentially. Of course, many resolutions are broken and forgotten before January has ended for they belong on the ‘should, must and to-do list of life’ and it is hard to put mind, body and soul into something that feels like a chore. Yet, we find it hard to resist the drive to chase being better, for that is a part of being human. 

Many of our goals and affirmations involve things to achieve and targets to meet and whilst these can bring us a sense of achievement, perhaps the most important affirmation that is so often overlooked is simply a desire to ‘be happy’ or to ‘live joyfully’. Such states of being are not quantifiable, for they move beyond ‘to do lists’ and suggest a willingness to focus on feeling rather than targets. When we let go of chasing those things that we believe can make us happy and instead focus on being happy, everything changes for the dynamic has shifted away from reaching out to the horizon for ‘completion’ and back to acknowledging that the horizon is already within us. 

So many of us have a ‘yes, but’ approach to life and frequently get lost in the tangles of: ‘once I have achieved x, then I can do y and live my dream’. Whilst this may be true on one level, it shifts our focus to a future state rather than the present state for we are looking away from this moment in time towards a distant goal. Yet, when we shift our intent back towards living joyfully and being happy, it is easier to let go of the need for quantifiable targets as our awareness opens up to living consciously in the moment and tapping into the abundant supply of love and happiness that is already available within. 

Of course, we can become lost and disconnected from this as layer upon layer of ‘stuff’ challenges us, and we adopt storylines and strategies to cope, and it is usually these that prevent us from allowing ourselves to feel fully, for we become locked in the chains of fear and doubt, unable to see a way forward or a path to peace. The more we struggle, the harder it becomes to be free, for the storylines take hold and shape and define all aspects of our lives. Yet, these storylines are not us; they do not make us who we are for we do that ourselves. Therefore if we break the cycle by opening up to the intent of feeling joyful or happy, we step beyond the storylines and begin to touch, taste and feel the power of Wholeness. 

Not only do we need to replace ‘should’ with ‘could’, but we need to let go of the myriad of different pressures that we place on our own shoulders through worry, fear, doubt and misplace beliefs. Of course, life still ticks along and we can never truly be sure what lies around the next corner, but by living consciously and vibrantly in the current moment, and focusing on feeling Whole, then we lose that sense of lack and finally open up to embracing All that we already Are. 

So, as 2013 begins, it seems prudent to take some time to connect to both the feeling, and the state of being, that we want to achieve on the path ahead; this goes beyond a visualisation to a more empowered and energetic space where we let go of the details and focus on the bigger picture of feeling and being Whole, complete and aware. This doesn’t mean that we should shelve our dreams; it simply suggests that we need to re-shape how we quantify those dreams. The time for being lost in the detail and the storylines is over, for we are ready now to embrace a brand new way of living and being...