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Learning to Love: Let Your Barriers Down

Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 (201 days ago.) Viewed 674 times.

Your task is not to seek love, but to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. A Course In Miracles

Reading this quote elicited a loud "AMEN" from my spirit. Inn a flash it was revealed to me that to seek and find the barriers to Love within myself, and to dissolve them, was the main goal of my last few years of energy healing and spiritual work. I could see how I've evolved from being a walled-in soul, to someone who chooses to see her world from a place of Love. The work may take a lifetime, yet the feeling inside makes it worth it all.

Love or love?

We tend to confuse Love with the feeling of affection reserved for the chosen few we call lovers, family or friends. This is love. These relationships can be wonderful and nurturing, although often conditional. It is not the Love spoken of in COM or the Agape Love spoken of in scripture and spiritual teachings. .

Why not seek Love? Can it be sought and found? Or is it like the air we breathe, waiting to be taken in at every breath? Scripture says, "God is Love." It is unconditional and pure. I believe Love is the highest vibration of energy. To the measure we are open to Love, it flows in and around and through us in an abundant, never-ending supply.

So if Love is so wonderful, why do we create barriers to it?

As much as we think we desire Love, we fear it because the light of Love exposes us and shows us who we truly are. You may think I'm implying that we'll see our dark side, and that may be so. What can be even scarier is to see the magnificence within, waiting for an opportunity to express itself. Love challenges us to open ourselves to itself within and around us, to allow it to change us in ways that may be at odds with our belief systems and habits.

And I can promise that Love will change you. Perhaps what it does is open us to a higher expression of ourselves, while letting go of what no longer serves the highest good. I once read that if you were to burn off a lifetime of thoughts, words and deeds, all that would remain was that which was made of Love. That led to some soul searching!

What are the barriers to Love?

Many. Here are some examples.

We wall off our hearts to protect them from being hurt again.

To varying degrees we "shut out" those who are different from us.

We judge others and ourselves.

We stay in the victim and blame mode.

We oppress, victimize and violate others.

We feel threatened and fear that Love will ask us to do something we may not want to do.

You get the idea. These constructs of our minds, as attached to them as we may be, act as barriers that separate us from our true selves and others. They keep Love out.

"But I don't want to get hurt!"

Nobody does! But the simple truth is that if you have a wall up against pain, it is up against love. And the pain is still there, locked inside. Let it go. The joys of experiencing an open heart far outweigh the hurts that sometimes come our way.

Note:None of this means you have to open yourself to abuse of any kind or stay in it, that's not love.

So start seeking the barriers within yourself and let your walls come down.

Don't be afraid. Realize you will receive much more than you are letting go.

Start with little things. Allow yourself to feel and experience the wonders of nature, even a tiny flower in all its glory. Love made that.

Realize we are all in this together. There are six billion of us, along with multitudes of living creatures on a planet hurtling through space at thousands of miles per hour. Love holds us together.

Consider someone you have hardened your heart against. Can you soften just a bit as you think of this person? Perhaps send a blessing? You'll be amazed at how relieved your body and mind begins to feel. Love is expansive, walls are constrictive.

This next idea may be quite difficult for some of you. You must dissolve the barriers to loving yourself. So much of what we project onto others is really about what's going on inside ourselves. Love yourself and love for others will flow easily.

As you bring the wall down, or even allow cracks to form, Love will start rushing in. It has always been there waiting.

" There is nothing but love, all else is illusion ."

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It's Been A Difficult Month

Posted Sunday, March 22, 2009 (231 days 6 hours ago.) Viewed 1,640 times.

This month has been full of challenges. It started with a cold. No big deal right? Just snuggle up with a box of tissues and hot tea for two weeks and all is well. How lucky for me it even hit the night my winter vacation started so I could stay home and rest (instead of doing the hundred things I had planned).

Then, a week into my cold, my father-in-law died. This was three days after going to the nursing home for Alzheimer's. In many ways a blessing we would say. Still a big loss for my husband who adored his dad. And a huge one for my mother-in-law, his wife of 65 years. Their anniversary ended three hours before he died. He was lucid the day before- long enough to tell his wife he loved her.

