Sorrow's Heart Call - Holding our dear Jennifer

Oh dear sweet circle of women,

Today eight of us came together, we were called to be in this space at this time to hold our dear Jennifer, who tragically lost her son last night. Eight of us joined energetically with Michelle, Brenda and Glenda who were with Jennifer in form today. Bless these beautiful friendships!

I received the news this morning, moments before getting in my car to drive to Michelle’s. As driving, I thought to myself, I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be with this kind of heart wrenching pain. I don’t know how to do this grief and sorrow and loss. Not when its as real as this.

On my way to Michelle’s I phoned my friend Ariel and told her the news through tears and panic. And she said, very calmly and firmly, “Patti, this is why we gather in circle.  This is why we do the practice.”

And so we gathered, eight tender hearts, and we spoke of our sadness, our fears, our grief, and our confusion. We called upon our ancestors who’s wisdom on death is so much richer and deeper than ours. We asked to unlock the knot in our bellies, the lock that wants to keep this pain far, far away - that doesn’t want to see how vulnerable and fragile life is. We courageously softened into the pain, we saw it, we held it. We held Jen. We held Ryan. We held their family. We held our children. We held our pain.

And we basked in the sound of Melanie’s song! Oh what a GIFT it was for us to receive Melanie’s song of “Rise Up”. (Melanie graciously recorded it for us and I have attached it to this email, I tried to embed it in to the blog but it doesn't want to be embedded). Angel Melanie was planning on singing this song before she knew of the tragedy and it could not have been more perfect.

Through tears, we held hands, we prayed, and we moved. We moved and danced with the certainty of death, and the unity of birth and death. We honoured the beauty of the human form and its capacity to instill such deep, deep love. We honoured the intense and real pain of human suffering, and we honoured the eternal formless and felt the truth that Ryan was now formless and everywhere.

Spirit guided the practice and love led us through it.

Jen, we love you and we hold you dearly.

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RISE UP by Andra Day
(beautifully sung by Melanie during our circle)

“You’re broken down and tired
Of living life on a merry go round
And you can’t find the fighter
But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out
And move mountains
We gonna walk it out
And move mountains
And I’ll rise up
I’ll rise like the day
I’ll rise up
I’ll rise unafraid
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousand times again
And I’ll rise up
High like the waves
I’ll rise up
In spite of the ache
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousands times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
When the silence isn’t quiet
And it feels like it’s getting hard to breathe
And I know you feel like dying
But I promise we’ll take the world to its feet
And move mountains
We’ll take it to its feet
And move mountains
And I’ll rise up
I’ll rise like the day
I’ll rise up
I’ll rise unafraid
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
All we need, all we need is hope
And for that we have each other
And for that we have each other
We will rise
We will rise
We’ll rise, oh oh
We’ll rise
I’ll rise up
Rise like the day
I’ll rise up
In spite of the ache
I will rise a thousands times again
And we’ll rise up
Rise like the waves
We’ll rise up
In spite of the ache
We’ll rise up
And we’ll do it a thousands times again
For you oh oh oh oh oh
For you oh oh oh oh oh
For you oh oh oh oh oh
For you
”

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“SORROW

Too Deep to be Yours

So much of human restlessness
is to get away from feelings.
Sadness is definitely not popular.
Ignoring it will not make it go away.
Most feelings are dogged,
because they want you to see, or give
you a gift.

Don’t bite the messenger!
Let’s see what’s true about sorrow
or depression.
Don’t touch the details
for a moment.
Can you notice how deep it is?
Could you even swim down to the bottom?
Maybe, on the surface it feels
like yours.
But, whose is it really?

Could you have possibly accumulated
all that?
Now, what if it was intelligent
and you could be with it?
Let’s see.
Sniff or bow or say hello.
Be curious, why has it come to sit
with you?
I then like to ask, who are you really?

Who were you before sadness?
(No need to know, it is a respectful
question.)
Notice as it flares up or shape shifts
or rests.
Stay with it, the way a friend would.
Be unmoving and ask again,
“And before that, who are you?”

When it starts to stream open,
or uncontains itself,
please feed it with gratitude!
It is an honor to be present as
the Mystery reveals itself.
What is noticed or seen or felt?
Invite it to spread its wings,
or get as big as it wants.
Notice there is no past, no history
in its naturalness.
No sorrow either!

Ahh,
It is the sacred secret
that lives at the heart of everything
Ask it, what its true name?
Compassion.
Love.
Silence!
”

— "A Golden Retriever's Guide to JOY, Helpful Hints for Humans" by Pamela Wilson

WHEN WOMEN CIRCLE

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CAN YOU HOLD SPACE FOR ANOTHER?

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Held

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Dear blessed Wise Women,

I write to you 26 hours after the closing of our last Friday circle. Shortly after the circle, Dave and I attended a beautiful celebration of life for a friend of Dave’s family. It is always a gift to be able to witness such an occasion. During the celebration, I found myself reflecting on my memories of this sweet lady who touched my life in small but profound ways. Which led me to contemplate the impact I am having on my loved ones and those around me, and the plethora of people who are impacting my life in deep and meaningful ways.

I found myself awash in gratitude for the many meaningful and deeply connected relationships I have, including each of YOU!! I truly love this circle of women! We are weaving a web of connections that we carry far beyond the time and space of Friday mornings.

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HELD

“The Mother is waiting to hold you. To support you. To show you the way. To guide your each and every move. But in order for Her to do so, you need to be willing to be held. Like really held. Totally. In full. 100 percent. Held. If you only allow 50 percent that’s how much support you will receive. However unmet you feel by Life, that’s the amount you are resisting being held.

Being held takes courage. It takes faith. For it requires that you allow all control, scheming, and relying on your own strength to dissolve away.”

— Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell

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HEALING WITH THE TAO

“Imagine that you are lying in a dark endless space that is safe, expansive and loving. Imagine it expanding in front of you, behind you, to the right and left, above and below, until it is just you in the centre of endless space. Feel your edges blurring until it is hard to tell where you start and stop and the space begins. Allow yourself to feel held and supported in the space, almost like you are resting on a deep ocean. Become aware of gentle pulses and waves, sometimes quite large, sometimes very small and delicate, that reveal this space has intelligence and aliveness.”

— #38 The Tao, Kuan Yin Oracle Cards by Alana Fairchild

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Holding you and feeling held,

xoxo

Patti

Layers and Layers of Softening

Dear Wise Women,

Wowza!! I am (once again) humbled to the core by what arises in our group and how the Divine expresses herself through each of us with our silence and through our words!

All week long I had a sense of the direction I wanted to guide our circle this morning, yet the precise readings and flow did not come together until 7:00 am this morning! Yeesh, c’mon spirit, did you really have to keep me on the edge of my seat until the very last minute? I had been asking all week after all!

Hmmmm, wait a minute. Could it be that I chose to keep myself perched on the edge of my seat, held firmly in place by the voice of doubt? Could that be more true. Yes, yes it could.

Apparently, the guidance wasn’t ready to be revealed until early this morning and I’m glad I listened. I’m glad I chose the readings I did and the order and method in which I shared them. I’m glad you all opened so beautifully to receive. I am glad for so many things, and mostly I am glad that spirit has thrust me into this humble role and continues to teach me how to relax and trust in divine timing (over and over and over again…the path is definitely not linear). ;)

And, once again, this gift was affirmed by the collective power of our circle today. Truly incredible! I’m deeply, deeply grateful!

It makes me wonder, where else in my life would I benefit from letting go of my tight grip on the steering wheel? What else wants to show up, but simply doesn’t have the room to do so? Hmmm what a juicy question…one which I invite you to ponder for yourself. 💞

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Lovely goddesses, I am honoured to share with you the various readings and sharing of today so that you may integrate them at a deeper level, should doing so speak to you.

BALANCING THE MASCULINE AND FEMININE IN YOU
(re-sharing of last week’s passage…just because it feels so important)

“We each have within us both masculine and feminine energies. While your sex indicates what energies you chose to focus on in this life, we still embody both.

