September 2014

Reflections: The Light Within - becoming our own teachers
Links to inspire and Amuse
Reminder: Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home and Special offer for readers

Reflections: The Light Within - becoming our own teachers

Earlier this year I spent time at an art workshop run by Annieb. I've been to several of her events, each has been a wonderfully enjoyable and nurturing experience: a mixture of meditation, music, playing with paint, conversation, and insights, some shared and others developing over time. I returned with a painting that has powerful significance for me, and for the first time I felt I wished to frame and hang it on the wall in my study/office. The prompt for the picture was a visualisation about visiting our personal wisdom tree, and meditating there. Afterwards, I drew this tree: it has solid roots and a strong trunk with an exuberant spring growth of leaves. Within the tree is an explosion of light,  recognition of the internal - eternal - spark inside each of us.  The more we allow our light to shine out into the world, the more our unique gifts can be shared with those who can benefit from them and the more will reflect back to ourselves.

The Light Within by Mary Lunnen

This image is proving such a gift to myself: something I can see, right in front of me as i sit here writing to you, or doing other work at my desk. It has taken me several months to decide to share it with you all here; to get over the 'I'm no good at art..' wobbles. Maybe I am or maybe I'm not - that is immaterial for this: I show it in the spirit of the child  proudly showing something that they have created themselves.

The other day my new feline companion Sparky was here exploring - also known as getting into everything and causing mischief - and at one point he sat on the cabinet gazing at this painting. I managed to take a quick photo of him (of course he wouldn't sit still for long). You can't see what he is looking at - and it may well have been a spider rather than the picture......


                                                             Sparky 

This month I picked out a book to read that I have had on my shelves for some time. In fact my note in the front of the book shows I purchased it from Cygnus Books in October 2011. (If you are not familiar with Cygnus I can highly recommend them.) I choose the books I buy carefully, and also intuitively - and I often find it is some time before the time is right to read a particular volume.

The book is The Bowl of Light - Ancestral Wisdom from a Hawaiian Shaman  by Hank Wesselman. You can read about the book at more on the link so I won't describe that here. I know I will be returning again to re-read and absorb more. For now, I wanted to share some reflections on how this ancient wisdom from a different culture has spoken to my beliefs and strengthened them.

Regular readers will know that my whole ethos in my Dare to Blossom work, and recently in the development of the Rediscovery Cards and Rediscovery Coaching Process, is that we already hold all the answers to our questions within us, and our spiritual journey often involves finding our way back to that wisdom, coming home to ourselves.

At one point in the book the Hawaiian elder, known as Makua, quotes Hank himself, as saying: "...the time of the guru is over." Makua goes on to say in a later conversation:

"The truth already exists within each one of us. This is why no outside agency or religious authority can give it to us. We already have it! We just have to remember it."

And:
"This is why I never agree to become another person's teacher. Each one of us is our own best teacher, and I would never deprive spiritual seekers of the power that comes wit that discovery."

These words have crystalised for me some hesitation I have always felt, a personal internal conflict. A tension between sharing my experience, knowledge and intuition to help others - whether in one-to-one coaching or in the written word; and feeling that I don't want to "..become another person's teacher." and certainly not a 'guru'.

In the past I have resolved some of this tension with the help of the various coaches and supporters I have felt honoured to have encountered. The way I have done this is by recognising that we are all coming back to that ultimate, and so simple, point - that the truth is within us, we are already whole, we are not broken, do not need 'fixing' by another person. The thing I may be able to offer, as do the writers such as Hank sharing Makua's words, is my particular and unique way of putting over these simple, but not always easy to recognise, truths.

There may be - there are - people out there for whom reading the particular words I have chosen (or a photo I have taken), for whom this will be, in one particular moment, exactly what they need to hear. They would not have 'heard' the message from their own heart in quite the same way if not through this channel at this time. I am feeling restricted at this moment by my chosen 'channel' of the written word, finding it hard to convey my meaning without feeling I am doing exactly what I claim not to want - to set myself up as a guru, a teacher.