Two weeks later, we decided to put our beloved dog Duke to sleep before the ravages of cancer increased his suffering. He was only "supposed" to have three weeks. Instead he bravely and happily stayed with us for 4-1/2 months. He really didn't want to go, which made it really hard on me. This was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make. How do you decide it's time for someone to die? He could barely eat, and the little he did eat came right out. He tried hard to hold it until I could get up and let him out but often couldn't make it. Towards the end this would go on almost all night. Needless to say, by now I was stressed and exhausted.

I felt so powerless. I listened to my intuition, gave him healing energy, did everything in my bag of tricks. His pile of supplements is still in the kitchen. Yet the last few weeks he was wasting away before our eyes. The inevitable was all too obvious.

So I listened to the voice inside me getting louder and louder. Maybe it was the exhaustion of sleepless nights getting up with him, fearing he was suffering more than he was letting on, and grieving for the loss to come that was speaking louder. I don't know.

He passed a week and a day ago. Even though my exhaustion began to lift and I started getting enough sleep, that sick feeling accompanied by a fever signaled the arrival of the flu. Like I said, it's been a hard month.

The good news is that I'm on the mend, physically and emotionally. I do know that in the past, the situation would have caused me to torture myself with self-abasing inner talk for years. Thankfully, it only lasted a few days this time. Yes, I miss him and cry sometimes. It's normal healthy, healing grief, and I'm okay with that. For the most part, I've made peace with the decision of that fateful day as well.

To see the silver lining in the cloud, I am happy to see that all the emotional healing and spiritual work I've done these past few years is paying off. It's interesting to notice how my ways of responding to life's challenges have changed for the better. And yes, I've done more healing work this month, lots more. (Tap, tap, tap). And no doubt always will. Now where are those tissues?

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Nurture Your Spirit: Create a Sacred Space

Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009 (255 days ago.) Viewed 218 times.

Did you know that you could have sacred spaces in your home? You can make them as simple or elaborate as you like. Some people set up a formal home altar with religious icons where they meditate or pray alone or as a family. Others may keep it very personal by using a dresser drawer, a shadow box on the wall or a tiny space on a shelf dedicated to treasured items or photos. You can also have a designated spot outside for this purpose.

Why have a sacred space?

Having a special area is way of nurturing your soul and spirit. There is so much in our outer and inner worlds that are in a state of unrest. They leave us feeling weary, burdened and stressed. When you are feeling this way, a moment spent in your sacred space helps remind you of your connection to the Divine, and/or to the people, places or things that touch your soul and spirit. Even a purposeful quick glance can bring a sense of centering, grounding and rest.

I have several such spaces. To the unknowing eye, they look just like a collection of mementos or photographs. One grouping sits on top of a small bookcase. It holds photos of deceased loved ones and a few items from their homes. Here I can connect with them through memories and spirit. It's a way of knowing we are not alone.

Two red stones from Sedona's Bell Rock sit on the fireplace mantel. A corner of a windowsill is home to a mystical clay figure I formed intuitively in clay class. It holds a photo of my beloved dog and semi-precious gemstones. They remind me that I am part of something greater than myself, and that the earth holds secrets I don't understand, yet am drawn to anyway.

I share this to show you that all you need for a sacred area are items representing people and things that are deeply meaningful and nurturing to your soul. You can do this anywhere. Some people put statuettes or religious icons in their cars. They wear and touch a locket from someone special. I keep a piece of bark from "my" tree on the computer at work. It's my secret mental "transporter" to warm summer days spent bicycling to the marsh where it lives.

Two keys to setting up your space:

The first key is that no matter how large or small your designated area, place and the mementos you've chosen apart from everything else around it. Just a little separation from your other items is enough. What's more important is that you set them apart in your mind, with your intent. You can share the significance of the spot with others, or keep it as your own little secret.

Secondly, choose items that are meaningful to you or represent special people or times. Put the items that your intellect says you "should" include somewhere else. Sacred spaces are for the things that truly touch your soul. Trust your inner guidance.

These two guidelines are important if you want your personal altar to serve as a spiritual aid. Think of this outer space you are creating as being symbolic of the inner sacred space already inside you. "As within so without, as without so within" the ancient Hermetic Law states. When you honor and remember those inner parts of yourself by designating special areas in your outer world, you nurture and strengthen your connection to your spirit throughout the day.

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