As we are coming out of 5000 years of patriarchy, where the unbalanced masculine has been the focus, it is important to note that the unbalanced feminine can be just as destructive.

Just as the sacred feminine’s anger has been silenced through patriarchy, the sacred masculine’s ability to express emotion and recognize his divinity has too.

As we recover from patriarchy, it is important not to aspire to its polar opposite - patriarchy to matriarchy. Rather, let’s bring the sacred masculine and sacred feminine energies back into balance. As the sacred feminine rises, may the sacred masculine rise along with Her.”

— Rise Sister Rise, by Rebecca Campbell

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“The Divine Masculine’s deepest desire is to be present and hold the Feminine while she does her work”. - Pamela Wilson, Satsang Retreat April, 2017

To further our understanding of the balancing of Feminine and Masculine, let us explore the basic laws of nature and the workings of the one original energy, the Tao.

We Are Made of the Life Energy Signal - Chi

“Each one of us is endowed with a piece of the one original energy, the Tao. This energy, through a series of transformations, becomes our Chi.

Our body is made of dust (material), which is amassed and propelled by the invisible force and activities of Chi. When you see the physical form of a friend, you are not seeing the real her, but only the material from which she is made.

Have you had the experience of attending a funeral or wake? If you were able to gaze upon the corpse of the person you once knew, you could easily see that “they” were no longer there. The force that animated their body held the real person you knew, not the lifeless material in the casket.

Similarly, you might claim to have seen a tornado either in real life or on television. But actually, you did not “see” the tornado. What you saw was merely the debris that the tornado churned up and held together in form. The actual force we call a tornado was the invisible part you could not see that held the whirling debris together and gave it power.

Similarly, it is our Chi that holds us together, animates us, and makes us who were really are. It is our true self. It is the source of consciousness, awareness, and life. Without it, nothing lives.

While our invisible life force signal, Chi, is in orderly action, life thrives and well-being abounds. Conversely, when this signal of the life force, Chi, is in decay, becoming weak, or in the process of disintegrating, the “life” of the material body is in a chaotic state. When Chi deteriorates, suffering predominates, even leading to death.

Since this life energy signal is composed of the memory of the cosmic force, it can behave only according to the law of its nature: it is always in motion, transient, and dynamically playful. These are the same characteristics of the one universal energy from which your Chi came.

Because of its likeness and affinity to the original cosmic force, our life energy signal is capable of harmonizing with that original cosmic force. Our life energy can tune into the signal of the original natural force and follow its direction. It can harmonize with the One-chi in order to continue, to multiply, to adjust to changes, to fine-tune itself, to adapt, and to “survive”.

Your Chi will always seek to harmonize itself and will always seek balance as best it can. It will cause you to take action that will bring harmony and balance to your life and body. The degree to which your Chi signal can maintain its integrity and clear reception of the original One-chi signal is the extent to which your Chi is able to succeed in maintaining harmony and the force of life within your body. The degree to which your Chi signal is confused, weakened, and off-balance is due to factors that muffle and block the signal from the One-chi.

One of the biggest factors leading towards Chi imbalance is the use of our mind. When Chi, the life energy signal, converts into a mental signal, it is gradually depleted and weakened. ”

— Chi - Discovering Your Life Energy, by Master Waysun Liao

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It is not the mind itself that is the problem, it is the activity of the identified and trapped mind, or what Micheal Singer calls the voice in our head. This negative and destructive voice in our head is the single most destructive factor leading towards Chi imbalance. Given this, many of us have been inclined to try to stop our mind from thinking or certainly to rid ourselves of negative thoughts. If you’ve ever tried this you can attest that this approach, especially when motivated by control, never works! But there is another way. When we view our thoughts with COMPASSION, gently WITNESS them, and SOFTEN to them an inner alchemy occurs. Loving-kindness and benevolent curiosity has the power to restore harmony and return any imbalance to its true nature.

Who better to guide us to compassion and mercy than Kuan Yin?

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“To know Kuan Yin we need to let go of all that is unloved, judged, forged from old mind clingings. She is the unconditional love beyond the conditioned mind”

- Steven Levine

SOFTENING INTO PAIN

“It is said that nothing is true until we have experienced it, so as an experiment in sending healing into an area where fear has displaced acceptance, we use the occasion of moderate pain to test the truth of softening and the power of mercy to cultivate a lifeline to healing.

As an experiment in compassion and the cultivation of mercy, one might consider focusing one’s attention on a slight wound or burn, softening about it and sending loving-kindness into the injury. Note any thought hindrances that arise to limit such an exercise. These are the wrathful deities in angel’s garb misguiding us to defend ourselves against such absurd ideas as sending love into pain. The wrong-headed guardians of our pain that maintain hopelessness and helplessness, isolating discomfort from the sympathetic incursion of a healing mercy.

Notice the changes that go on in the synaptic field, softening, releasing the tightening, breathing mercy into the pain, opening the conduit to the heart, making us wonder how love turned up in a place like this!

Comparing the healing of an injury into which mercy was sent with a similar one left to its own devices, which healed faster?

Approaching the calcified ring of resistance around our pain, which limits the penetration of healing, we soften to the fear that congregates around difficulty. Releasing the tightening that intensifies pain before it recedes further into its suffering.

Softening reveals our inherent capacity for mercy, the very personal relief from the teachings in compassion.

The heart whispers, “May I get the most out of this as possible. May we be freed from the grasping around our pain as mercy gradually infiltrates our pain?”

Recognizing that this working with physical pain parallels the healing of mental discomfort, we release the tension (aversion/resistance) around such fulminations, softening from the edge inward. Trust and patience blossoming in our merciful consciousness. Courage entering further.

Softening is a physical trigger for the mental state of letting go.

We cultivate this softening in the belly in the moment-to-moment letting go of what hinders the heart. When fear, pride, or doubt, aversion or anger, reflections of a lifetime of holding rise in a merciful consciousness, it mindfully and heart fully watches these afflictive thoughts dissipate into the eternity from which they came.”

— Becoming Kuan Yin - The Evolution of Compassion, Steven Levine

THE BELLY OF COMPASSION

“Bring your attention into the sensation in the body. Just feel what sits here. Feel this body you were born into. Allow awareness to come to the level of sensation in the body.

Gradually allow your attention to drop into the abdomen. And begin to soften to the sensations in the belly. Softening the belly to receive the breath. Softening the belly to receive life. Softening to any resistance. no holding. No grasping in soft belly. Letting go of the hardness in the belly. Practicing “merciful belly”.

Moment to moment softening the belly. Moment to moment making room for your life.

Don’t try to grasp or trap the breath, to shape or control it. Just let it be.

Surrender to the breath, softening the belly from moment to moment.

In soft belly is the release of the posturing of a lifetime. All the grief hidden hard in the belly. Have mercy. Letting the hardness float in the belly.

Levels and levels of softening. Levels and levels of letting go. Levels and levels of letting be.

The belly fatigued with its holding, with its mercilessness to itself. Have mercy. Just for this moment at least, soften to this ancient clinging. In a new mercy. In a new willingness to heal. Have mercy on this mercilessness.

Each in breath, belly rising. Each out breath, belly falling. Rising and falling, let your breath breathe itself. Letting go of control, trust the breath to breathe all by itself.

Each breath breathing itself in soft belly. In soft belly we have room for it all. Even room for our pain. Room to get born, room even to die in soft belly, in merciful belly.

Levels and levels of softening. Levels and levels of letting go.”

— Becoming Kuan Yin - The Evolution of Compassion, Steven Levine

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Todays movement practice was all about softening and allowing the natural harmonization of the opposites in our emotional and physical body. Thank-you for going so deeply into this TOGETHER!

