Speaking of Spirit

(c) 2006 Linda M. R. Neas - Good Vibrations Don't try to comprehend with your mind.  Your minds are very limited.  Use your intuition.  ~ Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time ~ Long ago, one of my spiritual guides reminded me that we must not use our ears to hear but our hearts and souls. While I had done this since childhood, I was not mindfully aware of the process until my attention was called to it. Listening with our hearts and souls means that we trust our intuition - that little "knowing" that calls to us from deep inside. Our ears hear words and sounds, but our hearts and souls sense things that are unseen, unheard, and untouchable.  Some people describe it as "human radar," which is actually a pretty accurate description of what happens when we use and trust our intuition. Let me explain. All matter is made up of energy. Energy gives off waves. Those waves bounce off and into each other. When we allow ourselves to be open to ...

One thing that I dislike about greeting card holidays is that the commercialism of them creates the idea that this is a "one day only" event.  Not true!   Take Thanksgiving, for instance.  Everyday should be a day of giving thanks. When we are grateful for what we have, we become satisfied; thereby, we are content with our lives.  Consequently, when we forget to be grateful, we are constantly in a whirlwind of want.  Giving thanks is as important today, as it was on Thursday of last week. The challenge is to stay mindful throughout the days ahead - past the winter holidays, past Valentine's Day, past the spring, summer and fall days that whiz past until we gather once more for Thanksgiving 2018. May we all attempt to keep Thanks Giving as an intricate part of our daily lives. May we begin each day grateful for a new 24 hours to fill with love and kindness. May we retire to our beds with words of gratitude whispering from our lips for the da...

Photo Credit: Linda M. Rhinehart Neas (c) 2017 What happens when we take the time to mindfully pause - when we stop long enough not to react spontaneously to a given situation? What do we discover in the space between breaths?  Dr. Tara Brach suggests , " Through the sacred art of pausing , we develop the capacity to stop hiding, to stop running away from our experience. We begin to trust in our natural  intelligence , in our naturally wise heart, in our capacity to open to whatever arises. Like awakening from a dream, in the moment of pausing our trance recedes and Radical Acceptance becomes possible."  Dr. Brach is a Buddhist teacher, author and clinical psychologist. She writes that when we pause, an activity that has a beginning and an end, we take control of our lives. She says that pausing allows us to see our fears and desires more clearly; thereby, enabling us to make better decisions. In my life, I have had moments of sacred pausing where I bec...

Someone told their elder that they didn't pray. Curious, the elder asked why. The person told the elder that they were never taught any prayers. So, the elder asked the person what they said when they saw something beautiful. The person replied, "Oh God, how beautiful." The elder next asked what did the person say when they wanted to show their love for someone. Looking at the elder like she was totally crazy, the person said, "I say, I love you." The elder stood quiet for a second. With a huge smile, she lifted her head and said, "Then, you pray all the time!" ~~~~~ Prayer is conversation with the Creator, the Divine, the Source of All. Conversation isn't a canned script. Conversation is the exchange of words to express ideas and feelings as well as the sound of the words, facial expressions, gestures and unconscious thoughts. A simple, "Thank You," can be the catalyst for a conversation that lasts a lifetime. But ho...

Back in January, I wrote that my word for the year was "health."  With the longer days and promises of warmer, more pleasant weather, I am thinking about how "spring cleaning" can help us be healthier in mind, body and spirit. For me, de-cluttering really helps me feel better about life. I usually begin by going through my clothes, books and odds and ends that are cluttering up the house. As the weather begins to warm, I get up early and try to do one little bit of picking up outside in the gardens.  Clearing out material things is great for the physical realm.  However, we mustn't forget clearing out the mental/emotional/spiritual realm, too.  With longer days and better weather, we can begin getting out more...taking walks, sitting in the sun, meditating on the natural beauty around us.  As we breathe in the freshness of spring air, we can mindfully release anything we have been holding within.  Breathe in rejuvenating, refreshing, life-giving air....

Photo Credit: Linda M. Rhinehart Neas © 2015 As the sunrises on this first day of the new year, what new beginnings will find you waiting?  For me, I want to begin this year striving towards becoming healthier in mind, body and spirit.   Over the past several years, I have gained unwanted weight, not quite finished about 4 books and felt a sad disconnect to Spirit.  As of today, I want to become more mindful of what I eat, what I read/watch/ think about and increase my daily spiritual practice of more than a fleeting check-in. Not sure how I will do all this...perhaps you have some suggestions? If so, leave me a comment to consider.  May all our new beginnings be blessed with bounty.  Namast é!  

The Helix Nebula -  "Eye of God" Image via Wikipedia Findin g time for the Divine in the world today,  is often a difficult task. (For the purpose of this post, I will also refer to the Divine as God and Spirit, but welcome readers to use whatever name they know the Divine by as they read.) Everyone has more on their plate than they can handle. Tragic events in the world bring such despair that we often question the very existence of God.  So, how do we continue to walk the Good Red Road, continue to stay balanced on the Middle Path, continue to find the time to connect to Spirit?   For many people, going to a place of worship helps them to maintain their connection. Gathering with others of like mind, helps us remember who we are and what we believe. But often, once some people leave their place of worship, there is a disconnect in which they find themselves once more off balance. Staying connected to Spirit takes work and conscious effort all day lo...