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sacred threads ~ the presence in the present

February 4, 2010 – 4:09 pm

“Under all circumstances, always, everywhere, and in all respects,

you must look upon everything as Brahman, and Brahman alone.”

~ Crest Jewel of Discrimination

Brother Lawrence mastered this teaching as he made it his practice to behave in each moment “as if there were no one but Thee and Me.”  When I offer the present moment my one pointed attention and greet the present moment with ultimate abandon, free from the gnarled cage of expectation, that is the moment I find God being God in myriad shapes and forms.  That is the moment I feel the peace of the Presence in the present.

Greeting the Beloved in the present moment with respect is a doorway through which we can all “practice the Presence of God.”  Within this sublime practice of mindfulness, any one of us can begin living as if there were none but “Thee and Me” in the world.  With this kind of awareness, we cannot help but welcome God in His all-pervasive form with myriad faces and varied costumes.  Each moment weaves the sacred tapestry of holiness.

Yet, I sure tend to get distracted with a single thread of thought, activity, or sense pleasure and mistake the thought, activity or sense pleasure for the “Real Truth” rather than our experience of Being as Truth.  Similarly, I can get carried away by my ideas about God and Truth rather than absorbing myself in the experience of Being as a portal to the Truth, a portal to LOVE.

Dostoevsky, in his book The Brothers Karamazov, knew the blessing of beckoning love in the present moment.  He wrote, “Love all God’s creation, both the whole and every grain of sand.  Love every leaf, every ray of light.  Love the animals, love the plants, love each separate thing.  If thou love each thing thou wilt perceive the mystery of God in all.”

These days, we have access to great teachers on practicing presence.  Among my favorites is Thich Nhat Hanh.


If you are interested in playing more in this field of mindfulness, consider joining me in Provence.  Or if you want to give the gift of a lifetime to your mother, wife, sister or friend, invite her to join me.

By Melanie | Posted in mindfulness, sacred threads | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

sacred threads ~ gazing

January 27, 2010 – 10:57 am

Note to Reader:  Sacred Threads is a spiritual memoir/essay of sorts, if you like, go to archives and begin reading from the earliest post.

On this cold, wintry day, I’m reminded of a very different day.   After a long weekend of tiring work, a friend of mine and I took a day of rest on the beach.  After a long walk, we lay side by side gazing at the sky.  My body felt still and my mind quiet as I lay on the beach with the sun penetrating my skin and warming me to the center of my bones.

I remember breathing  deeply and taking in the great expanse above us.  After some time, I asked her if she could see thousands of tiny dots of light.  They seemed to dance before the eyes.  She saw them too.

Together, we gazed at the sky in wonder.  I felt myself as made of the same particles of light that danced before me.  I experienced a dissolving of the illusion that my friend and I were somehow different than the sand, the ocean, and the sky.  I was filled with a sense of quiet wonder and complete love, a kind of love that seemed to pour itself over me like warm honey.

This kind of gazing is in fact a centering technique drawn from an ancient Hindu text, The Vijnana Bhairava.

Many texts of ancient India have been translated in the last hundred years or so from Sanskrit to English, providing yet more doorways through which we can enter the Garden.  The Vijnana Bhairava is a collection of dharanas, centering techniques.

These techniques not only center a seeker, but open her to experiencing the wonder of the Divine Presence.  The English Translation of this text has a captivating title, “The Yoga of Delight, Wonder, and Astonishment.”

One of my favorite centering techniques from this text is the practice of gazing, without blinking as much as possible, at the sky.  “If one makes himself thoroughly immobile beholds the pure (cloudless) sky, at that very moment, O goddess, he will acquire the nature of Bhairava (Supreme Consciousness).” (The Yoga of Delight, Wonder and Astonishment, p. 78).

As each object of Nature carries the energy of God, the Presence of Divine Consciousness, it follows that each object of Nature can then carry the wisdom of the Divine.  However, to experience that recognition we must stop, but for a moment, to consider Nature to be a manifestation of God.