A note about our defences (paraphrased from Pamela Wilson):

“Our defences (the body guards) think they’re protecting us from contrasts and shocks and in doing so they limit our experience of love. But these defences don’t really work, we still feel the same pain the same. And its exhausting. TO MAINTAIN CONTRACTION IN A WORLD OF EXPANSION IS EXHAUSTING.

So as you notice yourself contracting (or notice evidence of contraction such as tightness or anxiety) you can simply THANK the defences and report back to them that you are “SAFE”.

Remember that the defences true nature is rooted strength and they long to return to their true nature. ”

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…and how about a little humour for us all we kick off our Thanksgiving weekend?! 😉

Blessings to each of you and your families…and remember to tell your body guards that you are “safe” as you pull that turkey out of the oven (even if you aren’t cooking a turkey this is a wonderful visualization for us to share)!

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With love,

Patti

Oh, Let us Behold the Sacred Feminine and the Sacred Masculine

Dear Beautiful Wise Women,

I left you all just over an hour ago and soon I will be volunteering at my 6th grade daughter’s school as she and her classmates embark on a “Run for the Cure” walk and run, which feels a bit more significant this year. 💞

Each week, I will be carving out time shorty after our gathering to reflect and share the essence of what was revealed, noticed, held, healed and moved. Some weeks there will be an outpouring of my own words and sometimes just an honourable re-sharing of the words of the teachers who have come into our circle. Spirit guides the process and I fully and humbly trust.

I will be adding Cathy’s words of wisdom regarding the Crone shortly, so stay tuned for that update (thank-you Cathy)!

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Oh ladies, I am not sure I can find words that will do justice to the gratitude I am feeling at this moment. I am in complete and utter awe of how gorgeous our circle of women is. I am once again, tickled (thank you Michelle M for that sweet and perfect word) at how spirit called together this particular group of women at the exact right time!

I am feeling the truth of the work we are doing and I am feeling it right down into my core. I strongly sense that we will dive deep into the rebalancing of feminine and masculine over the next 7 weeks together and I cannot wait to hear your wisdom and witness your beautiful unfoldments.

You each shared so honestly, so courageously and so truthfully. We all benefit from the words each of you offer.

And, thank you, each of you, for holding such presence for each other! For millennia, women like us have gathered to support and hold each other. Sadly, this tradition was lost as patriarchy took over. In recent times, it seems that women have spent more time posturing and competing with one another than supporting each other. This is changing and it is circles like ours that is impacting this change! We are holding each other, we are witnessing each other and that is the beginning of something very important.

We are not alone.

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The Belly of Compassion meditation

Oh wise women, thank-you for taking the invitation and so bravely diving deep into the pit of your bellies! I could feel us working together to release lifetimes of holding. My belly thanks you. I know I could not have done that work on my own!

“Bring your attention into the sensation in the body. Just feel what sits here. Feel this body you were born into. Allow awareness to come to the level of sensation in the body.

Gradually allow your attention to drop into the abdomen. And begin to soften to the sensations in the belly. Softening the belly to receive the breath. Softening the belly to receive life. Softening to any resistance. no holding. No grasping in soft belly. Letting go of the hardness in the belly. Practicing “merciful belly”.

Moment to moment softening the belly. Moment to moment making room for your life.

Don’t try to grasp or trap the breath, to shape or control it. Just let it be.

Surrender to the breath, softening the belly from moment to moment.

In soft belly is the release of the posturing of a lifetime. All the grief hidden hard in the belly. Have mercy. Letting the hardness float in the belly.

Levels and levels of softening. Levels and levels of letting go. Levels and levels of letting be.

The belly fatigued with its holding, with its mercilessness to itself. Have mercy. Just for this moment at least, soften to this ancient clinging. In a new mercy. In a new willingness to heal. Have mercy on this mercilessness.

Each in breath, belly rising. Each out breath, belly falling. Rising and falling, let your breath breathe itself. Letting go of control, trust the breath to breathe all by itself.

Each breath breathing itself in soft belly. In soft belly we have room for it all. Even room for our pain. Room to get born, room even to die in soft belly, in merciful belly.

Levels and levels of softening. Levels and levels of letting go.”

— Becoming Kuan Yin by Stephen Levine

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Fellow wise woman, Nadine, who missed today’s circle but will be gathering with us next week loaned me the following book back in May and I only now began to read it (Nadine, I have bought my own copy and will return yours to you next week). ;) As seems to happen, books will sit on my shelf for a little while and tell me when it is time to read them. This was certainly the case with this book. When I began reading it last week I felt as if I was going to burst. Every single word spoke to me and ignited a rising up of energy. I am especially drawn to Rebecca Campbell’s inclusion of the masculine in her work. Here are the passages I shared today, thank-you Rebecca Campbell!

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With the balancing energies of the equinox in full force, I felt it timely that we practice the balancing movements of Five Element Qigong. These series are designed to bring the energies of the Five Elements and their associated energies and emotions into harmony and balance. The focus is on balancing the energies, rather than getting rid of the “negative” emotion. Remember, every emotion just wants to be seen and honoured.

Metal: Lungs and Large Intestine. Exhale Grief and Sorrow. Inhale Compassion and Empathy.

Water: Kidney and Bladder. Exhale Fear. Inhale Courage and Wisdom.

Wood: Liver and Gall Bladder. Exhale Anger. Inhale Strength.

Fire: Heart and Triple Warmer. Exhale Anxiety and Overwhelm. Inhale Joy and Peace.

Earth: Spleen and Stomach. Exhale Worry. Inhale Trust.

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Fellow Wise Women, may you courageously venture into your week. Celebrate the joyous occasions, celebrate your body and your every breath. It was a very powerful practice today and I wish you continued integration throughout your week.

With so much respect and love,

Patti

There's Nothing To Fix (June 15th Circle)

To the Most Precious Circle of Women I have ever known,

Yes...PRECIOUS is the right word!

What we have created is truly precious. Our shared vulnerability is precious. Our honesty is precious. Our willingness to see and be seen, to listen and to speak is precious. And perhaps most precious is our shared commitment to growth, healing and truth.

What a gift to co-create with each of you!

Our closing gathering yesterday and our follow-up celebration was just beautiful and I want to thank Michelle, once again, for holding us in her cherished home. The food that each of you contributed was delectable, THANK-YOU!

I simply cannot wait to gather again this fall and to witness the bonds in this circle continue to strengthen!

With more love than I can possibly describe,
Patti
xoxo

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As happens each week, the circle sharing creates an opening for our energy to move towards. A thread is woven between us and then our collective energy weaves this thread into a tapestry of truth and healing. The more we allow this guidance the more divine it becomes.

Yesterday's thread was an invitation to STOP FIXING. It was Michael Brown's words that inspired me to choose the term, "There's Nothing to Fix."

"Present moment awareness isn’t a concept - it’s an experience. The fact that more and more of are entering it now is a consequence of our accelerating evolution. For anyone willing to receive its blessings, its invitation is here, now, in this moment, this set of circumstances. It calls us in a silent voice that says” “STOP. THERE’S NOWHERE TO GO AND NOTHING TO DO. THERE’ SIMPLY EVERYTHING TO BE."

Serendipitously a few of us had circumstances, or as I call them "practicums" to really call this forward. During our lunch I had a small "practicum" arise, courtesy of my phone, and I would like to share with you how this situation transpired as I feel there is significant value in doing so...

During our intimate gathering I was interrupted by a phone call from my 16 year old daughter, Ayla, followed by several texts from a fairly crazy theatre mom. The mom was making unreasonable demands on Ayla with regards to a costume she is sharing with her daughter in a show this weekend. As you witnessed, I was triggered and felt the need to immediately respond and resolve the situation. This mother's anxiety had suddenly become my problem. I even felt that, since she was being manipulative and passive-aggressive, that I should appease her by offering to pay for a dress our daughters were sharing, even though my daughter did not want the dress (another dress was available), and we had never been asked, nor agreed to buy this new dress. Behind all this craziness was a sense of urgency that felt very real - though this urgency turned out to be entirely FALSE, read on....

