GRATITUDE AMPLIFIED

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK- GRATITUDE AMPLIFIED

Greetings all! We here in Central Mass are awaiting a significant snowstorm that has levels anywhere from 5 to 18 inches forcasted depending on which way the snow /rain line falls! Thats quite a range! Its made it hectic and stressful for many who are traveling today so blessings for peaceful and safe travels.The flakes have not started yet but they are reportedly on their way. I intend to spend my day with a loooong yoga practice ( my favorite thing to do) and begin some food prep for tomorrow. Keeping it simple works for me.
That brings me to the focus of Gratitude. In the wisdom traditions, the energy of gratitude is a powerful transformative state of consciousness. It has the capacity to shift us out of our alienated egoic self centeredness into a compassionate space of love and belonging.
Here is the key; Its not your garden variety gratitude practice we have been guided to sometimes recite by rote, the people or things we are grateful for but this is a more heart centered experiential way of FEELING INTO GRATITUDE.Rather than list copious amounts of what you are grateful for, 

FEEL INTO ONE SPECIFIC THING you are GRATEFUL for and then LIST 5 THINGS about why you are grateful for this . As you write out or recite those 5 qualities of how that experience, person, place or thing makes you feel or what you truly appreciate in detail ,you activate the power of GRATITUDE to be deeply felt. The transformative energy is within the feeling state as opposed to thinking state.
This practice amplifies the heart opening effect when we truly tap into gratitude. 

Here is one example:
I am grateful for my daily yoga sadhana (practice)
* I feel connected to a wisdom lineage thousands of years old
* I tap into deep levels of peace , joy & well being
* I feel nurtured and supported by these ancient teachings
* My practice supports me living intuitively & creatively
* My practice supports me being a better human being and
contributing to the world in a positive way (my dharma)

Get the idea? So much more powerful! Give it a try.Perhaps make it a daily practice and watch your levels of gratitude amplify and saturate your being !

  Blessings for a Beautiful Day and Happy Thanksgiving To All.

 Namaste

 Anne Christine

Living From the TRUE SELF

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE DAY~ Living From the True Self.

Greetings on this really cold morning here in central MA. We may hear a lot of teachings about connecting to the True Self and to be honest many feel confused on what exactly this is. I have found over the years it is much more easily accessed by realizing what it is not.
The True Self is not your ego or any manifestation of your ego. It's not your thoughts or emotions, memories or conditions.It's not your body, mind or gender. Your True Self is Pure Awareness. Your True Self is the same intelligent force that rotates the planets, moons and stars. The True Self is the co-creative spark of Divinity that lies within each and every soul incarnated as a living being. The True Self is beyond limits and boundaries of this ordinary plane and the True Self has only one intention, for each of us to grow,expand and evolve into realizing our Truth of our Beingness and living from that level of connection and consciousness.
The most powerful way to connect and nurture that connection to your True Self is to meditate, daily and devotionally. Everyday you meditate brings you one step closer to connecting to your True Self. Every day you don't meditate, empowers the false self or ego and in the world of energy, whatever has the larger momentum will determine how and what is unfolding in your life , be it suffering or freedom.
As spiritual beings we all have a deep memory of our True Self, albeit for many it may remain very hidden from our awareness but life has a way of presenting its evolutionary impulse to awaken us from our ego trances and often its through repeated struggle, hardship or challenge that our True Self nudges us to get on the path of awakening .This deep memory is the source of our inner longing to connect to our souls. Its what inspires us to read an inspirational book or take a class that will expand our experience of who we think we are. Longing is the souls calling card to come back home.
We can accelerate our awakening by aligning with the ancient wisdom teachings and practices that guide us to deconstruct the momentum of the ego and allow the natural illuminated light of your True Self to be felt. The path of pleasure and entertaining ourselves is not as beneficial as the path of evolution and that path often leaves one feeling empty despite all the attempts of 'filling up' with external experiences . The Soul speaks to us in quiet moments. It nudges us to BE STILL and FEEL and for many , this is a terrifying prospect because we know we will have to get honest with what we are doing and is it in integrity with our deepest Truth.
The path of the True Self is one of continual growth and that growth is not always easy .Often its quite difficult and painful as we learn to stretch beyond our conditioned limitations. As our identity with ego refines over time , we consciously release the patterns of thought, emotions and behaviors that do not serve our highest intentions . We come to realize it for what it truly is, a program of managing consciousness. We then can use the tools of the ego to support the deepening connection to our Soul.
The ego gets you out of bed and onto your meditation cushion daily or into your yoga class or helps in navigating your day in a way that is in alignment with the needs of the Higher Self which are love, truth, creativity, compassion for self and others ,caring for our natural world and waking up to who we truly are. We can take the powerful step to nurture this intention to connect and awaken to our True Self or we can go on living in a trance of disconnect , disempowerment and illusion that this physical plane of material focuses is all that matters. That choice and it is a choice, has a very deep way of sucking the life force right out of us and leaving us asking the proverbial question" Is that all there is to this life?" Stress and burdens and struggles?
Your true power comes from your True Self! Start today, commit to meditate daily and allow the life force intelligence of your True Self to guide you to transcending your ego and opening to the real reason you are here at this time. We either choose to direct our evolution or the universe will choose for us one way or the other. We are always given a choice. Choose what will support your growth and alignment with your True Self. 

 Namaste and Blessings for a LIght Filled Day! Anne

The Beauty of Baring Our Bones

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK- The Beauty of Baring our Bones .

    As Autumn here in central MA. winds its way down, I noticed yesterday how the landscape was revealing a different kind of beauty. The beauty of the bare bones or branches of the trees. I sat in my yard a bit and just watched the trees with their few remaining leaves flickering in the breeze, about to release. I noticed the symmetry, the artistry , frankly the sculpted essence revealing itself for all to see. Without its adornment of color and leaves, the trees grey , brown , white or reddish branches contrasted against the cloud filled sky as simple yet exquisite imprints against the sky. 

  The unified visual of all their growth reaching for the sun was not lost on me. What might it feel like to strip away what is not essential. What might it feel like to stand in our bare bones and inhabit the essence of our beauty , inhabit the blessing of our human journey by deeply connecting to what is essential. Inhabiting our hearts, our consciousness, our compassion, our joy, our patience, our gratitude , our humility our wonder!
   Each expression like a single branch reaching out into the world but supported by our core that is deeply rooted to the earth. We have a lot to learn from trees. How to be present, how to shine, how to release , how to center and maybe most profoundly, how to just BE. 

What unessential energies or qualities can you release? Worry? Fear? Judgement? Anger? Negativity? Sadness? Take some time and take a walk and really observe what Nature is doing right now. She is settling and preparing for slumber. She is sending deep nourishment to her roots to sustain through the winter chill. She is slowing down! All good guidance for us as well. Slow down, nourish your deep roots and practice just BEing present to what is. Thats the beauty revealed in baring our bones.

 " Innocence of our Divine Nature (Avidya) encourages identification with the everchanging rather than with the inner stillness of the Heart" Nischala Joy Devi 

Namaste and Blessings for Beautiful Day!
Anne Christine