Even the path of the sun in the sky, lends itself to revealing the mysterious Presence of God in its very predictability.  Further contemplating the sun, I have experienced its generosity in the sensation of warmth on my skin, or in the taste of fruit in remembrance of the sun’s rays.

The ways in which we can contemplate Nature and find solace in it is endless.  In fact, images of Nature, simply gazing at Nature, can naturally return us to a state of peace.  Such images are abundant, infinite and easily accessible. Walking outside and gazing up at the sky, or simply sitting where you are and remembering the vastness of the sky can lure you to the experience of knowing you are in the Presence.

The Native American reverence for Nature is well known and continues to gain respect as many look to deepen their understanding and challenge previously held beliefs and assumptions.

Consider the wisdom in this statement from the Mohawk Nation, “We are shown that our life exists with the tree life, that our well being depends on the well-being of the vegetable life, that we are close relatives of the four-legged beings.  In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics . . . We believe that all living things are spiritual beings.  Spirits can be expressed as energy forms manifested in matter.  A blade of grass is an energy form manifested in matter – grass matter.  The spirit of the grass is that unseen force which produces the species of grass, and it is manifest to us in the form of real grass.”(15)

Any aspect of Nature, from a single acorn, to the changing seasons can teach us more of the Truth of who we are.  What if we were to listen, and let God be God in any and all manifestations before us?  Might then we glimpse the beauty and peace of the Eternal in the Present moment?

P.S.  If you are interested in learning and experience moments of Divinity in Nature, consider joining my Women’s Retreat in Provence, June 2010.  Only 3 spots left!

By Melanie | Posted in meditation, mindfulness, power of now, sacred threads | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

sacred threads ~ nature’s doorway

November 11, 2009 – 1:18 pm
Charleston on the Battery

Charleston on the Battery

If’ you’ve been reading for a while, you know by now that I find comfort in exploring my spirituality from multiple vantage points including diving into esoteric spiritual texts from a variety of cultures and human experience.  One of these texts is the Vijnana Bhairava. This book is a collection of dharanas, centering techniques.  These techniques not only center a seeker, but open her to experiencing the wonder of the Divine Presence.  The English Translation of this text has a captivating title, “The Yoga of Delight, Wonder, and Astonishment.”

One of my favorite centering techniques from this text is the practice of gazing, without blinking, at the sky.  “If one makes himself thoroughly immobile beholds the pure (cloudless) sky with fixed eyes, at that very moment, O goddess, he will acquire the nature of Bhairava (Supreme Consciousness).”

One day, after a long weekend of tiring work, a friend of mine and I took a day of rest on the beach.  After a long walk, we lay side by side gazing at the sky, our bodies still and minds quiet.  We breathed deeply and took in the great expanse above us.  After some time, I asked her if she could see the thousands of tiny dots of light that seemed to be dancing before my eyes.  She did.  Together, we gazed at the sky in wonder.  I felt myself as made of the same particles of light that danced before me.  I experienced a dissolving of the illusion that my friend and I were somehow different than the sand, the ocean, and the sky.  I was filled with a sense of quiet wonder and complete love.

As each object of Nature carries the energy of God, the Presence of the Divine, it follows that each object of Nature can then carry the wisdom of the Divine.  However, to experience that recognition I must stop, but for a moment, to consider it to be a manifestation of God.  I pause.  And, in that pause, Nature seems to open a doorway to reveal some Truth.

Even the path of the sun in the sky, lends itself to revealing the mysterious Presence of God in its very predictability.  Further contemplating the sun, I experience its generosity in the sensation of warmth on my skin or taste a bite of fruit in remembrance of its rays.  The ways in which I can contemplate Nature and find solace in it is truly endless.

In fact, images of Nature, simply gazing at Nature can naturally return me to a state of peace.  Such images are abundant, infinite and easily accessible.  For instance, walking outside and gazing up at the sky, or simply sitting where I am and remembering the vastness of the sky can lure me to the experience of knowing I am in the Presence of God.

