"When we awaken to our spirit, we naturally care for our bodies, and as spiritual writings contend, our bodies become temples of the holy spirit. Not far from the truth at all, this becomes our reality. It is a gift to have a healthy body and a productive life and a privilege to manifest in physical form to experience and enjoy life. We must play our role in maintaining this vessel." (Excerpt from Chp 13 Awaken Our Spirit Within by Patsie Smith)
Love = Growing in health
Fear = Compromised health
(Bruce Lipton M.D. Biology of Belief)
Dear all,
If the question is presented to you, "would you like to own all the money and gold in the world?" or "would you like to have optimum health?" which would you choose? Earlier this year I was told about a man who was a wealthy billionaire, who also had terminal cancer. He'd sent his men all over the world, to try and find the best oncologist money could buy, but to no avail. Sadly, he passed away with extreme distress, fear and anguish.
Most of us go about our lives without too much concern about 'health' until something starts to go awry, like we start to get sick or diagnosed with some kind of condition. Many don't think twice about grabbing fast-food takeaway dinners 3-4 times a week, loading up a shopping trolley with frozen dinners, snacking every day on cola soft drinks, chips and sweet cakes, drinking 4-5 cups of coffee per day, 3-4 glasses of wine every night, getting 3-4 hours sleep per night, working 10-12 hours a day at a computer screen, then lounging around afterwards in front of the television, and repeating those cycles again every day. On top of that, we have lists deadlines to meet, road rage when stuck in the traffic, grab and gobble our foods on the run, watch violent movies and news on the television and internet, have a mind that doesn't stop thinking, analyzing and worrying even when we sleep, harbor anger and hatred toward that ex, neighbor or abusive parent, stuck in unhappy relationships, live with fear of the world and its events, and so on. As well, we live in an environment surrounded by electromagnetic waves, pesticides and chemicals from what we inhale to what we eat. Then amazingly, one day when we get told we have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, an auto-immune condition, athritis, some kind of cancer, or, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety..... we somehow feel upset, despaired and angry that we have been randomly attacked and victimized by this supposedly evil and overpowering 'Disease'. We start to wage war or battle against this 'disease'.
Everything in life operates on a system of minute balance and interdependence. Our physical bodies is a reflection not just of our lifestyle and choices, but also a reflection of our minds, emotions and inner connection. We know all the rules for healthy living, from primary school we have been taught:
To be healthy - 1) eat healthy foods 2) daily exercise 3) 6-10 hrs sleep/night
But is it as simple as that?
The human body is not just an automated machine. It is a living, thinking, feeling, sensing being with a life force surging through it and a level of consciousness that can experience, create, imagine and has awareness. When something is not right on the physical level, it may indicate an imbalance in one, a few, or all levels of our being. The physical level is simply the final level of manifestation of any imbalance. The human body is also an ingenious system that has the ability to heal itself and create new life. Given the opportunity to return to or maintain balance, every single cell and strand of DNA in our system naturally tends to gravitate toward health, healing, vitality and life.
The diagnosis of a 'disease' or imbalance is important as it is a sign and message, a cry for help from our body, to take heed, evaluate, and make changes or choices. We have to be careful however, not to fall into the trap of identifying with the disease. It is not a separate entity with a life of its own, it is a part of us that is out of balance, and we have the power to make choices and changes to help bring it back to balance. This may be employed with the aid of allopathic medicine or natural medicine, or both. To identify with a disease will disempower us and almost keep us stuck in a cycle of sickness. Well known medical intuitive Carolyn Myss talks extensively about this aspect as 'woundology', how many people consciously or unconsciously may tend to 'enjoy' their disease by playing the role of the powerless victim. This continues to feed the disease for the mind continues to believe that it is stuck in the powerless state.
On the other hand, many who have hit rock-bottom, left with nothing else but the flicker of their own pure inner spirit, have miraculously found the courage to reclaim their own innate healing power and consequently, healed themselves. This constitutes the hard work of healing our pent up hurts and pains (emotional level), restructuring our thought patterns to empowering and positive ones (mental level), changing lifestyle and diet (behavioral level) and uncovering our true essence (spiritual level) toward a healed mind, body and soul. If we lack the courage, we may choose the easier though disempowering way of popping down tonne loads of drugs and chemicals with the hope of a quick-and-mask-fix. People like Louise Hay healed herself from breast cancer, Jessica Ainscough from a rare form of cancer, Andreas Moritz from severe childhood arthritis and gallstone attacks, Dr Sherrill Sellman from Hashimoto thyroid auto-immune condition and rheumatoid arthritis, Lisa Rankin M.D from depression, Dr Mark Cockrane from debilitating arthritis. And myself, from depression, suicide and alcohol dependency. The number of people who have journeyed down the paths of self healing are countless. This path is not easy for it means confronting our pains, fears, masks and having the courage to trust, learn, let go and change. But what emerges is true healing as our spirit awakens and we have genuine peace, freedom and health on every level of our being.
