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WHAT’S NEW? Politics got you down?….
Granted, right now the political machinations here in the USA are extremely reminiscent of a circus – or maybe I should say it is a circus – but hopefully you are not losing your happiness about it or putting angry energy out into the universe over this.
Truly doing so is not going to help the situation and in fact will make it worse and make you sick. So in the end it accomplishes nothing. I believe that the way we handle everyday life is the most critical part of our spiritual path and the most challenging.
So let’s see if we can make it through these elections with grace and love. Are you up for the challenge?
Blessings & love, Sheri
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EVENTS, JOURNEYS + WEBINARS!
Sacred England: Mysteries of Sacred Sites Tour
July 20th – 28th, 2016
Are you dreaming of participating in a sunrise ceremony at Stonehenge? Are you searching for the Holy Grail at Glastonbury? Would you love to connect with the energetic waters at Wells and explore the Avebury Landscape Temple? And how about experiencing crop circles and other ancient mysteries? Well thankfully you don’t have to choose – because on this beautiful journey with your guides Glenn + Cameron Broughton you will visit them all!
Our travels take us through a remarkable span of five thousand years, where we will discover some of the secrets of enigmatic stone circles, the geometry of cathedrals, holy wells’ potent waters, and the powerful earth energy currents that connect them all. Your expert guides will distill the essence of our ancestors’ beliefs, spirituality, myths, legends and history and share some of the wisdom of the ages with you.
The pace of the tour will allow you time to also wander the lanes and shops of some of England’s most historic towns and cities (it’s only a city if it has a cathedral!) and to enjoy an English cream tea or meal in a traditional pub. Trip cost: £1995 based on double occupancy (approx $3400 USD).
Details for Sacred Britain here!
Akashic Records Intensive & Consultant Training – Sacred Wisdom for Transformation in Magical BALI
September 15 – October 5, 2016
Join Don Ernesto Ortiz for a magical tour on the exquisite island of Bali! Are you ready to shift your life in ways you can hardly imagine? Are you ready to take your meditation and spiritual practice to new depths? Are you adventurer ready to explore new layers of yourself and make lifelong new friends?
Our Akashic Records training program is designed to engage the serious spiritual seeker, the one who knows he/she has a greater mission in life. The one who knows that by sharing this oral tradition they will live his/her life dedicated to making a difference. This training is all about YOU, your growth, your process, your personal healing and inspiration. The end result a brighter and lighter you!!
Explore slope gardens tasting tropical fruits, swim in hot springs, bathe in sacred waters, walk to great waterfalls, get a papaya massage… You’ll have lots of time to rest, play and explore on your own. Of course, they have reserved for you some Balinese surprises to make your trip unforgettable!!
OUR FEATURED ARTICLE
The Essence of Mindful Prayer: “May this Suffering Awaken Compassion”
When we are suffering and turn to prayer, no matter what the apparent reasons for our pain, the basic cause is always the same: we feel separate and alone. Our reaching out is a way of relieving ourselves of this pain of isolation.
Yet the bodhisattva’s aspiration radically deepens the meaning of prayer by guiding us to also turn inward. We discover the full purity and power of prayer by listening deeply to the suffering that gives rise to it. Like a great tree, such prayer sinks its roots into the dark depths in order to reach up fully to the light. This is what I call mindful prayer—opening wakefully to our suffering and allowing ourselves to reach out in our longing for connection.
Irish poet and priest John O’Donohue writes: “Prayer is the voice of longing; it reaches outwards and inwards to unearth our ancient belonging.” The more fully we touch our pain and longing, the more fully we are released into boundless, compassionate presence.
Mindful prayer awakens us from the imprisoning story of a suffering self. Resisting pain only serves to solidify the notion that “I” am suffering. When we perceive pain simply as pain, rather than “my pain,” and hold it tenderly; we are no longer the beleaguered, suffering self. The fear, shame, grief and longing no longer feel like a mistake or an oppressive burden.
We can begin to see their universal nature: this is not my grief, it is not my fear, it is not my longing. It is part of the human experience and being willing to hold it tenderly is the doorway to compassion.
A beautiful Sufi teaching shows us how our pain is not personal, it is an intrinsic part of being alive:
Overcome any bitterness that may have come
because you were not up to the magnitude of the pain
that was entrusted to you.
Like the Mother of the World,
Who carries the pain of the world in her heart,
Each one of us is part of her heart,
And therefore endowed
With a certain measure of cosmic pain.
Our sadness, fear and longing are universal expressions of suffering that are “entrusted to us,” and they can be prayerfully dedicated to the awakening and freedom of our hearts. May this suffering awaken compassion. May this suffering awaken compassion.
As we meet our pain with kindness instead of bitterness or resistance, our prayer is answered. Our hearts become an edgeless sea of loving awareness with room not only for our own hurts and fears, but also for the pain of others. Like the Mother of the World, we become the compassionate presence that can hold, with tenderness, the rising and passing waves of suffering.
An excerpt from “The Essence of Mindful Prayer: “May this Suffering Awaken Compassion” by Tara Brach
Want to see our whole line-up for the upcoming year?
Visit our Trips at a Glance page.
