Sailing Through The Holidays

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The Festive Season – Holidays Are Here

The fun and joy of the holidays are upon us. But, uh oh, along with that comes more stress that is associated with the many activities.

Family expectations, travel plans, budget limits, menus and holiday treats to prepare, all of these activities can be demanding.

Managing Your Time During The Holidays

Here are some good tips from the Cleveland Clinic for helping you to manage stress:

  • Set priorities and let go of impossible goals

  • Stop to enjoy the fruits of your labor

  • Don't spend all of your time planning activities for your family. You might end up feeling drained and unappreciated

  • Take the time you need to finish tasks that are important to you. Don't try to complete everything at once

  • Ask others, including the kids, to help you complete chores

  • Rest when your body tells you to.

Sail Through Your Holidays

Don't just survive the holidays. Sail through them.

Make use of these tips to help you navigate through this busy time of year.

 

Where Is The Edge Of An Infinite Heart?

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An Infinite Heart Has No Edge

Questions abound.

Can we love to the ends of the Universe?

Can our hearts soar wide enough?

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
To hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.”
— William Blake
 

What Is The Infinite Heart Of Love?

Can we see every drop of existence and find the hidden passageway to its heart of love?

Can we fully know, beyond the limits of the mind, the exquisite light and healing love within every nano-molecule of existence?

Is this heart of love even within a grain of sand?

Let’s answer this with a resounding yes. These photos show the wonders that Dr. Gary Greenberg* discovered at the microscopic level in the sand on our beaches.

Flight Within The Inner Realms

Flying on this planet is so three-dimensional.

Flight within the realms of the inner planes is multi-dimensional. An inner journey is so vast and incomprehensible at our small human level, that it compels us to plop down right where we stand.

Our feet are whisked right out from under us in the wonder of it all.

Can we break these surly bonds without the aid of a flying machine?

Surly Bonds Will Not Contain Us

Off we go on your path of discovery into the infinite heart.

Let's meet each other there.

 

*photos by Dr. Greenberg used with permission

 

Halloween – A Magical Night Beckons

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History Of Halloween

Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, as far back as 2,000 years ago. Samhain, (pronounced say-win or sow-in) means summer's end, and it was the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

For people who survived on crops that grew in the fields and animals that were pastured, it was a significant cycle. 

Samhain started at sunset on 31 October and ran until sunset on 01 November.

All Saints Day, All Hallows Eve And Souling

All Hallows Eve is also the night before All Saints Day on 01 November which is celebrated by Christianity, particularly the Catholic Church.

All Saints Day is a time to honor all the saints and to offer prayers for the souls of the dead.

“In England, from the medieval period, up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of “souling” on Halloween.

This involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends.”
 

You could hear soulers singing: "a soul cake, a soul cake, have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake."

Or, how about this little refrain:

“Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven’t an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all”
 

This is part of the history behind the custom we now have of trick-or-treating. Children go from door to door with the phrase "trick or treat" in hopes of a reward of candy.

Halloween In The United States

Halloween traditions in the United States include pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating and costume parties. Traditional colors are orange and black and link to the Samhain holiday. Orange symbolizes the colors of the crops and turning leaves, while black marks the 'death' of summer.

Decorations feature skulls, witches and bats, black cats, tombstones and ghosts. Candy corn is a not-to-be-missed Halloween candy. Costumes are to be as creative as possible.

It's a secular, but not a federal holiday which means we don't get the day off from work. Given all the activity around Halloween, it seems like we should have it off.

Artist, Robert Ingpen

What Are Your Plans For This Magical Night?

October 31 will be here in the blink of a black cat's eye.

Do you have children? Perhaps you are already head-to-toe in costume fabrics and materials, busy making outfits for your little ones. What's the costume flavor of the year?

Maybe you're picking out a costume for yourself – for your own Halloween festivities.

“In Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.

The practice of guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going “guising” around the neighborhood.”
 

Organizing a party for Halloween?

Pumpkins need carving, decorations need to be hung and caramel apples await a sticky demise.

Do your plans include a visit to a haunted house?  

Spooky delights are lurking in the cobwebs and hallways of darkness.

Veils Disappear Between Worlds On Halloween

As the warmth of summer fades away, darkness and cold prevail. Winter is a time of year often associated with human death as the earth also "dies" before the rebirth in spring. Druids believed that the spirits of those who died the preceding year roamed the earth during the night of Samhain.