So when you next feel unwell or get handed a diagnosis of some sort by your doctor, the choice is yours. Do you wish to claim your own innate power or do you choose to hand over your power to this disease with a fancy name? Claiming your own power means having the courage to look at yourself and hear what messages of imbalance your body is trying to convey to you. It means having the courage to heal, reveal your true self, make changes and learn.We all have it in us.
Finally, please add a few more to the above list of 3 common rules for good health that we should obviously know:
4) drink lots of water 5) eat plenty of greens 6) find something to laugh at everyday 7) do something nice for someone else without expectation of anything in return, at least once a day
8) get a hug at least once a day (if not possible, get a massage once a week) 9) try at least something new every week 10) meditate/pray 11) eat slowly 12) breathe slower and deeper 13) forgive and let go, and last but most certainly not least - 14) reconnect with nature every day, even if its just looking up at the sky or walking bare feet on the grass.
Thank you dear all, for connecting. Blessings to you and your good health, on every level.
Patsie
www.patsiesmith.com
www.facebook.com/AwakenOurSpiritWithin
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Nature our greatest teacher
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need but not every man's greed...What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another." - Mahatma Gandhi
Dear all,
I recall a talk presented by Dr Deepak Chopra awhile ago which made me smile - in which he mentioned the story about a dog and a man. The story went something like this,"a man hits and kicks a dog, until the dog was evoked to bite the man's leg. The man takes off and manages to get away. Two years later the same man meets up with the same dog, he kicks the dog again, and in defense the dog takes a chomp off the man's leg. But the dog does not spend two years thinking about how to bite the man." Humans on the other hand, would be thinking, scheming and festering about it for the last two years! How we can learn from the nature of animals - they are simply in-the-moment :-)
Years ago, when I was a very lost soul, stuck in my own hole and spiral of despair, I could not connect with nature, let alone go outside and breathe in the fresh air - that would almost burn my internal cells with life energy. Whenever I came home from the garden nursery with a pot plant, it would inevitably die within a few weeks or so. Apart from not being caring enough to tend to their basic needs like food and water, being around me was for them like being enveloped in 'dead energy'. This realization came after I have awakened to my living, internal spirit. As my spirit grew and expanded into my true nature, now all plants flourish around me. I love gardening, growing herbs and vegetables, I sit next to bees as they hover around me, my dog stares me in the eyes connecting with my soul, I love bush walking, mountain trekking, paddling, walking in the rain, lying on the grass under my tree and watching the leaves and clouds, and my phobia for reptiles have magically disappeared. Plants, trees and herbs have helped me heal, restore and reveal my true spirit again.
A lost and unawakened soul are stuck in their confined field of stagnation. Within that soul itself their spirit energy is not awake or alive, hence it can't connect with other living things. It gets drawn to dead inanimate objects for they are in the same field. The lost soul unconsciously moves from one material and inanimate object to another, possessing and sometimes hoarding them all, attaching and desperately hoping to suck and draw some measure of power. But nothing which is devoid of life can spurt another's spirit to awaken or be sustained.
When we awaken, we can't help but connect. We don't need to proclaim ourselves a conservationist, animal rights activist, environmentalist, humanitarian - although they are noble causes and if a particular area is our passion, then perhaps we have a part in pursuing it, to make a difference. However, within the heart and mind of every awakened soul we already have a profound relationship with every element that make up our living world, including all living beings, from the tiniest bacteria to the giant mountains. This becomes our experience, not just a belief system , identity or concept we wish to adopt.
Sit amongst the plants and trees, be still, watch and hear. Watch the stillness of the tree trunk. It does not move yet it is full of life beneath. It has texture, shape and form that is a work of art reaching upwards. Watch the leaves of various shapes, sizes and colors, they move gracefully in sync with the wind, dancing without rigidity or restriction. Look at the roots near the ground, they are the silent channel of nutrients and information that is sourced by their caress with mother earth. Listen and hear the sound of their whispers but also the gaps of silence between their whispers. Just sitting and infusing in amongst the bush and forest will allow the essence and energy of the trees to permeate into our soul with peace, strength, stillness and a quiet wisdom - all which further feeds our own internal living spirit. Whenever I end up with a headache from the city hustle bustle, a gentle bush walk always cleanses and dispels the headache leaving me renewed. So then what do I give in return to these friends who unconditionally love, heal and nurture me? I try and protect them, as one would protect any dear friend and family. I want to ensure they continue to have clean air for their life and growth, sufficient water for their moisture, healthy earth so they continue to be sustained and nourished. I also share with them love and compassion, as they do with all other animals and plants that they coexist with e.g. the birds that nest on their branches and feed on their blossoms, the bugs that climb up and down their trunks, the fungi and lichen that blanket over their roots. And most of all, I will continue to protect them from being felled - the end of their existence. I want them preserved and protected for they are a part of me, and all other beings.