It’s comforting to me to know I’m not alone in my quest to deepen my relationship to Spirit and to use any doorway that takes me there.  Nature is a broad doorway.  The Native American reverence for Nature is well known and continues to gain respect as many look to deepen their understanding of and appreciation of Nature as well as challenge previously held beliefs and assumptions.

Consider the wisdom in this statement from the Mohawk Nation (This quote is from an old journal and I can’t find the source.  If anyone knows the source, please share), “We are shown that our life exists with the tree life, that our well being depends on the well-being of the vegetable life, that we are close relatives of the four-legged beings.  In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics . . . We believe that all living things are spiritual beings.  Spirits can be expressed as energy forms manifested in matter.  A blade of grass is an energy form manifested in matter – grass matter.  The spirit of the grass is that unseen force which produces the species of grass, and it is manifest to us in the form of real grass.”

Any aspect of Nature, from a single acorn, to the changing seasons can teach me more of the Truth of who I am.  What if I listen more deeply, and let God be God in any and all manifestations before me?  Might then I glimpse the beauty and peace of the Eternal in the Present moment?

By Melanie | Posted in mindfulness, sacred threads | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

fresh starts

August 25, 2009 – 2:08 pm

This time of year, when children (young and old) are heading back to school, I’m inspired to take a fresh look, to look anew at Life.  Particularly, I think that there’s value to be had in re-considering old ways of thinking that may have once served but no longer do so.

Sometimes this can be quite a challenge because in many ways, it’s much easier to simply continue along through life.  Yet, in taking the time to re-visit myself, access AWARENESS about where I am, who I am, what’s important to me today, . . . Not yesterday . . . Not tomorrow . . . Today, I rediscover myself.  And, in that rediscovery, I rediscover a sweet appreciation for myself.

Here’s what I know today . . .

I value quiet alone time with myself.

My family makes my life a paradise.

I value my friendships.

Granola is good, especially my super excellent homemade granola.

It’s possible to create peaceable communities.

Taking responsibility for myself is the only self I can take responsibility for.

I like simple phones, though I may someday cave and get an iphone.

I delight in the companionship of my mutt, Huxley.

IMG_3655

I still enjoy swimming.

I intend to share my gifts with others in ways that make a big impact.  And, though I don’t really know what that means, it’s still true.

I sometimes stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong.

Forgiveness brings me back to NOW.

I have access to unlimited resources, though I sometimes forget the TRUTH of that.

I have faith that everything is all right.

So, what do you know to be true for you . . .?

By Melanie | Posted in mindfulness, power of now, this i believe | Comments (1)

sacred threads ~ who is god to you?

July 28, 2009 – 6:06 pm

Several years ago, standing alongside fellow seekers in a temple, my voice joined with other voices to sing hymns of love for Consciousness, for God, for Shiva, for Allah. . .  After some time, I felt enraptured by waves of immense bliss and infinite love.  My experience of who I am began to shift. No longer did I exist only in my own limited personal identity.  My “being” encompassed fellow seekers, the love we share, the temple, the early evening sky, the entire cosmos.

“I” consisted of all Existence; pervading all time and all space; permeating the fabric of all existence.  I experienced myself as being complete bliss and pure love.  This experience of myself lasted only a glancing moment.  Yet, this glancing moment changed me forever.  It seemed that I was given a glimpse of the answer to my burning question, “Who is God?”

My glimpse into the answer grounded me in faith that there is an answer.  What a sublime practice faith has become, reminding me as I move through daily life, “this too is God.” This too is God!  This too is God!  This practice of this understanding brings the teaching that God is ALL pervasive to life in my life.

Joy becomes mine as I more consistently recognize that I can never be separate from the Lord, whoever I conceive Her to be! No matter what happens, no matter where I am, no matter I’m with, I am never without God.

So, who is God?

“Who is God?”  Indeed, perhaps the most profound answer to this question lies in our own experiences.  For it is to those experiences that we turn and through which we ultimately find personal understanding.  Contemplating the question, “Who is God to me?” lead me to the remembrance of when I have experienced the Divine.  These experiences encompass both the profound life changing experiences such as the one I shared above and the more “mundane” experiences of daily life when the light and love of God pierces my routines.