Because I didn't want to remove myself from our tantalizing lunch and conversation, I texted the mom back saying I would have to call her in 15 minutes. Then 15 minutes later, because we were still visiting, I texted her back saying that I was sorry, but I needed another 15 minutes (I was not being honest with her or myself because 15 minutes was totally unrealistic). So, after 60 minutes when everyone had left Michelle's house, she texted me and said "I am going into a meeting now Patti, it's ok I have resolved the problem." And poof, just like that, it was done. No need for me to rescue Ayla, no need for me to extend an entirely untrue offer to pay for the dress, and no need to engage in a stressful confrontation with this mom. 

IT WAS FIXED - AND I DIDN'T DO A THING.

So what is the REAL TEACHING in this situation? 

Well, as Michelle C so brilliantly pointed out to me. If I hadn't had my PHONE turned on during a time when I should have been entirely present to all of you, then this entire situation would have resolved itself in the exact same time frame without me being dragged in or stressed out.

WHOA! WHAT?!

"But", I said to Michelle, "I need to have my phone, my kids need to reach me". And very calmly she replied, "Do they really? All the time? What would happen if they couldn't, would they not learn how to resolve their own issues?"  

HMMM...she has a point. 

How many times do we let our phones take us away from the present moment? AND, how often are we enabling our loved ones to fall out of their present moments simply by our constant availability to them?  

Some serious food for thought my friends.

I wonder what the second bird would say??

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THE TWO BIRDS
BY MOOJI

Some time ago, I saw a picture depicting a parable from the Bhagavad Gita. It showed two birds in a tree, and one of them was building a nest. This one is flying off collecting things, arranging the twigs—it’s active, doing many things. 

Above this bird, on another branch, is a second bird. It looks identical to the first bird, but it’s not building anything. It is just observing. It’s not building a self-image out of its perceiving, and it’s not deeply interested in any aspect of what it sees. Its perceiving is happening quite spontaneously without effort or judgment. There’s a silence there, that feeling of Being without thought. Just looking. 

This is a beautiful portrait of who we are. 

These two birds are connected. The first bird represents our dynamic being, the self that is engaged in the world, in future and past, in growing. It is the aspect that is living life with the sense of my family, my children, my work, and so on. The second bird represents that conscious witnessing within us. It is the ability to observe life taking place and activities unfolding, but it is not actually doing anything. It is still within the same body, but it is not manipulating. It is not saying, “I hope this, and I fear that.” No, it is very still. It is simply there, and its seeing is panoramic. It sees not only the first bird, but also the wind in the trees, the sky—everything is observed with a kind of neutrality. 

Initially the first bird is very identified with building the nest. It may not even be aware of the second bird. But as soon as it is able to be quiet, it becomes aware of the second bird, which is actually itself at a deeper inner level. When the first bird’s mind is synchronized with the second bird, the activities become much more gracious. There is a sense of a unity, a oneness. In that harmony, the work may still happen but without obsession, without fear, without the sense of needing to control things. It is simply happening because life compels this activity to happen. It is as though another power is helping the actions to take place. 

The second bird represents the change of perspective from the mode of the person to the state of presence. When we are involved in the activities of life so deeply that it seems that the daily routine is all there is, then we are like this first bird, the nest builder, oblivious to our second bird position. 

Come to the second bird position, to the one who is observing, and you will discover that the one who is busy building a life will slowly become more transparent, leaving only the functioning itself. The activities are happening anyway, beautifully, but the sense of doer-ship—which is the ego sense—will fade away. Activities are just happening; our self-image as a person is just happening, but our true Self is not a happening. In fact, the true Self is a third position, which is not a bird, but the space within which both birds are arising and seen. 

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Darlings, I plan to add to this little blog over the summer so stay tuned.

xo
Patti 

Deep sharing, deep love, deep energy...and yummy cookies! (June 8th circle)

To my most favourite Qigong goddesses!

Just over two years ago, I started offering classes and Katrina C, Michelle M and Cathy were there with me! Very shortly after, Glenda, Brenda and Jen joined our circle. Then three more incredibly authentic and beautiful women joined, Michelle C, Katrina K and Jessica. And yesterday, we were all together in the most divine space ever, Michelle's Lotus Garden! 

I am still glowing in the aftermath of what transpired yesterday. I have not stopped smiling since yesterday and I keep seeing the image of Michelle M flapping her wings in excitement when, one by one, you entered the door (and I was there right beside her squealing in delight)!

As soon as we sat I knew that we simply had to allow time for a deep sharing, and WOW, was that time well spent!  Belly laughter, tears, more belly laughter, more tears...can it  get more real than that?

Truly, I am in such awe of the power of sharing and listening with unconditional presence. The energy that began to move in our circle amplified the (shortened) qigong practice that followed. What a GIFT!   

As I type this I am drawn to an image of an Aztec Circle of Friends candle holder. The Circle of Friends story originates from a Mayan Indian legend. The clay candle holders that have made it to modern times are based on ancient groups celebrating around actual bonfires; dancing and sharing stories of each other's good qualities and becoming closer to one another. 

This is us.

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Yesterday morning before class, I meditated on our group and was asked to draw a card from the Lightworker Oracle deck. Many messages that were shared in our circle were also spoken in the message from the card. Hence, I felt the need to share it with you during our meditation (and the other readings I had chosen for today were asked to wait for another day).

SEVENTH RAY OF RITUAL, ORDER & CEREMONY 

"When the gift of the Seventh Ray enters your life, something new is being formed, something that will benefit your world. There may be an increased interest in magic, ceremony and ritual for healing purposes. Resonating with high frequency violet light and the Archangel Zadkiel, the Seventh Ray also helps transmute energy from lower to higher frequency. It is a spiritual cleansing agent that allows the truth of spiritual freedom, empowerment and choice to be seen and felt, restoring hope and joy to the heart. 

The Seventh Ray is very active upon earth at this time. All of humanity is being affected by it. The Seventh Ray is the push-pull between the old and the new - the life that has been and can  no longer continue in that form, and the new - the life that wants to evolve from the old. It honours traditions and ancestral wisdom that serve new life. When the Seventh Ray enters your life, you are asked to balance your attachment to what has been with an openness to the new. It is a time to fearlessly question what has been, honour what continues to hold value for you and dismiss what no longer serves you.

The Seventh Ray also creates form from invisible, intangible spiritual energy. These are the inspired solutions and synchronicities that seem to come out of nowhere. They are signs of the divine order happening. The Seventh Ray brings an alignment with that divine order, and the more you are willing to invoke and allow that energy to bless you, the more your life will align itself with the genius of creativity, solutions and loving opportunities the Universe wants to bring to your world. 

The gifts of ritual, order and ceremony are ways to attract this energy. Conscious ceremony, done in service to the unconditional divine love, feeds a need for sacred embodiment. It is the hunger within the soul that many seek to feed through religion - and others through the less conscious rituals of addiction. Ritual can be something that keeps you stuck, or opens you to the sacred.

Choosing a spiritual practice to engage in on a regular basis - creating your own spiritual system - will help you call the genius of the Seventh Ray energy into your life. Your spiritual practice might be a daily prayer followed by a short, conscious dance or yoga session, a meditation, a work in nature , or some combination of these. Find what works for you. Do that regularly. Make it a priority. You can invite Spirit into your life through a simple and ordered system that you do on a regular basis - even if only for five or ten minutes a day. Then the new life, the new you, the order that brings an expansive idea to life in the world, can happen.

The challenge with the Seventh Ray is to not become obsessed with the future, with the new, to the extent that you forget about the valuable aspects of what already is. It is about developing what has value, not rejecting outright anything from the past. The past can teach us wisdom and help us create a more loving future if we allow ourselves to balance our passion for the future with a respect for what has been.

