How To Find A Healer/Spiritual Counselor

I am watching a 20/20 about a self help "guru" who was charged with homicide after conducting a vision quest and sweat lodge in Arizona. The participants who paid $10,000 for this experience were left alone in the dessert for 36 hours with no food, no water and no shelter! This was the vision quest...after this, participants were to endure a sweat lodge without any true supervision or understanding of the Native American beliefs and practices that are a true swart lodge experience. Some people died and others seriously injured.

As someone who works with others on spiritual journeys and healing, I say, use common sense! Talk with anyone who calls themselves a guru...ask questions as you would ask of a doctor or lawyer you were thinking of hiring. Make sure to do your homework and you feel that this person has integrity to be helping you on a journey that is truly intimate. Be comfortable with them and if you aren't, say so. Anyone worth their salt will take this as good and helpful information - they will not respond with ego.

Our spirits are precious and must be treated with love, care and protections they are not to be handed over to someone ever. Remember, YOU and God do the work...your healer or guide is just that - a guide, nothing more.

The journey to spirit is not easy but is should be undertaken with awe as well as caution. Move at your own pace and get ready for some truly amazing experiences!!

A Tribute to My Father

I realized recently that my brother and I did not post an obituary for my dad. After all, I had written my mom's obituary mainly to take some of my dad's pain away. My mom was a beautiful, brilliant actress and artist who never noticed how much attention she was getting! People loved her. My dad adored her. Animals thought she was Sow White! Women enjoyed being around her compassion, love, and wisdom. She was the greatest Mom to me. In addition, she had an accomplished career in stage, television and film. I was blessed to work with her in a stage production,a few years before she passed. I cherish this time we had.

In August 2011, i had tried to reach my dad but couldn't. I knew intuitively that something was not right.

I rushed over to his apartment where I found my dad in his chair unable to stand up. Although we don't have a perfect timetable for how his stroke happened, we do know he was home, safe and aware. When I found him, he smiled, spoke clearly to me and was even making jokes!!!

My father is truly an American success story. His father and mother were born and raised in Russia during the time Lenin was changing the entire world. It was clear to my grandfather that he would need to leave the Ukraine in order to avoid fighting against family. Both the Red and White armies were after him. After careful thought, my grandmother decided to remain in the Ukraine due to the fact that she had her first born son there. My grandfather would return shortly to get them out.

Unfortunately, no one counted on World War I breaking out. With my Grandfather here in Pittsburgh, my grandmother would have to wait seven long years before she could escape with her baby boy. They spent those years hiding in the hills and trees away from the fighting. Finally they joined my grandfather's brother (Uncle Pete) and made their way to freedom in the .U.S. My father was born ten months later!

My dad's only goal in his young life was to escape the coal mines and Pittsburgh...growing up, he delivered lunch to his dad in the mines!! At age 16, my father began college at the University of Pittsburgh. By age 21, he was a practicing dentist!! My father is very intelligent -I.e. genius and motivated.

After serving in World War II and the Korean War, he headed for sunshine and a new degree (surgery) in sunny California- More specifically Los Angeles. He set up practice near the Burbank Airport and Lockheed and then met a beautiful and successful actress. - my mom! Their dentist introduced them!

A little while later, they married and had a brand new baby boy (my brother). Sixteen months later, I came along.

I am truly blessed to have been the daughter of two beautiful beings. My parents were loving, wise and dedicated to leaving this world a better place by their thought, words and deeds. I miss them everyday but know they are always with me. I hope I have lived my life with the same dedication to love that they did.

A Visit From Beyond with a Message Not to be Missed!

Tonight I was very blessed to have a visit from my amazing dad. I did not realize this until he showed me that whenever I was mourning him and feeling so emotional about my loss, I was envisioning him as he was the last year and a half of his life - post stroke. Tonight he reminded me that I do not need to, nor should I, remember him in his broken human body as he is no longer in that state. Instead, I must "see" him as he always has been...whole, strong, and filled with God's love and light! This was the most incredible gift to me - he reminded me to once again "awaken to spirit".

When we remember, we awaken and live in the most awe inspiring space possible. May we all remember and awaken every moment of every day!

Why Can't We Believe We Are God's Treasures?

This is a common problem for so many of us: Why can we easily grant ourselves permission to be fearful, sad, or undeserving; yet, we find it so difficult to acknowledge just how phenomenal we are? We struggle to accept that we are truly amazing, infinite, powerful beings created in love but often readily accept that we are most of the time, not deserving and less than. Why?