The luscious fruit of these contemplations, these remembrances, are both scrumptious and enchanting.  Yet, for some mysterious reason, I didn’t really give myself full permission to contemplate this question.  I relegated this kind of knowing to scholars or saints, ministers or priests.

For the longest time, I presumed that intimate knowledge of God is obtainable only after death or in some future life. It is certainly not obtainable in this life, certainly not in this moment, and most certainly not by ordinary people, like me.
Yet, saints throughout history have offered all of us the treasure of their own great understanding of the Truth; “the Kingdom of God lies within.”

Still, I didn’t fully believe that. I think now, because I never asked the question, “Who is God to me? How can I experience the fullness of Consciousness in my daily life.  I resisted completely accepting that the Knowledge I seek is closer than the air I breathe.  The divinity I long for is closer than my own breath.

William Wordsworth, the great poet of the 19th Century captured his own experience of God in this poem,
“And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean, and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man,
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all
thought,
And rolls through all things.

I, like so many others, have felt that disturbing presence, that sublime joy which stops time and dissolves the illusion of separation from God.  Returning to the memory of those moments become golden threads that together weave a holy shawl for me. I can enfold myself in this shawl, protecting my faith from the howling winds of doubt.  And, I can use any number of tools, such as Z Point to clear all the ways I feel the cold fingers of doubt.

With my mind’s natural tendency to lay claim to the region of knowledge and truth, I sometimes listen only to the mind and ignore the quiet murmurs and reflections of my heart.  I know I’m not alone in this. :)

When I adopt the innocent vision and curiosity of a child, I’m back in the current of LIFE, enjoying the bubbling energy of faith, knowing everything is all right.  Everything is unfolding as it should.  How easily children seem to see and embrace the magic and mystery of life.  Their lives pulsate with awareness, albeit unconscious, of the Presence of Great Mystery.  Might we discover the mystical magic of daily life if we approach each day, each moment with humble and innocent curiosity?

By Melanie | Posted in mindfulness, power of now, sacred threads | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

awaken responsibility

July 14, 2009 – 3:23 pm

A quick note – Some of this material was originally published in my award winning book, An Illumined Life ~ A Personal Yearly Retreat & Reflection Guide.

On a recent trip with one of my daughters, I found myself feeling very edgy.  Though I was excited to be with her, she and I just couldn’t seem to connect.  She was not feeling well and like many people who don’t feel well, she was distant and a little grumpy.  I took all of this very personally and held her responsible for my hurt feelings … for a little while.  I blamed her for how I felt.  It went something like this “If only she were a little more respectful, then I wouldn’t feel so bad.”

I knew it wasn’t really her fault and realized that I had a choice.  I could choose to contemplate my feelings and figure out what was going on with me.  I could clear my own negativity with some exercise, relaxation, self-inquiry, self-hypnosis or journaling.  Or, I could continue to blame her and stay in my hurt.  I chose exercise, self-inquiry and self-hypnosis.

Within a couple of hours, I realized what was bothering me and got myself back on track – back in a steady, easy-going state of mind.  Over dinner, my daughter and I had a long conversation.  We restored balance in our relationship and found our way back to laughter and love.

In reflecting on this and similar experiences, it’s clear to me that there is enormous freedom in assuming full responsibility for yourself.  It is actually liberating to learn to recognize your choices and assume responsibility for the choices you make.  Freedom lies within the choices you make.

How responsible, on a scale of one to ten, do you consider yourself to be for your life? “One” means not at all responsible; “ten” means completely responsible. Where do you want to be on this scale?

Fairytales of martyred victims are the stuff of children’s stories; they seep into the subconscious filter through which many people view life. The fairytale of “someday” – when your prince or princess comes, when you get that raise or win a vacation to the Bahamas – leaves you waiting for rescue. Life is happening now and you are responsible for your life experience. The prince or princess is not coming.