The gift of the Seventh Ray is the ability to live as an embodied, divine presence. For humans who don't trust or even recognize the love of the Divine in their hearts as yet, those who do are great supporters. The Seventh Ray empowers us to use loving ritual to invite divine presence to fill us and our lives. It also teaches us how to use our consciousness to clean up our own energy field and the energy field of the world around us, so the Divine can show its face more clearly. The comfort of this can help free all beings from anguish and suffering.

INVOCATION
I now accept, of my own free will, the blessing and grace of the Seventh Ray of Ritual, Order and Ceremony and the assistance of the unconditionally loving masters on this ray, the Violet Flame of St. Germain and Archangel Zadkiel. I open to the magic of creativity, divine genius and the ability to translate spiritual concepts into real world experiences for the greatest good. May I discovered and use my innate power for conscious and loving ritual and ceremony to enrich and invite spiritual presence into the world. May all beings feel safe and consciously held in a loving divine order, according to the great plan of love. Through my own free will, so be it."

- Lightworker Oracle Guidebook, Alana Fairchild

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YUMMMMM!! THANK-YOU NICOLE! 

Friday's cookies were compliments of sweet Nicole, Michelle's daughter

Lemony Brown-Butter Crinkle Cookies

Lemon zest and juice add brightness and cut the richness of the brown butter in these cookies. You can make the dough up to two days in advance. 

1 hour 55 mins 35 mins Makes 3 dozen 

TOTAL TIME PREP YIELD 

Ingredients

·         1 stick unsalted butter
·         2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
·         3/4 teaspoon baking powder
·         1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
·         3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
·         1/2 cup granulated sugar
·         1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
·         2 large eggs
·         1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh juice
·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
·         3/4 cup confectioners' sugar 

Directions
1.   Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high. When it boils, reduce heat to medium; simmer until foamy. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan, until foam subsides, butter turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, and milk solids separate into brown specks that sink to bottom, 2 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a large heatproof bowl and let cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in another bowl. Stir granulated and brown sugars into brown butter until combined, then stir in eggs, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until a dough forms. Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. 

2.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Scoop 1 tablespoon dough and roll into a ball between your palms; toss with confectioners' sugar (do not shake off excess). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and confectioners' sugar, leaving 1 inch between each cookie (you will need 2 baking sheets). Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies spread slightly, crackle, and are set at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on a wire rack 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to rack; let cool completely. Store in a single layer in an airtight container up to 2 days.

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Sending such deep love and gratitude to each of you!! 

xoxo
Patti

Like a peacock, your beauty is multiplied when you spread your wings (June 1 circle)...

Dear Friday morning loves,

What a treat to have young beauties join our class...Katrina brought Bella, her 15 year old daughter, and I had my 10 year old, Clara with me. Clara had a PD day and though reluctant to come along, she was soon captivated by the energy of Michelle's abode, and took her time to take in all of Michelle's spiritual "stuff". She had a great time and wants to come back! Though the young additions did not make up for the absence of some our cherished sisters, it did help soothe our sorrow. Michelle C, Jessica, Lisa Marie and Glenda, we missed you dearly!

As happens, the class took on a a direction of its own, starting with a conversation on the couch about power animals. Inspired by what was transpiring, I whispered to Clara to go upstairs and get Michelle's spirit animal cards. Oh what we fun we had sharing our (as always) perfect cards!

Top left to right: Michelle M, Katrina C, Bella
Bottom left to right: Katrina K, Clara, Patti

It was interesting that animals, and in particular birds, arose as a focus, as earlier in the morning  I had drawn a Kuan Yin card and I felt drawn to share the meditation and prayer during our opening meditation. So, of course I did!

“The beauty of the peacock is breathtaking, with stunning lush colour unfolding in graceful and proud display. You too are a great beauty, beloved. Within you resides a glorious divine being of beautiful light, with an ability to create, as your divine birthright. The Peacock Beauty speaks to you of your creative energies rising to sublime, inspired new levels as you are accessing the power of your throat chakra for higher creation. Your intentions, decisions and particularly your words, are becoming more powerful. Enjoy the wise use of this glowing creative potency to express the beauty within you, asking for Divine Blessing on all your plans, projects and words.

The Peacock Beauty can silence us with Her sheer magnificence, reminding us of the power of genuine beauty to bring us into peace and harmony within. There is a stirring within you to create great beauty in your life, to honour the creative ability that you have to express such sublime feelings that reside within you.

As the Soul grows spiritually, the creative energies begin to rise from the sacral chakra in the hips and pelvis, to the throat chakra, where they can be translated into sound and made manifest. What once would have been more instinctual creativity, beautiful in its own way, becomes inspired and sublime, adding depth and healing energy to your creative expressions. You can begin to create divine beauty through your words and actions. You become an active, healing force for divine beauty in our world.

As the power of the throat chakra grows, our urge to express ourselves in a uniquely creative way can become strong. This creativity is the voice of the Soul wishing to manifest itself in the physical world. The power of your Soul is starting to flow through your words and plans. The best way to use this power wisely is to decide that what you speak, choose to do, or intend to create will be in alignment with the divine beauty that is present in your heart. The Peacock Beauty, Kuan Yin in her graceful expression, urges you to follow what is truly beautiful to your heart and know that this will bring harmony within you and into the world most feely.

This oracle is also an indicator that whatever project, plan or purpose you have been contemplating is in alignment with the higher creativity of your Soul. Don’t worry if the details aren’t unfolding as you thought that they would. It is always wise to be clear with your intention and surrender the details to the Universe so that they can unfold according to a vision greater than our own. All you need to do is have faith and follow your intuition to take the steps that you feel heart-inspired to take and to have patience and trust in yourself and in the Universe.

Kuan Uin, divine Peacock Beauty, is blessing you now with her compassion and grace, helping you let go of fear or doubt about your own ability to create, whether it be music, writing, healing, a healthier body or a clearer mind. These desires within you are already in process of being created. Don’t give up, but do let go. Allow the beauty within to find its expression now, beloved. It is time for your inner beauty to shine.

A HEALING TO REVEAL THE PEACOCK BEAUTY:
Sit quietly and breathe in and out, closing your eyes and focusing your awareness on your sacral chakra, which is below the navel, located at your pelvis. Imagine that there is a warm glow of inner light there, radiating golden and bright. Slowly as you are aware of that warm light and the breath, it begins to rise up to the throat chakra, the energy centre situated at the centre of your throat. Just intend that this happen gently and naturally as you are aware of the warmth in your lower belly. Once you feel some warmth in your body, gathering at your throat charka, or simply when you feel ready, say clearly, “I now ask for divine blessing that my higher creativity be activated - may my plans, projects and words be sublime, full of healing and unique beauty. May my creative flow be blessed with divine love, through the grace of Kuan Yin and my own free will, I allow my inner beauty to be revealed now. So be it!”
Imagine that the energy and light between your navel and throat begin to join in the centre of your body where they start to fan out, like two peacock tails in full open display, forming a stunning circular fan of magnificent golden, iridescent blue, green and purple plumes. Imagine this fan spinning in the centre of your body until it becomes a blur of gorgeous light shining out in all directions.
Say, “I choose to reveal the peacock beuaty, the gloriousness of my own higher creativity in its full splendour - so be it!”
When you are ready, just open your eyes.

PRAYER TO THE PEACOCK BEAUTY:
Beloved Kuan Yin, bless me with the grace to surrender into the beauty of my own Soul, to recognize my higher creativity in flow now, to make the creations of my Soul my highest priority, that I may life with abundance, peace and happiness. Help me beloved beauty to recognize my own beauty, as magnificent and colourful as the stunning peacock. May my creations be as lovely. Om Mani Padme Hum.”

— Kuan Yin Oracle Cards by Alana Fairchild. #24 Reveal The Peacock Beauty 7

We shared a beautiful and deep practice of Qigong and the Five Element Series, and closed with three chants of Om and the following invocation:

Blessings to each of you this week. I so look forward to seeing you next Friday. Reminder, we only have two weeks of class left before we break for summer. 🌻

Love Patti

xoxo

Gifts from Eckhart, Deva Premal and YOU! (May 25th circle)

Gorgeous Friday Goddesses,

The presence held by our circle yesterday was absolutely divine! Once again, I am in awe of the gifts that show up when we collectively tune into the energetic field. Deep, deep gratitude.