The root of the problem begins in our minds from the day we are seen by the world as a separate being. We are told "no", "don't", "stop"....all these lead us to accept that we can't or shouldn't.

Our minds are the most powerful part of how we create, perceive, and experience reality; however, 95% of our thoughts today are exactly the same thoughts we had yesterday and the day before and so on and so on...you get the picture and it is framed in negativity.

For us to make radical changes in our lives and how we experience our present, we MUST change our thoughts! Our behavior will never change for good if we keep the same thoughts that created the behavior in the first place.

So, how do we change our thoughts? First we must become aware of them. Then we must identify which thoughts serve our greater good and which ones do not. We eliminate through practice those thoughts that reinforce negativity in our being. We replace them with new, more powerful thoughts based in love and acceptance. In doing this, we shift our energy because energy follows intent...but not just intent alone. Energy follows intent that is powered with strong emotion (now you know why most people always get what they don't want! Their intention toward the negative is powered with fear, anger, and lack of forgiveness. We practice this from day one!)

Their are some basic programs out there that teach us how to practice this shift: take away the aspect of addiction and The Twelve Steps are magical for anyone wanting to shift their experience. "A Course In Miracles" offers a workbook with 365 exercises ( one per day ) that can also help you shift.

Bottom line, it takes work....but the payoff is well worth it!!!  www.awakentospirit.co

THE POWER and WEAKNESS of FEAR

I have been trying like crazy to think of what I can write about after these last two crazy years...finally, it hit me and it is a subject about which I am passionate - FEAR!!!

When my dad had his stroke in August of 2011, I immediately reverted back to my old, fearful and controlling self.  I was determined to force the process of his recovery and in doing so, I not only made myself miserable, but I made everyone around me just as crazy.  I was absolutely surrounded by and operating from a place of deep fear.  

Obviously, this was understandable given the circumstances; however, by approaching the entire journey from fear, I was unable to receive or even know how to ask for the divine help and intervention that both my father and I needed.  My vibration was far to low.

Fear is a very stagnating place...when we are in fear, we vibrate at a very, very low energy.  Consequently, we cannot solve any problems which require a higher vibration for solution. Science (specifically quantum theory) has proven that we are not solid, but instead total energy which vibrates at changing levels.  Additionally, this same science has revealed that we cannot solve a problem from an energy lower or equal to the energy of that specific problem - we MUST seek a higher level of vibration in order to find the solution. 

Have you ever noticed that when you concentrate on a problem and stay in that problem, you end up only circling the problem, but rarely finding a solution to it?  However, when you get out of your own way and do something that raises your vibration and emotional state, you suddenly are "given" the solution to the problem...it is as if by magic that you receive the answer!

Recently, I have been having a terrible time sleeping through the night.  During my dad's illness, I became used to staying awake when he was awake and many times this would be throughout the night.  Over months, I began to change my rhythms and I established a pattern of sleeping only one or two hours here and there.  After dad died, this pattern has remained.  Everyone I know has had a big reaction to this and many have tried to convince me that I need medication for sleep.  I am not the kind of person who can safely use any medication even for a short while.  

Mainly, I could sense everyone's agitation over my not sleeping and I believe this agitation came about out of their own fears of becoming an insomniac as well!!  The point is, I had faith that I would find the answer to my sleeplessness as long as I asked for the answer and then allowed the answer to come.  I kept asking and asking but no solution.  This was very frustrating for me because I was convinced the answer was there but I could not see it.

Then the other day I was reading about Transcendental Meditation and I just knew that deep, deep down TM was a technique I needed to learn.  Although I have meditated for many years, I have never learned this method.  As soon as I became focused on my reading, I noticed a shift in my vibration.  I was raising my vibration significantly as I read and resonated with the technique of TM.  

I reached a place in my reading where the author stated that two sessions a day of TM was equivalent to getting an extra two full nights of sleep!!!  Suddenly, the answer I had been looking for found me!  I did not need to sleep more at night, but instead I should acquiesce to the sleeplessness and begin meditating two times a day instead.  This would make up for the lack of sleep! 

Basically, I had raised my vibration significantly and I let the PROBLEM go.  Once I got out of my own way, the answer found me! 

When I look back at my spiritual journey, I can safely say that ALL of my answers and solutions have come in this exact way.  As long as I do not freeze up with muscles clenched in fear, I am able to rise above the problem. This allows the solution to become clear, with virtually no effort on my part.