This is just my relationship with the trees. I also have a profound and intimate relationship with every animal, insect, flower, mountain, star, cloud,.....What is your relationship with the world around you? Do you have a relationship with your living world? If not, you are not alive, half the time you probably feel like a robot, or if you are anything like I used to be in the past, simply a walking corpse. If your spirit is already awakened and alive, then choose to allow yourself to experience and connect with all of life. It is already innate within us. Our spirit seeks to awaken, grow, expand and connect. Nature's beauty and magic is astounding. They will teach and heal you. Get outside, off your computers, TV, out of your box of four walls, and soak in nature, breathe in pure life. Separation is not our natural state.
Take care all, thank you for connecting, till next time...continue to send love to your trees, animals, flowers......
With luv, light & peace,
Patsie :-)
www.facebook.com/AwakenOurSpiritWithin
Dear all,
I recall a talk presented by Dr Deepak Chopra awhile ago which made me smile - in which he mentioned the story about a dog and a man. The story went something like this,"a man hits and kicks a dog, until the dog was evoked to bite the man's leg. The man takes off and manages to get away. Two years later the same man meets up with the same dog, he kicks the dog again, and in defense the dog takes a chomp off the man's leg. But the dog does not spend two years thinking about how to bite the man." Humans on the other hand, would be thinking, scheming and festering about it for the last two years! How we can learn from the nature of animals - they are simply in-the-moment :-)
Years ago, when I was a very lost soul, stuck in my own hole and spiral of despair, I could not connect with nature, let alone go outside and breathe in the fresh air - that would almost burn my internal cells with life energy. Whenever I came home from the garden nursery with a pot plant, it would inevitably die within a few weeks or so. Apart from not being caring enough to tend to their basic needs like food and water, being around me was for them like being enveloped in 'dead energy'. This realization came after I have awakened to my living, internal spirit. As my spirit grew and expanded into my true nature, now all plants flourish around me. I love gardening, growing herbs and vegetables, I sit next to bees as they hover around me, my dog stares me in the eyes connecting with my soul, I love bush walking, mountain trekking, paddling, walking in the rain, lying on the grass under my tree and watching the leaves and clouds, and my phobia for reptiles have magically disappeared. Plants, trees and herbs have helped me heal, restore and reveal my true spirit again.
A lost and unawakened soul are stuck in their confined field of stagnation. Within that soul itself their spirit energy is not awake or alive, hence it can't connect with other living things. It gets drawn to dead inanimate objects for they are in the same field. The lost soul unconsciously moves from one material and inanimate object to another, possessing and sometimes hoarding them all, attaching and desperately hoping to suck and draw some measure of power. But nothing which is devoid of life can spurt another's spirit to awaken or be sustained.
When we awaken, we can't help but connect. We don't need to proclaim ourselves a conservationist, animal rights activist, environmentalist, humanitarian - although they are noble causes and if a particular area is our passion, then perhaps we have a part in pursuing it, to make a difference. However, within the heart and mind of every awakened soul we already have a profound relationship with every element that make up our living world, including all living beings, from the tiniest bacteria to the giant mountains. This becomes our experience, not just a belief system , identity or concept we wish to adopt.
Sit amongst the plants and trees, be still, watch and hear. Watch the stillness of the tree trunk. It does not move yet it is full of life beneath. It has texture, shape and form that is a work of art reaching upwards. Watch the leaves of various shapes, sizes and colors, they move gracefully in sync with the wind, dancing without rigidity or restriction. Look at the roots near the ground, they are the silent channel of nutrients and information that is sourced by their caress with mother earth. Listen and hear the sound of their whispers but also the gaps of silence between their whispers. Just sitting and infusing in amongst the bush and forest will allow the essence and energy of the trees to permeate into our soul with peace, strength, stillness and a quiet wisdom - all which further feeds our own internal living spirit. Whenever I end up with a headache from the city hustle bustle, a gentle bush walk always cleanses and dispels the headache leaving me renewed. So then what do I give in return to these friends who unconditionally love, heal and nurture me? I try and protect them, as one would protect any dear friend and family. I want to ensure they continue to have clean air for their life and growth, sufficient water for their moisture, healthy earth so they continue to be sustained and nourished. I also share with them love and compassion, as they do with all other animals and plants that they coexist with e.g. the birds that nest on their branches and feed on their blossoms, the bugs that climb up and down their trunks, the fungi and lichen that blanket over their roots. And most of all, I will continue to protect them from being felled - the end of their existence. I want them preserved and protected for they are a part of me, and all other beings.
This is just my relationship with the trees. I also have a profound and intimate relationship with every animal, insect, flower, mountain, star, cloud,.....What is your relationship with the world around you? Do you have a relationship with your living world? If not, you are not alive, half the time you probably feel like a robot, or if you are anything like I used to be in the past, simply a walking corpse. If your spirit is already awakened and alive, then choose to allow yourself to experience and connect with all of life. It is already innate within us. Our spirit seeks to awaken, grow, expand and connect. Nature's beauty and magic is astounding. They will teach and heal you. Get outside, off your computers, TV, out of your box of four walls, and soak in nature, breathe in pure life. Separation is not our natural state.
Take care all, thank you for connecting, till next time...continue to send love to your trees, animals, flowers......
