Yearly Archives: 2012

Inspiration at Rumi’s Mausoleum in Konya, Turkey

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Last November, I made a pilgrimage to Turkey to learn more about Sufi mysticism.  While I was there, I had the opportunity to visit Rumi’s mausoleum. Rumi is one of the most famous Sufi mystics and poets and was the inspiration of the Mevlevi Order, or the Whirling Dervishes.  His wisdom is timeless, his passion enervating, and so it was a blessing to be able to stand  in his resting place and reflect on his spiritual contributions to humanity.

This is a beautiful poem of his that I draw inspiration from:

When your chest is free of your limiting ego,
Then you will see the ageless Beloved.
You can not see yourself without a mirror;
Look at the Beloved, He is the brightest mirror.

I am very excited to be presenting brand new exercises at my June workshop in Omega that were inspired from reading Rumi’s poetry on this trip or from learning Sufi exercises from spiritual teachers.  These are beautiful methods to help unravel your ego and reveal your Authentic Soul.

If you haven’t signed up yet, make sure to reserve a spot at the Omega Institute’s website, here!

Coyote Omen on Friday the 13th?

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This morning, Claire had an unexpected blessing as she pulled up to the Soul Blazing Sanctuary!  Just across the street, she sighted an adult coyote standing in the light rain on a neighbor’s driveway.  She quickly pulled out a video camera and captured the beautiful creature on film -

Especially in the wake of having a large black bear wandering around Los Angeles, it seems like nature is reminding us that we still share our concrete jungle with the wildlife around us.  That coyote leapt up into the fence with such grace!  No matter what kinds of barricades we try to erect, we will always be neighbors with nature’s creatures.

With the sudden rain and the coyote sighting both falling on Friday the 13th, it seemed too synchronistic to ignore.  Across cultures, coyotes and foxes are seen as trickster creatures that may shape shift and cause divilment and merriment wherever they go. (Sidenote: divilment is actually a word!  It means mild mischievousness or practical joking.)

In traditional Chinese stories, foxes would transform into beautiful women who would seduce young academics and students to distract them from their studies so that they would fail their exams!

ShamanicJourney.com also informs us that the coyote can also serve as a reminder to laugh!

“When we are being too serious about life, Coyote may appear to teach us to laugh at ourselves and life’s ironies. Be prepared for your sense of humour to arise in full force in line with what is happening around you and to you.”

So what made you life today?  Did you miss out on an opportunity to laugh?

One of my favorite meditations is a laughing meditation.

Laughing Meditation:

Sit by yourself or with a group of people.  Now, focus on your breathing, inhaling for five seconds, holding for seven, and then exhaling for eight.  Do that a couple of times, then from your gut, laugh!  Make sure it comes deep from your belly, and not from your throat.

We’re doing this right now at the Soul Blazing Sanctuary with the pouring rain as a backdrop!  You should join us!  Also, we’ll be doing more fun meditations like this at the Omega Workshop June 3-8, so be sure to join us in New York and register here!

This Easter, Find Your Nature Teacher

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Easter seems to really mark the coming of spring. The deserts around Los Angeles are blooming with tiny wildflowers and baby rabbits begin darting out from the fields. Sun dresses reappear on the streets in all colors and textures, and drivers even lay on their horns less in traffic. This weekend, many of us will return to our families to greet newborn nieces and nephews, congratulate new parents and grandparents, and many will spend the weekend celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

Whatever your spiritual inclinations, it is worthwhile to note the rebirth of the world this spring. So get away from the paved sidewalks and asphalt garages and take a trip out to your local park. Spend some time noticing the changes that spring brings to the world.

As you walk around, and be on the lookout for your Nature Teacher. This may be a particularly impressive, gnarled tree, a ladybug or a stream. One of the Nature Teachers that I’ve found was a rock!Once you have found something in nature that particularly compels you, sit nearby and be open to learning the lessons that it has to teach you. If there is a particular question that you have been spending your energy attempting to answer, put up that question to your Nature Teacher and listen, observe. You may find the answer you’re looking for!

Take what you’ve learned and create an affirmation for yourself. You may borrow an affirmation from the stream, such as “I am constantly changing and constantly the same, with the capacity to change my route should I choose.” Nature holds wisdom for all of us.

For those of you in the midst of celebrating Easter, I wish you a great weekend with your families and communities. For all of you, I hope that you can find a moment to reconnect with our re-awakening world and find an answer from your own Nature Teacher!

Salon: A Workshop Without Work?

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The sky was overcast and the air was unusually cold this morning. It’s the kind of weather that compels long-term residents of Southern California to pull on their long sleeved shirts and warm socks. They eye the fireplace and rub their hands together, debating whether or not the warmth would be worth cleaning it out.

It’s the kind of weather that furthers the disdain of those familiar with “real” winter.  You know, the people who laugh until they can’t breathe at the mention of Ugg boots as winter footwear.