“The Druids celebrated this holiday with a great fire festival to encourage the dimming Sun not to completely vanish. People danced around bonfires to keep evil spirits away. Doors were left open in hopes that the kind spirits of loved ones might join them at the hearth.

Spirits from the other side were either entertained by the living or they found a body to possess for the incoming year.

Dressing up like witches, ghosts and goblins protected the living from being possessed.”
 

Halloween is still considered to be a magical night when the veils between our worlds of the dead and the living become transparent. As the veils disappear, spirits who have passed to the other side can cross back over; the dead walk among the living.

The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year has ancient origins. It's found in many cultures throughout the world.

Even the most skeptical among us become just a little superstitious on this night of shadows and spirits.

Are you organizing little ones as they tap dance through Princess, Dinosaur, and Spider-Man costumes? Be sure to take a little time for yourself, too.

Happy Halloween.

 

Martha And Mary Days

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Our Martha And Mary Days

With a cup of coffee in hand, I launched my morning. Looking down at my to-do list, I noticed that my day would be a "Martha and Mary" day, like most days. My schedule would consist of activity and rest, or meditation. Maharishi emphasized that the two aspects were an important balance in our daily lives.. We couldn’t do just one or the other.

 

martha stewart photo

 

The Bible Story Of Martha And Mary

There is a story referenced in the Bible in the Gospel of Luke 10:38-42:

 
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’

’Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
 

Growing up, my family had a 10-volume set of children's books printed in the mid-1950s – The Bible Story by Arthur Maxwell. I don't know how they got them. Perhaps someone came to the house as a door-to-door salesman.

When I was young, I loved to read and like most children, I could read the same thing over and over again. This set of books was no exception. I clearly remember the story of Martha and Mary.

Semiradsky, artist

Martha Or Mary – Who Was Right?

The story stuck with me, because I always felt sorry for Martha. The story painted her in a somewhat negative light. It didn't seem very fair. It's not always so clear which one is “right.”

Because who knows? Maybe there were extenuating circumstances – maybe Mary had a reputation of not doing her fair share of work around there. If we all sat around in constant meditation, others could get upset about tasks left undone, especially meals missed.

It's all about everything in the right timing and balance, isn't it?

My final analysis was that Martha probably needed to relax a bit and get in touch with her own deeper meditations and Mary probably needed to pull her full weight a bit more.

Perhaps this parable was a gentle reminder that, in the chaos of this world, we need to remember to keep balance in our own daily lives.

Johann Vermeer, Artist

Martha And Mary In Balance

Joanne Weaver wrote a book with this very idea in mind, entitled: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.  She is quoted here:

 
“While the world applauds achievement, God desires companionship.
The world clamors, ‘Do more! Be all that you can be!’
But our Father whispers, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’”
 

We want the qualities of both Martha and Mary, because both aspects are needed and desired. In fact, when these two energies are in balance, each one contributes to the loving qualities of caring. The trick is that neither should overpower the other.

Keeping everything in balance, however, can be quite the juggling act. Distraction is at an all-time high in our modern lives. Just look at all of us bent over our phones.

With unrelenting daily pressures to complete outer tasks – it's easy to become overwhelmed and distracted by all our "Martha" obligations.

Nurture Your Inner Martha and Mary

Poor Martha, being called-out like that. I hope she got over it, finished what she was doing, and then relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

What about you? Do you sometimes find you are more Martha or more Mary?

 

Forever Morning Of Awakening

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I Wish It Could Be Morning Forever

Is it truly possible that in all these years of my life, I have really not done anything?

Isn't it strange that after achieving three university degrees, publishing two articles in medical journals, singing with the San Francisco International Opera, working in the legal field, living abroad, and providing medical care for thousands of patients, that you could feel like, well... haven't done that much.

It's as if that was then, and this is now.

No One Described This Part

No one tells you about this getting older part when everything turns inside out. When all the accomplishing, the achieving, the goals obtained, start to fade into dust-like particles.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad I did all those things, it's just that now...

What Will Be Of These Last Years Of My Life?

Assuming all goes well, knock on wood, I'll only have about another 20 to get things done. And even considering that, who cares what a 70-year-old says or does?

No one.

I'm already experiencing that in my 50s, it can only go down from here. Yikes. I feel like I've only got a day left to do everything.

Hence, why I want it to remain forever morning.

Early Morning Is Mystical

A forever morning evokes a precious jewel box, tucked inside is the sparkling promise of an entire day. The jewel held inside has awakening, coffee, projects, and plans. Everything can still be accomplished.

Heralded by those first rays of a dawning sun, an early morning is rich with secrets of all that is fresh and new. Yesterday's heavy energies are muted by the softness of a healing night that has passed.