I hope you enjoy this collection of the treasures we dug up yesterday. 

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A gift from Michelle C...
Angel Michelle captured her experience of yesterday's class and the significance of Deva Premal and Miten in her most recent LOVE NOTE! For those of you who have not yet visited Michelle's Meditation Hut, I encourage (actually I lovingly insist) you do so! While there you will want to check out Michelle's incredible Hut Happenings. 

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Amongst the many gifts I received from my evening with Deva Premal and Miten was the invitation to experience the power of the mantra of OM. As Deva said, the widespread use of the word of OM need not diminish its power. Thank-you Lisa Marie for leading our spontaneous chant and for your incredible invitation to let our cells to drink it up! 

Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. Coming from Hinduism and Yoga, the mantra is considered to have high spiritual and creative power but despite this, it is a mantra that can be recited by anyone. It’s both a sound and a symbol rich in meaning and depth and when pronounced correctly it is actually AUM.

Aum actually consists of four syllables: A, U, M, and the silent syllable.

The first syllable is A, pronounced as a prolonged "awe." The sound starts at the back of your throat and you stretch it out. You will start feeling your solar plexus and chest vibrating.

The second syllable is U, pronounced as a prolonged “oo,” with the sound gradually rolling forward along your upper palate. You'll feel your throat vibrate.

The third syllable is M, pronounced as a prolonged “mmmm” with your front teeth gently touching. You will now start to feel the top of your vibrate.

The last syllable is the deep silence of the Infinite. As intelligence rises from the deep silence, you have to merge your chant from the ‘M’ to the deep silence.

Symbolically the three letters embody the divine energy (Shakti) and it’s 3 main characteristics: (1) creation, (2) preservation and (3) liberation.

Why do we chant it?

Everything in the universe is pulsating and vibrating – nothing is really standing still! The sound Om, when chanted, vibrates at the frequency of 432 Hz, which is the same vibrational frequency found throughout everything in nature.

As such AUM is the basic sound of the universe; so by chanting it we are symbolically and physically tuning in to that sound and acknowledging our connection to all other living beings, nature and the universe.

In addition the vibrations and rhythmic pronunciation also have a physical affect on the body by slowing down the nervous system and calming the mind similar to meditation. When the mind is relaxed, your blood pressure decreases and ultimately the health of your heart improves.

- Sam Saunders, www.mindbodygreen.com

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"Your relationship with the present moment IS your purpose, it is all that matters". 

...my main take-away from my evening with Eckhart Tolle. I also enjoyed his shockingly hilarious statement: "Life could be considered a sexually transmitted disease with a fatal prognosis"

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My evening with Eckhart called me to pull out one of my favourite books, "The Presence Process" by Michael Brown. Like Eckhart, Michael teaches that presence is the portal to spiritual awakening. 

THANK-YOU for going inward to sense what presence means to you, during our stone passing ritual! 

Here is the excerpt I shared in class...

“Present moment awareness is a state of being as opposed to something we do. The simplest definition of present moment awareness is to be fully aware of the moment we are in - or, to be present in the moment.

The emphasis isn’t on the moment, but on the beingness we bring to bear on our life experience when we pay full attention to the moment.

A reliable indicator we have entered present moment awareness is if our experience, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable it may feel at any given moment, is infused with gratefulness.

When I speak of gratefulness, I’m not referring to the kind of gratitude that’s been founded on comparison, such as feeling grateful we are in better health or have more wealth than someone else. Neither is it the sort of gratitude that arises because life is unfolding how we want it to and everything is easy. Rather it’s gratitude that requires no reason - gratitude for the invitation, journey and gift of life itself.

Gratefulness is the one single marker we can depend on as an indicator of how present we are in our experience. When we lack gratitude for simply being alive, it’s because we have strayed from the present into an illusory mental state called “time”. In the world of time, it’s challenging to be grateful because nothing appears to unfold the way we think it should. The past holds regrets and the future the promise of improvement, while the present requires constant adjustment. We therefore spend our waking moments reflecting on what didn’t work in the past and planning those adjustments we believe are necessary to attain the peace and fulfillment we week. Because those adjustments are oriented to a “better tomorrow”, we’ve forgotten how to have a meaningful today.

Present moment awareness isn’t a concept - it’s an experience. The fact that more and more of are entering it now is a consequence of our accelerating evolution. For anyone willing to receive its blessings, its invitation is here, now, in this moment, this set of circumstances. It calls us in a silent voice that says” “STOP. THERE’S NOWHERE TO GO AND NOTHING TO DO. THERE’ SIMPLY EVERYTHING TO BE.””

— - Michael Brown, "The Presence Process"

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Have a Divine week ladies! I cannot wait to see what magic arises at our next gathering. ;)

XO
Patti

Wild Women, Shared Presence, and The Nuance of Passage (May 11th circle)

Dear Sweet, Awe Inspiring, Gorgeous Mama's!!

You continue to amaze me! What transpires in our circle continues to amaze me! Your willingness to hold whatever arises and to trust in divine grace is truly precious.

Cathy, thank-you for joining us virtually and know that we were all holding you and Kirk in our hearts! Michelle C, thank-you for letting us gather in your beautiful home and soak up your radiance! Tammy, I am so sorry you cannot join our circle anymore and I congratulate you on your acceptance into your program!

Every single week, I am humbled (like on my knees humbled) by the guidance and messages that I receive within this sacred space.

Personally, this Friday's gathering was especially meaningful, and I'd like to share my experience with you. I did not have a good start to my Friday morning, and I certainly didn't feel much like a spiritual teacher when I pulled into Michelle's yard. Yet there was a calm knowing that all would be ok. As I prepared for class, I felt supported and guided to hold space and to serve.

Over the course of last week, I found myself feeling very disconnected towards my family, and pretty darn resentful of my role as a wife and mother...(how perfectly ironic that today is Mother's Day). Suppressed and buried emotions were surfacing and, sure enough, I got hooked into believing the story behind each one of them. I was painfully and acutely aware of the contrast of the "Patti" who was showing up for my family and the "Patti" that was showing up for my students. So, I decided to bring this incongruency to our circle, and during our meditation, I asked for help. I asked for the truth of this blockage to be revealed and I asked for the courage to move through it.

The calling to have each of you draw a Wild Woman card and to share it with the group revealed so much about the energy of our circle and it guided the practice that followed. Many of the words that came to me during our movements have never come to me before. I trusted in these words and trusted that they were meant for each of us. During our practice, something inside of me shifted... something that has been shrouded and locked down for years and years, came into the light.

It took the rest of the day and evening for this shift to integrate. Serendipitously, my Friday plans supported the integration perfectly. Katrina C and I had the most glorious afternoon in Canmore where we both received treatments with a true angel on earth, Patti Mayer. Patti helped me to claim a part of my self that has never been claimed before, a sense of glorious independence. I do not yet know what it all means, but it feels authentic and real and INCREDIBLY invigorating!

I hope that the messages I chose to share of "Presence" and "Passage" as well as Kuan Yin's "Mother of Mercy Prayer" resonate as deeply for you as they do for me. (Michelle C, I ordered my own deck of Wild Woman cards and I LOVE them)!

""Don't just do something, stand there!" shouts the Wild Woman. Be present in all your capacity. Envelop all there is. There is nothing you can do in greater capacity than to be present.

If you want to feel your presence you must be there in yourself. With this, you will feel connection to everyone and everything. 

To maintain balance in your life, especially when things are out of your control, is to recognize that there's nothing you can do, except be present. This is all you need to hold your balance. 

Be present to life now. Let it be. Recognize it is almost always the way. Be present. Just be present, and all will come to you."