With luv, light & peace,
Patsie :-)
www.facebook.com/AwakenOurSpiritWithin
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Oneness our true reality
"There is one earth but millions and millions of different worlds" - Mooji
Dear all,
Why is it that all enlightened spiritual sages who teach widely and normal enlightened beings who live quietly, continue to utter the words, "Realize who you really are, your true self." Why do many human beings around the world seek for answers to who and what we are, and the purpose of our existence? Because that is our innate evolutionary process and purpose.
When I am asked, "so what should I do with this issue and problem of mine?" I like to reply with, "please...go find out who you really are first. When you truly know, you will have all the answers, for you will find you do not need to ask :-)"
Some want short term answers, "tell me how to solve this problem", "teach me how to meditate so I can feel peace and bliss", "give me an answer that satisfies my need now so I feel better", "show me an organization that I can belong to and feel good", "what is the best ideology or belief system I can adopt?" "what's the healthiest food and lifestyle I should have so I can live forever?" Positive teachings, affirmations and techniques are valuable, and might satisfy and solve your issue for a short while, but if you seek and can only see the limited picture, you will be shaken again and again. Aim for the ultimate realization of your true self, for that is the profound transcendence and then seeking ceases. For the big picture is simply clear and obvious. You just are and do not have to strive to be anymore. Everything falls into place and everything is as it is. You become the unfolding and the process itself.
When individuals are stuck in their "I" ego self as a separate entity, everything is viewed from this limited perspective of "what I want", "what I like", "what I don't like","what I think","what I believe", "what I insist", "what I have", "what I don't have","what I need", "what I am"....and so on. These consequently project onto others in their environment as "what I like and don't like in others", "what I agree and disagree with in others", "what I want and hate in others", "what others do to me", "what others should and shouldn't be or do", "what I can get from others", "what others can give me"...and so on. Separation, division, differentiation are the inevitable result. Short sightedness that benefits only the "self" at the expense of others become the priority conscious and subconscious agenda in the minds of every separate ego "self".
This disunity and disharmony result from differences in perceptions based on the views by this separate ego "self". The world's human population is now closing in at nearly 7 billion and predicted to get to an alarming 9 billion by 2050. So these billions of separate ego "self" each has their own unique perceptions of reality and how their world should be, based on their own upbringing, life experiences, belief systems and choices.
For example, some individuals choose to criticize, ill treat and persecute another of a different race, culture, religion or belief system because they look different, smell different, talk different, live different, eat different foods, speak a different language, simply because the former may not have been exposed or personally connected with the latter in life thus far. Or they may hate another because their own belief system/culture/religion stipulates the differences between them. In every day life you may find yourself distressed, hurt, angered or even vengeful toward another because they do not meet your expectations or behave they way "you" think they should. Some may torture, hurt or ill treat an animal and feel no empathy or remorse because to them, animals look different, have more legs, fur, scales, no intellect, can't talk, laugh or cry; so their limited perceptions separate and disconnect from the other living being. Chopping down vast expanse of forest might be satisfying for others because it brings in vast profits they can now purchase bigger houses, bigger cars and demand more power. But they are ignorant, that like them , trees are living beings too, and forests support immense network of other life forms. The short term massive destruction of nature will inevitably backfire as nature, and humans being a part of that, is a cycle that is interconnected.
Disharmony stem from individual desires and attachments to perceptions from the separate ego "self" but lived out to the full by every single separate being, hence causing ripples of disunity from an individual level into the global and universal level. It is a sad state, a crippling dysfunction, a blindness that will only lead to chaos, then its own readjustment, culling, correction and perhaps a new order. Those who are enlightened can see and feel the whole and complete picture with utmost compassion, but understand too, that the big picture will take its own course and take care of itself.
We each have our roles to play, enlightened or not enlightened, to keep the big picture in mind. To let go of our separate "self", discard our fixations with our limited perceptions, be open and honor our wholeness. To focus on our universality, similarities and shared existence, and be tolerant and understanding of our apparent differences. To know and live as connected compassionate beings with and toward all forms of life and Life itself. The course of the ripples will then naturally change to flow toward a higher, more evolved, unified, harmonious, peaceful and joyful reality; for you as a functional individual, a part of your world as a dynamic whole.
Stay conscious and tuned in to your true and higher reality.
The great Persian mystic poet Rumi said, "There is a force within you that gives you life - seek that."
I will add, "There is a force within you that gives all life - know that."
Blessings & light to all,
Patsie :-)
www.facebook.com/AwakenOurSpiritWithin
Dear all,
Why is it that all enlightened spiritual sages who teach widely and normal enlightened beings who live quietly, continue to utter the words, "Realize who you really are, your true self." Why do many human beings around the world seek for answers to who and what we are, and the purpose of our existence? Because that is our innate evolutionary process and purpose.