This magical prelude to the day is brief. I drink it in with my coffee and savor the fleeting sparkles of the day's promises.

Wishing for it to linger, I attempt to persuade these ephemeral moments to tarry, but the steadfast sun pays me no heed and moves ever upward in its determined climb.

Full morning bursts upon the scene accompanied by a din of noise pouring forth from the flurry of activities.

Gratitude Each Morning

Each morning graciously presents another opportunity to travel from sunrise to sunset.

Awakening. From hazy dreams, we awaken to the morning, to the meaning of our lives.

We stride into a forever morning of awakening. Sometimes, we stumble. Just keep going.

 

Summer Olympic Games, London 2012

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“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.
The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.”
— Olympic message
 

The Summer Olympic Games, London 2012

We stand as witnesses now to "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" to quote the famous lines from the ABC Wide World of Sports television broadcasts.

Now unfolds a time of human endeavor that ranges from the sublime to the mundane. Olympic records are broken and gold medals are won and 150,000 condoms are handed out to the 10,000 athletes. Human events transpire at the, oh, so human level.

This display of human spirit touches my heart at its most symbolic aspect, even though I am not terribly athletic and have never played team sports. For me, it really isn't so much about the sports themselves, although discovering more about them is delightful, but rather the energy with which they are played.

Displayed before us is an inspiring array of human discipline, persistence and training. These are the same attributes that help us meet the challenges of the spiritual journey.

We celebrate the victories and share the disappoints; human hearts are elated and crushed. It's a reflection of the struggles of our own lives.

Goodwill Between Nations

We share the love people have for their countries and celebrate our differences.

We embrace and enjoy our diversity. The Olympic message, at its core, embodies this principle of celebrating our differences while embracing our oneness.

The Olympic Flame Burns Bright

At the center of these Games, there is a fire burning day and night in the cauldron at the Olympic stadium. This is the Olympic Flame that was lit from the sun in Greece and carried with dedicated care throughout the British Isles.

For those who wish to go deeper, it is an outer flame that also represents the inner flame within each of us, within humanity, our planet and animal kingdoms, and at the heart of our own solar system.

Off we go in the celebration of us.

 

The Kiss Of The Olympic Flame

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Passing The Olympic Flame

When the torchbearers in the Olympic Torch Relay pass the Olympic Flame from one torch to another, it is called "The Kiss."

I discovered this when I was visiting friends in England as the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London were about to begin.

I heard someone say, "The Kiss will take place a block from where I live." Never sure if I'm hearing another unfamiliar British English-ism, I checked in for a translation and clarified its meaning.

Come to find out, we were talking about the Olympic Flame passing from one torch to another as it journeyed throughout Britain.

The Olympic Flame Travels The British Isles

The Olympic Flame went on a journey of 70 days and 8000 miles that covered all corners of the British Isles.  Everyone was a-buzz about the Olympic Flame passing through their towns and villages. I loved hearing their stories. This Olympic Flame seemed to connect with people emotionally, even those who previously thought it wasn't all that interesting.

Many people were able to take time off from work to be there in person. They would patiently stand on the sidewalks with everyone else from their town as they waited for the Flame to pass. 

One woman went out to the street with her mother to watch the Olympic Flame make its appearance. She recounted how they were initially there more out of curiosity than anything else.

However, as the Olympic Flame drew near, people around them became hushed with anticipation as if something wondrous were about to happen. She and her mother found themselves caught up with other spectators in a warm camaraderie.

People called out to one another in muted, respectful voices, "It's coming, it's coming!"

Everyone marveled as the Torchbearer drew near with the Olympic Flame held high. There was something about this Olympic Flame, this Light, that represented all of them in a spirit of goodwill.

Then, as the Flame passed by, both she and her mother began to cry. Quiet tears rolled down their faces as they looked from the Flame to one another. She said they felt their hearts opening and expanding. 

It was entirely unexpected. She couldn't explain why.

The Flame Is Symbolic Of Greater Light

Cherished and protected, the Olympic Flame is kept burning throughout the Games as a reminder of the goodwill and cooperation between nations. The Flame evokes something that is timeless within us; the connection of an inner flame.

One Torch Lights Another, And Then Another

Originally lit from the sun in Greece, the Olympic Flame was carried by 8000 people around the British Isles traveling through rain and shine. People from around the world, with modern means of communication such as Facebook, followed its light-filled journey.

The Olympic Flame is for everyone.

Let the Games begin.