Many of us allow the fantasies, old stories, and fairytales to steal the direction and enjoyment from our life NOW. Many of us wait for rescue from a bad relationship, overwhelming work demands, or relief from the fatigue of an unbalanced life.

One antidote? Take responsibility for your life!

When life gets better, it is because the person who is living it makes it so. Change happens as soon as you are willing to take responsibility for yourself.
Paradoxically, taking responsibility is truly liberating. The moment you stop looking to be rescued, you discover that you actually hold the keys to your own joy and contentment. Your attitude and the areas you choose to focus your attention upon and take action to change are the keys to create the life of your dreams.

Nathaniel Branden, author of The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, has identified taking responsibility as a pillar of self-esteem. He encourages readers to recognize that “no one is coming.” No one is coming to your rescue. No one is coming to “fix” your life for you. With this realization, doors open in your awareness, understanding, and willingness to claim responsibility for your life.

Greater contentment and joy arise when you take responsibility for your attitude, your actions, and the attainment of your goals. For many, taking responsibility is exhilarating. For others it is frightening and even infuriating. After all, it means dropping – once and for all – the myriad mental habits you have created to avoid taking responsibility.

One definition of responsibility is the opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization.  Inherent in the definition is the recognition of our ability to respond.  Response-ability.

Yet most of have our favorite and familiar means of abdicating responsibility.

Here are the TOP FIVE ways people avoid full responsibility:
• Blaming others
• Adopting “Poor me” attitude
• Staying in confusion
• Shaming and “shoulding” ourselves or others
• Gossiping

Which are your favorites? How do you abdicate responsibility? How do you avoid taking responsibility in your life?

As you take more responsibility for yourself and allow others to do the same, your personal and professional relationships become richer and life becomes more satisfying. You are then freed up to offer the pure intelligence, compassion and care that is often clouded by the games of your ego.

Recognizing that your life is just that – YOURS – is the first step in assuming responsibility for your life. Taking responsibility is the first step to creating a truly meaningful life.

Following on the heels of claiming full responsibility for your life is learning to recognize your choice points. In fact, this can become quite the internal game, like a child choosing the right bead to fashion just the right necklace.  In addition to being a game, recognizing choice points can also be considered a spiritual practice.  You choose what kind of life you will have moment by moment.

If you choose to stay out late with friends on the night before an early morning meeting, you soon discover the consequences of that choice.

Every moment of everyday, you make choices. You make choices about what you think, what you feel, what you do, and where to direct your attention. The choices that you make fashion your life. Your choices come together to create your destiny. The responsibility you have is to become better and better at recognizing these choice points and then taking responsibility for every choice you do make.

Practice recognizing the choice points you encounter throughout the day.  As you practice this, you will find that you can make choices that will move you closer to your goals and the kind of life you want to have.  And you can make choices that move you away from the kind of life you want to have.

One way to bring choice points into your awareness is to simply write “Choice Points” on a Post-ItTM note and place it on your computer, steering wheel, or mirror.  Choice points include not only your actions, but also your thoughts. You can choose good thoughts. You can choose thoughts that bring the tiniest pleasure and use those thoughts as a bridge to your next good thought.

Choose well and enjoy your choices!

By Melanie | Posted in mindfulness, power of now | Comments (6)

surprising waves of grief

May 7, 2009 – 2:13 pm

img_40322I’m back from my world travels!  Yayyyy!  Greece was beautiful and I look forward to returning to that part of the world.  I lived in Izmir, Turkey when I was younger and loved it.  It was a magical time in my life.

Being in this part of the world again caught me by suprise.  The first couple of days I was PRICKLY!  My dear daughter only had to look at me sideways and I would start crying.  It was an odd combination of events that came together in a roaring confluence.

Making it all the more challenging was that I did not have a clue what was going on with me.  After much contemplation (yayyyy for self-reflection!), I realized I missed my mom, I missed my daughters knowing my mom and I missed my daughter even though she was now only a few feet away from me.