When I am asked, "so what should I do with this issue and problem of mine?" I like to reply with, "please...go find out who you really are first. When you truly know, you will have all the answers, for you will find you do not need to ask :-)"
Some want short term answers, "tell me how to solve this problem", "teach me how to meditate so I can feel peace and bliss", "give me an answer that satisfies my need now so I feel better", "show me an organization that I can belong to and feel good", "what is the best ideology or belief system I can adopt?" "what's the healthiest food and lifestyle I should have so I can live forever?" Positive teachings, affirmations and techniques are valuable, and might satisfy and solve your issue for a short while, but if you seek and can only see the limited picture, you will be shaken again and again. Aim for the ultimate realization of your true self, for that is the profound transcendence and then seeking ceases. For the big picture is simply clear and obvious. You just are and do not have to strive to be anymore. Everything falls into place and everything is as it is. You become the unfolding and the process itself.
When individuals are stuck in their "I" ego self as a separate entity, everything is viewed from this limited perspective of "what I want", "what I like", "what I don't like","what I think","what I believe", "what I insist", "what I have", "what I don't have","what I need", "what I am"....and so on. These consequently project onto others in their environment as "what I like and don't like in others", "what I agree and disagree with in others", "what I want and hate in others", "what others do to me", "what others should and shouldn't be or do", "what I can get from others", "what others can give me"...and so on. Separation, division, differentiation are the inevitable result. Short sightedness that benefits only the "self" at the expense of others become the priority conscious and subconscious agenda in the minds of every separate ego "self".
This disunity and disharmony result from differences in perceptions based on the views by this separate ego "self". The world's human population is now closing in at nearly 7 billion and predicted to get to an alarming 9 billion by 2050. So these billions of separate ego "self" each has their own unique perceptions of reality and how their world should be, based on their own upbringing, life experiences, belief systems and choices.
For example, some individuals choose to criticize, ill treat and persecute another of a different race, culture, religion or belief system because they look different, smell different, talk different, live different, eat different foods, speak a different language, simply because the former may not have been exposed or personally connected with the latter in life thus far. Or they may hate another because their own belief system/culture/religion stipulates the differences between them. In every day life you may find yourself distressed, hurt, angered or even vengeful toward another because they do not meet your expectations or behave they way "you" think they should. Some may torture, hurt or ill treat an animal and feel no empathy or remorse because to them, animals look different, have more legs, fur, scales, no intellect, can't talk, laugh or cry; so their limited perceptions separate and disconnect from the other living being. Chopping down vast expanse of forest might be satisfying for others because it brings in vast profits they can now purchase bigger houses, bigger cars and demand more power. But they are ignorant, that like them , trees are living beings too, and forests support immense network of other life forms. The short term massive destruction of nature will inevitably backfire as nature, and humans being a part of that, is a cycle that is interconnected.
Disharmony stem from individual desires and attachments to perceptions from the separate ego "self" but lived out to the full by every single separate being, hence causing ripples of disunity from an individual level into the global and universal level. It is a sad state, a crippling dysfunction, a blindness that will only lead to chaos, then its own readjustment, culling, correction and perhaps a new order. Those who are enlightened can see and feel the whole and complete picture with utmost compassion, but understand too, that the big picture will take its own course and take care of itself.
We each have our roles to play, enlightened or not enlightened, to keep the big picture in mind. To let go of our separate "self", discard our fixations with our limited perceptions, be open and honor our wholeness. To focus on our universality, similarities and shared existence, and be tolerant and understanding of our apparent differences. To know and live as connected compassionate beings with and toward all forms of life and Life itself. The course of the ripples will then naturally change to flow toward a higher, more evolved, unified, harmonious, peaceful and joyful reality; for you as a functional individual, a part of your world as a dynamic whole.
Stay conscious and tuned in to your true and higher reality.
The great Persian mystic poet Rumi said, "There is a force within you that gives you life - seek that."
I will add, "There is a force within you that gives all life - know that."
Blessings & light to all,
Patsie :-)
www.facebook.com/AwakenOurSpiritWithin
Sunday, 30 June 2013
What is spirituality?
photo: Dan Tataru Dreamstime
Spirituality is not a religion, belief system, doctrine, dogma or ritual.
Spirituality is knowing who you really are as your own personal reality.
And then living and integrating that true and higher reality into every present moment of this life journey.
- P Smith
Sunday is my only day of complete rest and I value and guard it religiously, as it is the only day of the week that I can simply allow myself to just 'be'. Not to be dictated by the number on the clock but to just flow with the tide of the day. In this fast-paced age of immediacy and material bombardment, this practice is sacred to my body and soul, in addition to my daily yoga and meditation. This one particular Sunday morning as I was lying on the grass under my jacaranda tree, blissful after my yoga and meditation, I remembered being told about a certain Tibetan Buddhist temple near my home. "The meeting starts at 10am", I was told. Having always had a deep spiritual connection with the Himalayas I naturally had a strong desire to go and check out this temple. But this morning the tide did not feel like it was quite flowing that way. As I turned my head while lying on the warm grass, a 'willy wagtail' bird next to me was busily foraging for bugs and worms. Turned my head the other way, and my dog Charlie was snoring in utter contentment. I observed the detailed velvety like patterns etched on his moist black nose that moves gently with each breath. Turned my head again, looked up and I beheld the vast clear blue skies with soft billowy clouds, soft jacaranda leaves on the tree dancing in the breeze, and the bees and insects circling above me full of buzz and life. I was left with nothing but awe. The message was profoundly clear to me in the midst of such joy and peace that morning, "Ha! Why this is my temple! Nature and this connection for today is my temple, thank you." I still got myself to the Tibetan Buddhist temple one day, just not that morning.