- Elizabeth MacLeod, Wild Woman Mystery Cards

"Passage is a word misunderstood. It suggests movement from one place to the other. Consider for a moment that passage is something more that you go through without movement, as if it were an initiation of sorts. Consider that passage is that which you are always engaged in as you move in and out of each moment in your life. 

There are little and big passages, just like little and big moments. Sometimes the simplest moments are the most profound. Simple, Wild Woman is a word also misunderstood. Simple is made to look easy, or made to look quick, but simple is clear and can be as profound as any moment you might ever have. Notice that with each new moment, you are in passage, passage into something new. You are traveling into all that you are, in any given moment. When you realize this, you will know  you that you have reached the initiation of the Wild Woman, knowing that each moment is a passage into something greater than ever came before, because it is a new moment. And with this comes the allowing necessary to open your heart to all the experiences you could have. It's like you are literally birthing into your self in every moment and coming out new, with which to see your perceptions change before your very eyes!  This is the gift of passage. Coming into your self and allowing for passages of life to take place with compassion and light heartedness, you will initiate yourself into your self without the need for anyone to tell you of wisdom they think you should do. You will know.

Wild Woman passage is a sacred event unfolding every minute of every day. It takes a conscious awareness to be present to the steps you take and choices you make in each moment. Passage takes you to another passage. And passage is always there for you whether you like it or not. To be present to passage allows you to take ownership in your life, deciding which road to take and which path to climb. It allows you the full experience of all of you. It's as if with each step you move for you to create yourself. So create yourself. You do not have to find yourself. You are here. Create yourself, in every moment, in passage. What an enormous gift to yourself and ultimately our world."

- Elizabeth MacLeod, Wild Woman Mystery Cards

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And how perfect is Kuan Yin's message for us this week?!

“MOTHER OF MERCY
Just like a Sun that sines brightly casting a strong shadow, your growing spiritual power needs to be expressed with the awareness that it will have an effect on others, even if you are not completely conscious of that effect. To create peace in the expression of your power, we call upon the Mother of Mercy. Mercy tempers great strength and power with kindness, gentleness, compassion and caring. The Divine Kuan Yin brings the quality of Mercy to you know as a divine gift, encouraging you to cultivate mercy in your dealings with others and to receive it for yourself now too.

PRAYER TO THE MOTHER OF MERCY:
Mother of Mercy so loves my Soul
The Nectar of Mercy brings peace and bliss untold.
I open my heart now to this endless love and peace, which the grace of Kuan Yin helps me reach.
Om Mani Padme Hum.”

— "Mother of Mercy", Kuan Yin Oracles by Alana Fairchild

I wish each of you the most glorious Mother's Day celebration today, how wonderful that we all share this journey of motherhood!

With the deepest of love and appreciation,

Patti
xoxo

Ever present, un-missable Grace (May 4th circle)

Dear Friday morning loves,

This week's Friday Frolic started with a surprise encounter followed by fifteen minutes of non-stop belly laughter! I walked into Michelle's welcoming home at 9:00 am, as I do each Friday, and was greeted by Paul, her husband. Paul and I had not yet met in the context of his life with Michelle, but we instantly recognized each other and we were equally thrilled and shocked by the serendipity of our encounter!! Paul and I met in 1989 on a Bust Loose trip to Mexico. Yes, you read that right...1989!! He and his three friends and me and my three friends met on the plane to Puerto Vallarta and we hit it off immediately. What followed was a week of outrageous laughter, way too much drinking, and non-stop FUN (and may I add that it was 100% platonic for all of us which is what made it so, so incredibly special)! The eight of us kept in touch for years to come but then, as happens, we lost touch of each other. Paul met Michelle shortly after our trip to Mexico and went on to set-up the most beautiful life with her. Who would ever have predicted that 29 years later, I should find myself taking the key to Paul and Michelle's house while he rushes her off to the airport?! You can probably hear Michelle's roaring laughter through your screen...the three of us were nearly peeing our pants!! I remember Paul as being the most gentle, generous and seriously fun guy...and I am not the least bit surprised that he was wooed by Michelle's gorgeous spirit! I just LOVE it all.

Now, on to Qigong, cause that's what I'm here for, right? Well, yes, AND apparently so much more (as each week continues to show me)!

This week we had another small gathering (Michelle C, Cathy, Lisa Marie, Jessica and Katrina C were greatly missed). It was odd and yet divinely peaceful to be in the Lotus Garden without Michelle's presence...what a gift to be able to use her space even in her absence. We welcomed Tammy, one of Michelle's yoga angels to our group, Tammy will be joining us for the rest of the session and I'm thrilled to have her! Michelle Mc, Glenda, Katrina K, Tammy and I shared a circle of serene and sincere presence. 

Last week I started reading the book, "Broken Open", by Elizabeth lesser. This book has been suggested to me for years, but, as I often do, I waited for the book to call me before beginning. I am finding it to be very powerful and affirming of my own experiences. I was particularly moved by a passage about grace, which lead me to re-read the passage from Mooji that I shared last week...

I followed this with a passage from Elizabeth's book that was written by Ram Dass.  Ram Dass began his life as a psychology professor named Richard Alpert and went on to become Ram Dass, named by a Guru in India. In 1997 he had a debilitating stroke that changed his life forever. Here is what he writes about his stroke and his experience of grace...

“For me to see the stroke as grace required a perceptual shift. It was a shift from taking the point of view of the Ego to taking the point of view of the Soul. I used to be afraid of things like strokes, but I’ve discovered that the fear of the stroke was worse than the stroke itself....I’ve now been given a fully rounded understanding of grace. What was changed through the stroke was my attachment to the Ego. The stroke was unbearable to the Ego, and so it pushed me into the Soul level, because when you “bear the unbearable”, something within you dies. My identity flipped over and I said, “So that’s who I am - I’m a soul!” I ended up where looking at the world from the Soul level is my ordinary, everyday state. And that’s grace. That’s almost the definition of grace. And so that’s why, although from the Ego’s perspective the stroke is not much fun, from the Soul’s perspective it’s been a great learning opportunity. When you’re secure in the soul, what’s to fear? Since the stroke I can say to with an assurance I couldn’t have felt before, that faith and love are stronger than any changes, stronger than aging, and, I am very sure, stronger than death.”

— - Ram Dass (excerpt from "Broken Open", by Elizabeth Lesser)

Once we began to practice qigong, the energy of emotions and the desire to be with all that arises became very strong. So I spontaneously changed my plan and shared the Qigong series of the Daoist Five Element for Organ and Emotional Health. Based on the wisdom of the Five Elements, this set restores Yin and Yang balance by promoting efficient qi flow from one organ to the next. It brings the elements back into balance and keeps the organs clear, strong and flowing with qi.  It also has a powerful effect of harmonizing the emotions, especially when combined with the intention of doing so.

I closed with Kuan Yin's message of The Lotus Throne..

“The same Lotus wisdom that enlightens beloved Kuan Yin and all spiritual masters is the very same Lotus Light within your own heart beloved. It can take great courage to trust your own inner light, to ascend the throne of your own inner spiritual authority, especially if the light of others around you seems more powerful than your own. You are being asked to trust this inner guidance above all others now. Have faith in your own heart. Know that you are divine.

Prayer of the Lotus Throne:
You burn bright in my heart, guiding me eternally, Divine Lotus of Light, my very own Heart. I ascend to the Lotus Throne within you, my power, my wisdom, my love and light acknowledged. All is well within my own Soul, by Kuan Yin’s grace and my own Divine Fire. I trust and empower myself spiritually now more than ever. Om Mani Padme Hum. ”

— Kuan Yin Oracle Cards by Alana Fairchild. #37 The Lotus Throne

Blessings to each of you this week. I will see you next Friday, May 11. Reminder that there is no class on May 18. 💜

Love Patti

xoxo

The Body is the Book of Life...and it is Best Read from the Background (April 27th circle)

Dear Friday Goddesses,

Once again, we shared such a beautiful, raw and real class this past Friday! We had a small group with Katrina C, Lisa Marie away at workshops, and Jessica tending to her mama’s care. 