This is turning out to be one of those pieces of flow-writing that are going to be a challenge to actually press the 'send' button on - and I will continue regardless as I have learnt that this feeling often means it is touching the spot - for me (hence the 'wobbles') and I hope for some of you too. Not for everyone of course - and you will pass on your way to something else if these words do not work for you.

So - can I make any sense out of all these jumbled thoughts? Reading The Bowl of Light has helped me feel connected to ancient wisdom - which I've always been drawn to as I suspect many of you will have been. Helping me clarify further in my own mind what my role as a 'life coach' is, to help resolve some of that 'labeling' difficulty. What I 'do' is simply offer to be a companion, a guide, a mirror to help you find your own way home to yourself. It is physically impossible to see what is right under our own noses (you just try it - you'll pull some very odd faces) - without a mirror. However much experience and knowledge we have; however many spiritual books we read, and well-developed our own intuition is - everyone at some time can benefit from a stalwart - even at times critical - friend.

I have recently experienced this in a very personal way - with a turbulent time in my life and my health, plus pressures in various areas of my work, all meaning - as I now recognise - that I had lost my bearings, been blow off course, dropped the connection with my higher self who would have been able to support me if I had only listened. I have come back home to myself now, with help from some wonderful guides and supporters (see more below), each of whom has played a unique and individual role in this process that no one else could have done at just that precise time.  I have also returned to making use of my own pack of Rediscovery Cards daily, taking the time to tune in and reflect. When I have time I post some thoughts on my Dare to Blossom Facebook page - so if you enjoy that means of inspiration and support please do pop in and say hello.

For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:
- What is your route to your inner wisdom within?
- How can you explore (or discover) this?
- Perhaps try some of these: meditation, dance, doodling, playing with paint, flow-writing, a collage of pictures from magazines, a walk in nature, exercise... the list could go on.
- As a prompt for any of the creative activities you could try using any pack of cards you have - maybe the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery cards, or any angel or goddess cards; opening a book at random (even a dictionary works very well!)
- Or if you feel you would benefit from a guide, contact someone you have worked with before or to whom you feel drawn now for some support one-to-one or in a group workshop.

I am smiling now, as sharing this - once I got through my hesitation and wobbles - has been exactly what I needed to 'hear' myself. So often I only hear my own advice, my own wisdom, when someone else reflects it back to me - as do all of those people in my extensive and wonderful support network. Some are listed below, my apologies to those of you I have not mentioned - you will know who you are, and I send my love and gratitude to you for touching my life in your particular unique and special way.

Links to inspire and Amuse

Here are just some of the people I am connected with, each one unique, amazing and special in their own way. Some I have known, or known of, for a long time, and then one day - the right occasion to link up and use their services arises. I will leave you to explore the links below if they call to you.

Amy Palko Amy Palko
Janette Colloby: Divine Equine Wisdom
Megan Selby The Living Voice
Mary McConnell Star Therapies
Soleira Green The Visionary Network

And finally - thank you to Ben for sending me a link to this cartoon: The Shape of Ideas.

Reninder: Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home

If you would like to host a Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home Party in Cornwall or west Devon, please contact me. The person hosting the workshop receives a free place in return for providing a room and refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits etc), and recruiting  at least four paying guests. Within Cornwall the price is currently £25 per person for a half day workshop. That will vary for locations involving more travel or for a full day event.

Special offer for readers

For those of you interested to explore the Rediscovery Process in more depth, there is a special offer open to readers of this newsletter:

One Hour in depth Rediscovery Coaching Session: £35 (usually £65)

'Short and Sweet' Rediscovery Session - 15 minutes £12.00 (usually £16.50)

These sessions are on the telephone or Skype, just contact me to book your time slot, some evenings available.

Offer expires on 31 October 2014.

As always, please feel free to comment on the blog* or reply to this email with your thoughts and comments. 

If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page.

Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings.

Until next time,

with love,
Mary

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