I pulled a couple of books off of my shelves this morning, and while reading, found a few phrases that resonated with my Authentic Soul. The first one comes from the autobiography of Isadora Duncan.

In the scene just before, she described a beautiful, passionate night spent with a lover in Budapest. But, as the sun rises in the morning, her fears and self-criticism reappear as well, and she is no longer able to enjoy the moment.

“How I envy those natures which can give themselves entirely to the voluptuousness of the moment, without fear of the critic who sits aloft and separates and insists upon interjecting his view when least wanted, to the coupled sense beneath.”

An Impostor sighting! Isadora recognizes the voice inside of her that separates her from blissfulness, love, sacred connection. She envies those people who have effectively muzzled their Impostors. Those who are free to follow the path of their Authentic Soul’s choosing.

Her envy isn’t uncommon. We all suffer from being torn away from our Authentic Soul  when our Impostors interject their opinions, uninvited.  It is exhausting fighting off the Impostors in our lives!  Just getting through the day can feel like slogging through quicksand.

Rather than endlessly fighting with your Impostors, reframe your goal: strengthen your Authentic Soul.

We must re-learn how to play, be creative, and connect lovingly with ourselves and others! Our Impostors naturally lose their influence over us when we reach out and touch nature and generate kindness.

That’s why my upcoming “Spark” workshop focuses on rekindling creativity. But it won’t feel like work, so perhaps I should rename it, call it something other than a “workshop.” How about a “Salon”?  Here’s how Wikipedia describes it:

“A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and… increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace’s definition of the aims of poetry, “either to please or to educate” (“aut delectare aut prodesse est”).”

I love that phrase, “Either to please or to educate”! The “Spark” salon, held at the Soul Blazing Sanctuary in Sherman Oaks, will bring us together in conversation, joy and connection.  Open your heart to finding a supportive community and being surrounded by the positive energy of others!

Sign up now for the workshop, which takes place on March 31st and April 1st, at the event page on www.TheSoulBlazing.com .

I hope to see you here and remember – Shift Happens!

Lisa

Charitable Impostors

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Invisible Children, the nonprofit behind the Kony 2012 viral campaign has clearly touched a nerve, with the amount of passionate public debate that has taken over the newsfeeds.
And the campaign has generated a variety of debates – from what activism means in 2012 (is it just clicking “like” on Facebook?) to how charities and causes use social media to promote their messages.

As a filmmaker and philanthropist myself, these topics have provided me with a lot to reflect on. I came across this beautiful thought, from Stephanie Rudat on The Huffington Post:

“Whether rightly or wrongly, Invisible Children has made it cool to care about Uganda. Perhaps the organization and its work speak to you, perhaps it doesn’t. What is certain is that there is currently unprecedented enthusiasm among the people whom Kony 2012 spoke to – the young. This is a critical opportunity to engage them and to help channel their enthusiasm to learn more and be better global citizens. And they don’t deserve to be criticized for caring.”

Isn’t that true? This is a great teaching moment for us. We need to connect with our youth, not attack them. It’s incredible that this generation, who we frequently accuse of apathy, are actively engaging in some of the world’s toughest issues.

So how can we help guide the next generation of volunteers, philanthropists, movers and shakers?

Volunteering On A Whispers Mission Trip

1. Help youth check their “Inner Narcissist” when it comes to charity.
As it becomes cool to be an activist for a cause, kids begin to feel good about giving back. However, this can be an open door for their Narcissist Impostor to step through! It’s important to help youth combat the temptation to develop a superiority complex around charitable acts.

Here’s one exercise that you can share with young volunteers who may have the “Narcissist” Impostor: Volunteer for a few hours or create an act of kindness. . . and then don’t take credit for it. Journal about your experience and how you felt. Were you tempted to share the story of your good deed with someone else? Why? Was it different doing something that you knew would not be recognized by others?

2. Help Them Connect With Their Authentic Souls.
I have met a lot of people through my non-profit organization, Whispers From Children’s Hearts. One recurring theme that I’ve noticed is that people who are not necessarily interested in charity get involved because they want to please or be loved by a love interest, partner, parent, friend, etc. They claim to be interested then drop the cause after their relationship ends. These kinds of “fair weather” volunteers suffer from the “Wounded Inner Child.”

Here’s one exercise that you can share with volunteers who have the “Wounded Inner Child” Impostor:   Give them a journaling assignment where they write a script between themselves and someone they serve. For example, I had a volunteer write a script where their character spoke to a child living at an orphanage, explaining why he didn’t like volunteering. By writing down his own excuses, he was forced to hear how unconvincing they were and began to realize the harm he had unintentionally caused!

Even our charitable actions can be harmful to others . . . and ourselves!  By going through the motions of giving back without allowing your Authentic Soul to truly connect with the work, you cheat yourself of one of the most rewarding experiences of being human.

I sincerely hope to see some of you volunteers, organizers, and philanthropists at my Soul Blazing workshop March 31st-April 1st, and we’ll touch on this too!

Remember . . . Shift Happens!

Lisa