Here’s the deal, grief snuck up on me and gave me a good thump in my heart.  My mom passed in 1996 and Hannah, my youngest, has been living in France since January.  Compound that with being around ruins.  RUINS.  That’s what thumped my heart and opened this contorted grief storm.  We never really know what’s going to set off grief.

For me, this time, ruins.  When we lived in Turkey, my family would spend weekends finding ruins, playing in Ephesus, and generally having great adventures.  Ruins were my playground and it was magical.  Ruins reminded me of that time and of my mom.  And, I missed her.  A LOT.

Once I figured out wth was going on with me, it was much easier to just allow the tears.  I’m a big advocate of self-reflection.  Know Thyself.  What better place to engage in contemplation and self-reflection than Delphi?  Though the columns that support that ancient guidance have long ago collapsed, the wisdom lives on.

By Melanie | Posted in 3 Good Things, Uncategorized, birthday, meditation, mindfulness, power of now, relationships, this i believe | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

peer pressure

March 2, 2009 – 3:00 pm

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I have given up driving over the speed limit for Lent.  The other day, I found myself on one of the country roads that wind through the hills of East Tennessee and lead to my house.  The speed limit on this slow winding road is 35 mph.  I usually travel between 45 and 50 mph on this stretch of going home.

Apparently the driver of the large Ford behind me typically enjoys traveling well above the 35 mph posted limit as well.  As I toddled along, I had to work to draw my eyes away from my rear view mirror.

I felt compelled to speed up to “please” the driver behind me, who seemed to really like driving close to the bumber of my little Miata.

Breathing deeply, wishing him well.  I noticed the color of the hay on the hillside shimmered with a particularly lovely shade of gold.  I smiled, hoping my fellow traveler noticed.

Within a moment or two, he backed away and slowed down.

Here’s to being mindful and present to my own intentions rather than swept away in the push and pull of peer pressure.

By Melanie | Posted in mindfulness | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Mingling Holding On & Letting Go

February 19, 2009 – 1:22 pm
Even Nature Balances Holding On & Letting Go

Even Nature Balances Holding On & Letting Go

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
– Havelock Ellis

By Melanie | Posted in Uncategorized, fresh fruit, mindfulness, power of now, relationships, this i believe | Comments (0)

Holding On Letting Go

February 19, 2009 – 12:29 pm

We humans have a shared habit.  We are often hold onto things that hurt us and let go of things that help us rather than the other way around.  Two sides of the same coin, this holding on and letting go.

In a recent conversation with a group of extraordinary women, we drifted into exploring the very human tendency to hold on.  We hold on to old hurts, regrets, resentments, expectations.  We hold onto ideas, beliefs, stuff.  There are endless possibilities for holding on.

Here’s the thing, when holding on and letting go is out of balance, we are restricting our capacity to experience  freedom and peacefulness in the present moment.

One very like-able woman held onto the idea that at some point her adult son would come around to appreciating her and would actually like her.  Another held onto a desire for her mother to be happy in the midst of a very challenging time.  Yet another held onto the wish for a medical procedure to be in her past and not in her future.  One woman talked about holding on to stuff that was cluttering up her home.  And I have been holding on to the expectation that a person I have been trying to contact would actually return my calls as well as my frustration that they haven’t thus far.

All of this holding on, whether it is a thought, a belief, a person, a desire, even an old, out-dated way of being robs each of us of the joy and peace available in the present.  In fact, it is impossible to fully be present to what IS when we are wishing for what could be, lamenting the past and hoping for the future.

Someone once asked an esteemed monk, “What is the secret of your contentment?”  He replied, “I don’t mind what is.”

As this group of wise women played around in the field of accepting what is, it became clearer to me that when holding on and letting go are in balance, it is easier to enter that garden of contentment – not minding what is – it is easier to enter the sublime garden of the present moment.

So, the question I invite you to play with is this; when you are experiencing any kind of suffering, what are you holding on to?  And, borrowing from the Sedona Method, ask yourself these questions; Could I let go?  Would I let go?  When?  Asking several rounds of these questions can help loosen your grip.

By Melanie | Posted in mindfulness, power of now, this i believe | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)