Overall, we are bombarded with messages of fear throughout our entire day.  It is nearly impossible to go a full day without being subjected to something that tells us we must be afraid and initiate a "fight or flight" response.  Even if we don't watch the news, nowadays almost every show on television demands that we see life as a battle.  

Very rarely do we see anything or hear anything that encourages us to have gratitude and raise our vibrations up to a higher level - after all, fear sells because it is such a powerful emotion.  Unfortunately, fear is also a very weak energy because it is such a low vibration. Very little gets solved when succumb to fear.  Moreover, we are likely to create more problems for ourselves if we approach life from a state of constant fear.

I leave you with this:

What would this world be like if we approached every day from a state of pure bliss and gratitude?  I won't answer this for you, but I hope that you will ponder the question and perhaps try an experiment where you change your own perspective and see how your world changes accordingly.  

Namaste my friends!

THE REAL TRUTH

NOTE: This was first posted to Facebook in response to comments about the previoius blog post


Just wanted to shout out a huge thank you to all my FB buddies for your support and love.

However, I don't want the true point of my last post to be missed. Remember that the world and the people in it are a mirror to you..in other words, how you are treated, the things that are happening to you are simply a reflection of just how much you love and value yourself. 

When things go wrong, don't look for the answers outside of yourself. We all come into this world with contracts we made with our spirit guides and human relationships - we make these contracts so we can learn and grow in the ways we most need. Consequently, if life is getting bumpy, it is because you are being challenged to learn and grow - there is something you need to work on.

Have faith in this...get comfortable, quiet and ask for help. I guarantee you will receive it from God, your guides or angels (whatever you believe in). Listen for that still small voice that will tell you what this problem is trying to get you to learn...

Most importantly, no matter how bad it gets, do not be afraid. Fear is such a low energy that it can block out answers and that keeps the problems front and center. Release your fear, anger and resentment so that you can receive all your answers and all the help that you are meant to receive. 

We are never given more than we are capable of handling even when it seems like things are insurmountable. And, we are always, always loved and watched over so we are never alone. The best part of this is that we are self-correcting and made to heal!! The ride may be bumby but it is never dull!!!

When You're Alone and Life is Making You Lonely

I have had a rough few days. First, I have been sick off and on since Thanksgiving. This is especially hard because my dad needs me to be with him and available. Being sick has forced me to stay home and get well, making me feel incredibly guilty.

Secondly, I have had some tough calls with family ...we have never really been close but when my dad had his stroke, I was hopeful that things would change. They didn't ..in fact, the more difficult the situation becomes, it seems the more cruel family can become as well.

Lastly, I reached out to someone for whom I have always been available and I was basically told that their issues were far more important than mine. I was devastated and feeling so alone. I hardly ever ask anyone for help because I am usually able to get myself out of these crazy places with a lot of prayer and instruction from higher help! This time was different...maybe because I am sick or because I have been under so much stress, I don't know, but I have been truly low, low, low and was so certain that this friend would be there no matter what.

My first reaction was deep hurt and then anger....my second reaction was to write out my feelings and share them. Finally, I got it! Until I love myself enough to attract the right people into my life, I will forever be disappointed. Most of us want to look outside ourselves for what is wrong in our lives..I choose to look in. When I am not attracting everything I believe I want and should be blessed with, then I am doing or not doing something crucial that needs to be looked at.

Most of the time, this comes back to how we truly feel about ourselves. Are we deserving of what we work to achieve? Are we finding friends and/or other relationships that mirror back to us what we think of ourselves, good or bad? The answers are NEVER outside...they are within as is the Kingdom of God. This is not religious in any respect..it is instead a hint to where our true power lies. WITHIN!

But, and this is critical, that power is ONLY surrounded by love and light without ego, expectation or judgment. We cannot access this power if it is bringing someone else to there knees or if it is not truly based in self love that radiates from within us.

So, I ask you...Who are you??? Are you pure love and light or do you expect to be fulfilled by those people and things that are around you? Remember, that which is around us cannot be taken with us into eternity...but love and light are more powerful than anything else and INFINITE!!

Look into your mirror...forgive yourself for everything but take your lessons to heart. And then, when you are clear and free, tell yourself how much you are loved whether or not you are part of a huge group of friends or just a few. Love yourself as you would love your best friend, you will not be disappointed.