What is spirituality and why do we need a spiritual practice? For some, this means the ritual of going to a particular place of worship or gathering, and adopting or practicing particular rituals and beliefs. This is noble, helpful and gives us an identity, a sense of well being and belonging. Belief systems evolved through the times with mankind's creativity and adaptation. However the true essence beneath and before all the beliefs, rituals, teachings and dogmas is simple, universal, pure and unclouded. So keep a check on your spiritual practice to make sure you always stay true to the elements of your core and essence.
True spirituality anchors in the core of your higher reality. It does not judge, blame, differentiate, destroy or place yourself above any other. It simply exudes peace and love.
Your pure and true essence is
- unconditional love - hence your true reality inevitably flows and translates into unity, oneness connectedness, respect and compassion. With that comes sharing, giving and loving.
- infinite and unbounded - hence it transmutes into joy, freedom and creativity.
- silent, still, undefinable - hence you naturally connect and are at peace when you simply just be.
- whole, no beginning and no end - hence you do not live with fear or lack, but with trust and faith.
So what is your spiritual practice? Perhaps it is meditating or daily prayers? Or perhaps it is spending time in nature, creating a piece of art, playing and creating music, giving time and help to the needy unconditionally.
Spiritual practice is also being fully present in the moment. For in being totally and fully here and now in mind, body and soul - you are essence itself. And life manifests all around and through you in all magical wonders.
Have an awesome week !
Blessings and Light,
Patsie
Connect with me on www.facebook.com/AwakenOurSpiritWithin
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Being present
"The present is the only reality. Everything past or future resides only in the head. The choices we make in this present moment determine our future and can heal the past. We miss out so much on the beauty and joy in life if we are not here and now, but lost in thoughts. If we are fully in the present, here right this very moment, pure, fresh, and untainted, that is us in our spirit essence. the choice is ours whether to live as our pure, infinite spirit or in the limited mind." (Excerpt from Awaken Our Spirit Within - Chapter 8 The Human Mind)
"When there is silence, one finds the anchor of the universe within oneself." - Lao Tzu
Hi all,
I share a comfortable home with three beautiful young adult children and five enlightened beings - our dog Charlie, tortoise Gordon, budgies Mr Frodo and Yuki, and Siamese fighting fish Bruce!
Charlie's days consist of waking up at the crack of dawn, a series of yoga stretches, greeting me with joy and then all full of spark ready for his walk. On his walk he sniffs every stretch of lawn, pavement and post, pees at almost every tree, empties his bowels, and says hello to his doggie pals. He returns to the same type of breakfast dish everyday, then lie and chill in the sun all day punctuated by fiery bursts of barking from one end of the garden to the other when another human or dog walks past his territory. Totally content until he pipes up again late afternoon ready for his walk. Same sniffing routine (you see, Charlie's a beagle) then back for dinner, more guarding and barking, and then snuggle up in his soft bed.
Gordon walks around the whole garden and devours his piles of vegetables and lettuce in summer. Gordon is blind in one eye so when he eats his lettuce it takes him about 5 attempts with his open jaw before he finally scores a mouthful. But he spends all day simply doing that, then back into his shell when he's had enough, and out again for more food and a wander after. In winter he simply refuses to poke his head out of his shell at all, but half buries himself under my oregano bush in complete hibernation.
Mr Frodo and Yuki love and can't bear to be apart from each other. They spend all day eating, drinking, chirping and grooming each other. Then snuggle their heads into their wings for their sleep before coming out of their cages for their fly-around. And so they keep going.
Bruce is a beautiful red fighting fish with enormous frilly fins. He has his huge fish bowl on my kitchen bench all to himself' If he was to share bowl space with another fish, there would be a mega fight. Bruce too swims, eats, parades his fins, sleeps tucked in the fronds. And so he keeps going.
Animals are simply in-the-moment. They eat to survive, sleep and rest to rejuvenate, and behave instinctively for protection and security. If you watch them for awhile you will find that they remind us that this is our natural state. Everything else is just extras we have chosen to pile on and accumulate, including our complex minds. When an animal eats, they just eat, not eat while thinking "where is my food going to come from tomorrow?" "will I find a right girlfriend/boyfriend?" "who's going to take care of me when I'm old" "will I get fat?" "how much money do I have left in the bank?" At least, they don't look like they have these thoughts. In fact, they don't look like they're thinking at all. Simply being and doing. And what pure joy and contentment in just simply being and doing.
We are privileged as humans to have evolved to more than just instinctual beings (although some may contest to this statement). We have the gift of more developed and complex analytical, problem-solving and creative intelligence. But these are our tools for expanding and progressing our lives. We are the ones in charge of our tools and we should choose when to use them and when to put them aside to rest, to allow our natural state to simply be. For our natural state is the silence, anchor and ground that allows us to thrive.
