Body, Mind, Heart, Spirit
It was back in 1991 that I began my yoga journey. At that time I was in graduate school and had been long on my spiritual path, but I had not
included the physical body in that journey. Yoga was what brought everything together for me – spirituality, being in my body, deep contemplation, and opening my heart.
Three years ago, the idea for Spiritual Family came to my vision, and it was born from the desire to share with a spiritual community how we can be whole as human and spiritual beings through the integration of our bodies, hearts, minds, and spirits.
Religion and spirituality do not have to be something only for feeling in a church or temple or thinking about as we read scripture. It is for
living every day, through our breath, through our every moment, as well as through feeling a deep connection to something Greater in our hearts and reflecting on insight and understanding. It is all of who we are, and the integration of all aspects of ourselves brings us to a greater connection with the Divine within and around us.
Spirituality also recognizes that there may be many religions, but One Source, known by many names, that is the Creator of us all, one divine
energy flowing through everything in the universe. Spirituality recognizes that each of us, even of similar religions, has our own unique
understanding of that Source. And each of us, even of different religions, shares some common understanding of whatever we call that Source. It is felt in nature, it is felt in our hearts, and we know that when we are truthful, loving, courageous, and compassionate, we feel more connected to It.
I invite you to join me for Spiritual Family, where we recognize that we are all born of that same Divine Intelligence, that same Love that expresses itself everywhere. We are all Spiritual Family. It begins this month on Sunday, October 21st at 9:15am in Palo Alto.
For more about embodiment of our spirituality, you can check out last month’s radio programs:
- Evening Meditation and Inspiration about “The Creative Flow”
- Awakening Self Radio Show with guest Dr. Beverley Kane (about Horses, somatics, and spirituality)
Finally, I have shared a short article about my recent connection to the Divine experienced through the body – in my recent bout with pneumonia! See “The Cough of Awakening” below.
May you have gentle awakenings and be fully your Divine Self through Body, Heart, Mind, and Spirit.
Blessings,
Connie
Contents:
– Announcements
– Event Calendar
– Awakening Self Radio Show Schedule
– Featured Article: “The Time of the Inner Mystery” by Rev. Connie L. Habash
– Spiritual Quotes
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Farewell to Meditation and INSPIRATION!
Due to family demands and realizing that I have over-scheduled myself, I have decided to end this group and focus my creative energy on Spiritual Family. Thank you for those of you who have attended, and hope to see you at another group or class in the future!
SPIRITUAL FAMILY BEGINS THIS MONTH!
Theme: Returning to Our Center
Sunday, October 21st, 9:15-11am.
330 Melville, Palo Alto, CA
Join me for an all-ages celebration of the Divine through yoga (kids and adult classes!), meditation, singing, spiritual discussion and community. For details see Spiritual Family
Follow me on Twitter!
@ConnieHabash
Receive weekly inspirations as well as upcoming events. Go to Twitter and click Follow!
SACRED JOURNEY Women’s Psychotherapy Group
with Connie Habash, MA, LMFT, meets every other Monday from 3:15-4:45.
WAIT-LISTED FOR OPENINGS IN EARLY 2013
If you feel called to this group, see Sacred Journey for more information. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please email me.
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Event Calendar
Awakening Self Radio Show Schedule
On break until the end of the year.
Upcoming in January:
Evening Meditation and Inspiration
Monday, January 7th, 9-9:30pm PST
“Let Your Higher Self Lead the Way”
Awakening Self Radio Show
Guest Edward Espe Brown
Friday, TBA – 1:30-2pm PST
Soto Zen Priest Edward Espe Brown, author of several books including The Tassajara Bread Book and Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings, joins us for an exploration of meditation, cooking, and living our practice.
Check out the Awakening Self Radio Show archives to listen to over 25 inspiring shows!
Featured Article:
The Cough of Awakening
by Rev. Connie L. Habash
Getting pneumonia isn’t what I had in mind in September, but that’s what I got. Cough, cough, cough all month long. It’s funny how people who know what you’re about can respond to such a situation – “But you do yoga – I thought you’d be the picture of perfect health”. I had the same response when I had a 24 hour, incredibly painful (but successful!) labor when my daughter was born. There’s a false idea out there that
when you’ve been on the spiritual path for a long time, or become an experienced meditator or yoga practitioner that your life will be picture-perfect.
This is far from the case. Not that our lives don’t get better – indeed, I have more joy, prosperity, peace, and love in my life in the last ten years than the first 37, to be sure. But we still do run into some of the speed bumps of life, often through our physical bodies. And we are ever unfolding into deeper and deeper awakening through these spiritual speed bumps.
The Blessing
Getting pneumonia has actually been a blessing. It revealed how much I was still doing too much, overscheduling until it stressed me out. It has made me aware of when I am rushing in a very ungrounded way, and brought me back into my body. But most important, it has powerfully said “stop, be still, be quiet. Sit and just BE.”
I had not been giving enough time to BEING since my daughter started back at school at the end of August. Everything was a whirlwind of activity, and she was stressed out with the new pace at school and the significantly increased homework. I took on her stress in addition to my own, and lost my center. Result – pneumonia, to cause me to stop and put BEING at the top of the list.
Quiet, Centered, Mindful
So I’m at home enjoying the quiet. Meditating, resting, reading, and checking in with my body in each moment – am I grounded? Am I centered? I am moving slowly and mindfully, recognizing that everything gets done and I don’t have to rush to do it. I have support, too, and I don’t have to do everything. All is in Divine Order. Don’t get down on yourself if you get ill, have an injury, lose a job – these are spiritual speed bumps to slow you down so you can awaken to a deeper level of awareness and a more meaningful life. I had the cough of awakening – what’s yours?
Copyright © 2012 by Rev. Connie L. Habash
Spiritual Quotes
“The spiritual journey is individual, highly personal. It can’t be organized or regulated. It isn’t true that everyone should follow one path. Listen to your own truth.”
– Ram Dass
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.”
– Eckhart Tolle
“It’s also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that’s sitting here right now… with its aches and its pleasures… is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive.”
– Pema Chodron