We explored the energy behind our bodies, both conceptually and kinaesthetically. It is an incredibly powerful experience to allow yourself fall behind your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations.  This sensation evokes the witness and observer within each of us. It is a powerful way to view all of the experiences of daily life and is one we will continue to explore in future classes. 

We also continued to allow vulnerability and evoke our willingness to see the darkness. I shared an Instagram post from Mooji that I stumbled upon right when I needed it:

And followed this with a Teaching from Pema:

“The Wisdom of No Escape

The central question of a warrior’s training is not how we avoid uncertainty and fear but how we relate to discomfort. How do we practice with difficulty, with our emotions, with the unpredictable encounters of an ordinary day? For those of us with a hunger to know the truth, painful emotions are like flags going up to say, “You’re stuck!” We regard disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, jealousy, and fear as moments that show us where we’re holding back, how we’re shutting down. Such uncomfortable feelings are messages that tell us to perk up and lean into a situation when we’d rather cave in and back away.

When the flag goes up, we have an opportunity: we can stay with our painful emotion instead of spinning out. Staying is how we get the hang of gently catching ourselves when we’re about to let resentment harden into blame, righteousness, or alienation. It’s also how we keep from smoothing things over by talking ourselves into a sense of relief or inspiration. This is easier said than done.

Ordinarily we are swept away by habitual momentum. We don’t interrupt our patterns even slightly. With practice, however, we learn to stay with a broken heart, with a nameless fear, with the desire for revenge. Sticking with uncertainty is how we learn to relax in the midst of chaos, how we learn to be cool when the ground beneath us suddenly disappears. We can bring ourselves back to the spiritual path countless times each day simply by exercising our willingness to rest in uncertainty of the present moment - over and over again.”
”

— Pema Chodron, "Comfortable With Uncertainty, 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion"

And we closed with the perfect message from Kuan Yin:

“VALE OF SHADOWS

A lotus blossoms with deep rich mud into which she plunges her roots and draws great nourishment. From this mud, made of water and earth, growth happens and great beauty is revealed. Your Soul lotus thrives through depth of emotion and aliveness of your body into which she can plant her Self and unfold as a lotus of light.

A PRAYER FOR ASSISSTANCE THROUGH THE VALE OF SHADOWS

I pray to Kuan Yin, beloved spiritual mother, please help me be fearless in the Vale of Shadows, realizing that I am just growing in self-awareness and whatever has grown ugly through lack of love will gleam like a polished jewel through my attention, willingness to love and accept all parts of me and my divinely-inspired creativity in integrating this part of me into my life with more consciousness. Om Mani Padme Hum. May all parts of me be blessed. Om Mani Padme Hum”

— Kuan Yin Oracle Cards by Alana Fairchild, #43 Vale of Shadows

I feel like a broken record constantly saying THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU! You each propel me deeper into my truth and allow me to receive guidance, to hear the words I am meant to speak exactly at the right moment...and to allow them to flow.

XOXO
Patti

Still Floating (April 20th circle)

Dear lovelies,

A heart felt THANK-YOU for bringing your whole beautiful, brave and vulnerable selves to our circle on Friday! I am in absolute awe of the depth and power of each of you and the collective energy of our circle!

What a weekend I have had! I thought I would have sent this email sooner, but I have been going non-stop since Friday’s class. It has been a frenzy of family activities, outside play, spring cleaning and time spent at Pamela Wilson’s online retreat, “The Mystic’s Lair”, which was absolutely divine! Throughout the busy-ness of the weekend I have felt life’s energy simply guiding me from one thing to the next with virtually no contraction or stress involved. Honestly, I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this kind of ease and fluidity. Though this is a cause to celebrate (which I am doing), there is also a very calm awareness behind it all that is simply observing and appreciating the moment…neither clinging to it or assuming it will always be this way.  

I want to invite you all to send a blessing to Jessica’s mother, Alexandra who is having a lumpectomy this coming Tuesday to treat early stage breast cancer. I had intended on doing a group blessing for Alexandra and for Jessica on Friday, but it slipped by. So I would like to invite each of you to send love and light to both of them. 💞🙏

I also want to let you know that unfortunately Ariel won’t be able to join our circle as she has many new things arising in her life, which she needs time to dedicate herself to. For those of you who know her, she sends her regrets.

Here are the readings I shared during class.  As you know, the Richard Rohr reading was from a letter requesting donations sent by the Center for Action and Contemplation… I am sending you a photo of the letter. The Kuan Yin reading and prayer was from card #8, Dynasty of the Divine Mother, which I drew from the Kuan Yin Oracle Cards.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Patti

Dynasty of the Divine Mother, Oracle card #8 Kuan Yin Oracle Cards by Alana Fairchild

The only wish of the Divine Mother Goddess is that all beings be spiritually free. The Divine Goddess calls us to realize our true nature, to fall in love with our own divinity. Enlightenment is a culmination of many small steps, each one as a drop of water forming a divine ocean of peace, realization, love and unity within us, an ocean that washes away fear, separation and scarcity and bathes us in abundance and bliss. You carry the torch of enlightenment within you, beloved. Let it shine each day.

Beloved Kuan Yin, Green Tara, Mazue, Goddesses of the Great Divine Mother, please help me to live my light, to live my enlightenment in each day, to know my own Self and to live the beauty and bliss with peace in my heart. Thank you for your help. Om Shanti. I feel your Peace in my heart now. May all beings feel and know this peace within. Om Shanti. Om Mani Padme Hum.

Well That Was a Pretty Incredible Welcome Back! (April 13th circle)

Hello to my radiant Friday morning BEings,

Wow, what a beautiful morning we shared yesterday! What an absolute gift and honour to share my first post surgery qigong class with each of you in Michelle’s peaceful and sacred studio. Truly, I am in awe of how the universe is arranging my life, and each of you play such a significant part in the unfolding of the mystery!

I cannot wait to share the next eight weeks with you and I’m also thrilled (and beyond grateful) to be coming back to Michelle’s Meditation Hut on Friday mornings this fall (stay tuned for those details)!

Jessica, I am so excited to meet you next week! I’m also over the moon to share that my dear friend Ariel (who many of you know) is going to join our Friday group starting next week! Could this group get any more delicious?!

As I shared yesterday, I am continuously drawn to the integration of various teachings - there seems to be an innate desire and need to find the common threads and to weave them together. The movements of Qigong seemingly open up the channels so that divine truth can flow in and I am just here to say YES, YES and YES…and to bring as many people with me as I can. Thank-you for coming along for the ride! Lately, I have been drawn to the basic teachings of Buddhism and have found the words of Pema Chodron to be the most soothing and 

“The Love That Will Not Die

Spiritual awakening is frequently described as a journey to the top of a mountain. We leave our attachments and our worldliness behind and slowly make our way to the top. At the peak we have transcended all pain. The only problem with this metaphor is that we leave all others behind. Their suffering continues, unrelieved by our personal escape.

On the journey of the warrior-bodhisattva, the path goes down, not up, as if the mountain pointed toward the earth instead of the sky. Instead of transcending the suffering of all creatures, we move toward turbulence and doubt however we can. We explore the reality and unpredictability of insecurity and pain, and we try not to push it away. If it takes years, if it takes lifetimes, we let it be as it is. At our own pace, without speed or aggression, we move down and down and down. With us move millions of others , our companions in awakening from fear. At the bottom we discover water, the healing water of bodhichitta. Bodhichitta is our heart - our wounded, softened heart. Right down there in the thick of things, we discover the love that will not die. This love is bodhichitta. It is gentle and warm; it is clear and sharp; it is open and spacious. The awakened heart of bodhichitta is the basic goodness of all beings. ”

— Pema Chodron: “ Comfortable with Uncertainty, 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion”

Wishing you all a week of open-hearted presence!

xo

Patti