Remember everyday, allow yourself some time to just Be!
Love & light to all,
Patsie
www.patsiesmith.com
PS: Just started a Facebook book page, please feel free to connect with me on facebook.com/AwakenOurSpiritWithin will post writings, quotes, offers, info etc.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Integrative Health
"Good health is all about balance. It is about the integration of many levels of our being, not just the physical. But the three most obvious and significant are the mind, body and spirit. The human body is not just flesh and bones but also a brain and mind that control the body. The spirit is the living essence or life force in the body. Attending to one aspects without the others is limiting and creates instability. When we awaken we naturally flow toward aligning the mind and body with our living spirit." (Excerpt from Awaken Our Spirit Within, Chapter 13 Health)
As a therapist in the holistic health and healing industry for the past 12 years, part of my meditation every morning continues to include the mantra to center in "..May I hold myself with compassion, may I meet the ignorance and suffering of others with compassion."
As I treat clients from all walks of life. I witness the pain, suffering and amassable fear that most humans choose to be engulfed in. In the area of health, especially in the affluent west, we are experiencing increases in cases of chronic illnesses and imbalances of mind and body. Could this be because the third, or perhaps more rightly, first element in the complete picture is absent? Where is the spirit? Do we know who we are? Do we know and are we connected to the core of our true self?
Perhaps we ourselves or people we know, friends and family are living with cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, migraines, hormonal disorders, auto-immune conditions, allergies, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, addictions, and the list goes on. Meanwhile the massive pharmaceuticals and medical industries are ready and available to cater for the sick and diseased. Illnesses and diseases are big business. And with the advent of technology, every minute imperfection or disorder is pinpointed into a diagnosis. Then when one is 'diagnosed' with something it is often misperceived as the infliction of an unjust attack or a random curse, the deliberate intention of life to destroy us, resulting in immense fear and suffering as a powerless victim.
Let's step way out and look at the big picture. If we are awakened and know who we truly are, then the big perspective is clear: imbalance is an inevitable possibility in this physical world that we humans have consciously and unconsciously driven to disruption. These chronic dysfunctions, illnesses and diseases are simply symptoms and products of our choices thus far in our lives and our world. The truth is, the depletion in the quality of your foods, environment and lifestyle is playing havoc with your internal bodies. The fast paced materialism and consumerism we allow ourselves to get caught up in push our bodies and minds toward endless striving, competing, exploiting and self-centeredness. So it is not a random curse or an unjust attack by life, nature or God. It is the karmic cycle of life. The choices we make in what we allow into our lives, bodies and mind, and what we project out to others and the environment, is simply what returns. The higher purpose of our short or long journey in this particular life is also part of the big picture. The lessons we obtain from healing on all levels of our being - mental, emotional and physical will awaken, evolve and mature our spirit. That is our true purpose. As painful as the reality is, we are actually not here to be immortal. Each journey of life contains experiences and roles we enjoy and play toward our higher purpose.
So with the big picture in mind, and staying aligned with our source and true being, we are conscious and aware. We make well informed, wise and conscious choices for the well being of ourselves, others, our environment and our future. We choose wholesome organic foods and pure water for our bodies, moderate exercise to expand our lungs, oxygenate blood and pump our lymph.We ensure adequate sleep and rest for repair and rejuvenation, lots of sunshine and fresh air for energy and Vit D. We choose positive and empowering thoughts for creating joy and peace for self and others. We do not suppress but allow ourselves to feel all range of human emotions, then express and release them safely. We choose to heal from painful past and let go and forgive. We make time for connecting with others - sharing, hugging, laughing, helping, giving. We follow our passions and enjoy things that make us smile on the inside - go dancing, singing, running, painting, camping, etc. We can't help but not suffer, we enjoy every present moment to the full and are at peace with whatever turbulence that arises for us to learn and change; for we choose to anchor in what is real and unshakeable, our true source, our infinite being.
"Within you is the infinite and the infinite is contained in this present moment." -Patsie Smith
Thank you for connecting.
With Love and Light,
Patsie
www.patsiesmith.com
www.goodreads.com
As a therapist in the holistic health and healing industry for the past 12 years, part of my meditation every morning continues to include the mantra to center in "..May I hold myself with compassion, may I meet the ignorance and suffering of others with compassion."
As I treat clients from all walks of life. I witness the pain, suffering and amassable fear that most humans choose to be engulfed in. In the area of health, especially in the affluent west, we are experiencing increases in cases of chronic illnesses and imbalances of mind and body. Could this be because the third, or perhaps more rightly, first element in the complete picture is absent? Where is the spirit? Do we know who we are? Do we know and are we connected to the core of our true self?
