Archive

Apr 05

Spring – and Grace – Will Arrive

Posted in: Faith, Patience, Perception, Practice, Seasons, Trust | Comments (2) Tags: , , , , —

It’s spring, and I’ve returned to my practice of sitting outside upon rising. Most mornings, just as the sun peeks over the trees behind my neighbor’s house across the street, I go outdoors and sit for a few minutes. My hot tea in hand warms me as I sip, holding both hands around the mug. I feel the firm earth beneath me, supporting me on my journey through the day. It is a time that I attempt to quiet my mind and listen to Spirit speak to me through nature.

Some days, the juncos are busy scavenging for seeds; others I just hear the hidden birdsong of others breeds hidden in the oaks trees and pine needles above. Often, a black squirrel will scuttle along the top of the fence, his super-highway to the yard nextdoor. This is my favorite time of the year to be doing this practice, as I can see the changes that spring brings almost from day to day. I watch our California poppies change from just 3 blossoms to 8 in 24 hours.

I ask for a message, some guidance, from the Divine, and then wait. It’s not that I expect something magical and stupendous to occur. It’s more that I wait for my perception to be guided to what I need to see in order to receive my message. Continue Reading »

Apr 08

The Not-So Patient Patient

Posted in: Control, Patience, Trust | Comments Off on The Not-So Patient Patient Tags: , —

patient_conniehabash_counseling_psychotherapy_yoga_spiritualityIt’s been 4 weeks now that I’ve been dealing with this. The first two weeks were a sinus infection; the last two have been an ear infection. Everyday, I wake up and wonder when my ears will feel normal again, and when I’ll hear clearly out of my left ear.

Sometimes when things aren’t going as I expect, I start to get a little panicky. When will it be healed? Is it OK? Is there something wrong? Should I be concerned that it hasn’t healed yet? I’m not the most patient patient.

We all want to be in control. We want to KNOW what is happening, and how long. But as I have learned lately (again), we can’t always know. Sometimes, we just have to be patient.
Continue Reading »

Mar 14

Awakening of Gratitude

Posted in: Acceptance, Appreciation, Challenges, Gratitude, Healing, Patience, Trust | Comments (2) Tags: , , , , , —

HMB 1I was lying on a treatment table at my acupuncturist’s office, with a painful ear infection. I had felt mentally, emotionally, and energetically better since the first treatment two days ago, but the ears continued to feel blocked, and I still was spitting up yellow phlegm.

Nalinee, my acupuncturist, talked about how much my energy field had improved. In her Thai accent, she reminded me of the power of the mind, and how harnessing that would facilitate healing.

I knew that, of course, but had been humbled. I had been struggling with my emotions for several days, feeling fearful and sometimes depressed, and had not been able to make the full shift in my consciousness to a true healing mentality. I wasn’t practicing what I knew. Continue Reading »

Apr 07

Which Path Will You Take? What to Do When Faced With Fear

Posted in: Action, Choices, Courage, Empowerment, Fear, Illusion, Right Action, Tolerance, Transformation, Trust | Comments Off on Which Path Will You Take? What to Do When Faced With Fear

Everyone deals with difficulties in life. Sooner or later, something scares us. It may be the aging process, a snake, the fear of rejection, or a dwindling bank account.

Gone are the days when we have to worry about lions chasing us (unless, of course, you live in Kenya). Fear has become more subtle. In the words of Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion, now our fears arise not just from dark alleys or sounds that go bump in the night, but from “threats to our self-concept” – the idea of who we think we are. Yet, they end up causing similar levels of stress in the body as that lion chasing us. The fear that runs us, day in and day out, is the fear that we’re unlovable, of being bad, wrong, or a failure.

React or Respond

When we are faced with fear, we have two possible choices: react or respond. When we react, we allow fear to run us, to control our emotions, our actions, our words. But when we respond, we transform a moment of fear into a moment of empowerment.

What is a fear reaction? When we are exposed to a traumatic situation, there are three reactions that occur: fight, flight, and freeze (see Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine). The kind of fear I’m referring to, however, isn’t life or death situations, although learning how to respond rather than react in those is very helpful. In our day-to-day lives, it is the little fears – the perceived threats to our self-concept – that disempower us and cause us to react.

It is in these little fears that we have the opportunity to change our lives. And we see three similar reactions to those little fears: fight, flight, and freeze. Continue Reading »

Jan 14

Sit in Not-Knowing

Posted in: Nonattachment, Patience, Possibilities, Potential, Trust | Comments (6)

Close prayer flagsFor the first time in a long time, I really don’t know what’s next.

What a relief!

Yes, I’m used to always knowing what I was going to do. To have a plan. Plenty of ideas would come to me and I’d figure out how to make them happen.
Continue Reading »