Perhaps we ourselves or people we know, friends and family are living with cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, migraines, hormonal disorders, auto-immune conditions, allergies, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, addictions, and the list goes on. Meanwhile the massive pharmaceuticals and medical industries are ready and available to cater for the sick and diseased. Illnesses and diseases are big business. And with the advent of technology, every minute imperfection or disorder is pinpointed into a diagnosis. Then when one is 'diagnosed' with something it is often misperceived as the infliction of an unjust attack or a random curse, the deliberate intention of life to destroy us, resulting in immense fear and suffering as a powerless victim.
Let's step way out and look at the big picture. If we are awakened and know who we truly are, then the big perspective is clear: imbalance is an inevitable possibility in this physical world that we humans have consciously and unconsciously driven to disruption. These chronic dysfunctions, illnesses and diseases are simply symptoms and products of our choices thus far in our lives and our world. The truth is, the depletion in the quality of your foods, environment and lifestyle is playing havoc with your internal bodies. The fast paced materialism and consumerism we allow ourselves to get caught up in push our bodies and minds toward endless striving, competing, exploiting and self-centeredness. So it is not a random curse or an unjust attack by life, nature or God. It is the karmic cycle of life. The choices we make in what we allow into our lives, bodies and mind, and what we project out to others and the environment, is simply what returns. The higher purpose of our short or long journey in this particular life is also part of the big picture. The lessons we obtain from healing on all levels of our being - mental, emotional and physical will awaken, evolve and mature our spirit. That is our true purpose. As painful as the reality is, we are actually not here to be immortal. Each journey of life contains experiences and roles we enjoy and play toward our higher purpose.
So with the big picture in mind, and staying aligned with our source and true being, we are conscious and aware. We make well informed, wise and conscious choices for the well being of ourselves, others, our environment and our future. We choose wholesome organic foods and pure water for our bodies, moderate exercise to expand our lungs, oxygenate blood and pump our lymph.We ensure adequate sleep and rest for repair and rejuvenation, lots of sunshine and fresh air for energy and Vit D. We choose positive and empowering thoughts for creating joy and peace for self and others. We do not suppress but allow ourselves to feel all range of human emotions, then express and release them safely. We choose to heal from painful past and let go and forgive. We make time for connecting with others - sharing, hugging, laughing, helping, giving. We follow our passions and enjoy things that make us smile on the inside - go dancing, singing, running, painting, camping, etc. We can't help but not suffer, we enjoy every present moment to the full and are at peace with whatever turbulence that arises for us to learn and change; for we choose to anchor in what is real and unshakeable, our true source, our infinite being.
"Within you is the infinite and the infinite is contained in this present moment." -Patsie Smith
Thank you for connecting.
With Love and Light,
Patsie
www.patsiesmith.com
www.goodreads.com
Saturday, 1 June 2013
What & Where is Life Energy?
"The primordial creative energy affects the whole person and not just a mere fragment - it is creation uncontaminated by thought; the creative tide in us that flows outward."
- martial arts legend Bruce Lee
In this current electronic age it would be a rarity for one not to posses or depend on, a computer or some kind of technological product. As with any machine that serves us, we naturally take care and maintain it. Our laptop, i pad, i phone, mobile phone are only 'alive' with power surging through them when plugged into a power source or after being charged up from a power source.Then we install all sorts of programs to enable us to perform multitude of functions, accomplish tasks and connect far and wide. We have the ability and power to make choices on what to create, store and delete.
Likewise, we human beings are not too different in many regards. This body is our physical capsule in this journey of life. The life force, living energy, chi, prana is what propels that capsule to being alive. But the living human capsule is not just an empty shell. With life force surging through each organ, vein and cell, a whole myriad of compounding systems of energy continues into microscopic, atomic and subatomic levels. The living universe within us is as infinite as the living universe out there beyond us. We are energy and all around us everything alive and living is energy.
Like a computer we need to care, sustain and maintain our living machine, for while this living energy is contained in a limited human capsule, it is subjected to excess (power surge), depletion, malfunction and total break down.We need to recharge by plugging into our power source. What is our power source?
Nature exudes life. Life energy surrounds us in the pure air, water, sun, trees, plants, animal, other living beings. Getting out there and inhaling fresh air and sunshine into our bodies, soaking them in through our senses, consuming wholesome pure foods, sharing and receiving love and laughter; all recharge and revitalize our life force. Regular moderate physical activities and energy arts like yoga, taichi, qigong and martial arts aid the flow of our life energy. Taking time to slow down, maintaining our own spiritual or peaceful practices where we directly plug into our source of being is essential for replenishing. This then naturally allows clarity and resourcefulness to arise effortlessly. As with a computer, continuous usage without recharging will simply deplete until it goes flat. Likewise, we can choose to discard and delete unwanted files of memories, thought patterns and emotional wounds that don't serve us but pollute our system. Cleaning out old unwanted files will allow more space for new, and improve the overall efficiency of our system.
The gift of living energy as a human being enables us to experience, enjoy, create and connect. Let us be wise and exercise our choices in maintaining that balance viz that connection to our source. Stay in tuned with the flow and balance. For unlike a computer, this journey of life in this particular human machine cannot be thrown out and replaced with a newer model every time we run it to the ground.
Love & Light to all,
Patsie :-)
www.patsiesmith.com
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