water

"Water
is the
Blood
of the
Earth"

~SOBONFU



::elizabeth::

Just a few moments after deciding with Lisa to use the above quote for today, I was listening to the Gulf Call to Sacred Action with hundreds of others. We were led by Lynne McTaggart in an Intention Experiment to heal the gulf, to end our dependence on an oil economy, and to see this crisis as a gift to us to wake up and transform humanity to be more in synch with our beautiful planet and all the life that exists here. It was an amazing experience to join so many in these prayers and intentions. Then, Jean Houston spoke eloquently about the opportunity we have to reinvent how we interact with each other and all living things, including our lovely planet, calling this moment a “masterpiece of possibility.” She referred to the Gulf crisis as the “crucifixion of the world”. Having our quote in my mind, these words had a profound impact on me. I have pierced our planet, scraped her skin, ripped out her trees, polluted her waters and fouled her air. What have I given in return?

But this is not a time for guilt. This is a time for action. Guilt only causes our energy to become stagnant. Accepting responsibility, at any level I can, is what I am called to do for the ‘resurrection’ of our planet to a state that honors and supports all life….a planet where I give as much as I receive….a planet with clear water, clear air. I will start by holding an image of a vibrant Earth, as in the one I received in an email today...

“The Earth shall not turn to dust. The Eagle shall always fly free. The sky will always be fresh. The water will always be pure! The ground will not be dust. The Earth will be strong again. She will breathe. She will live in harmony and peace.”

So be it.

::lisa::

Not only is water the blood of the Earth, but also of us and of all things. I can’t help but think about the Gulf oil spill when I read this quote and quite honestly, I makes me a little sick. I feel that when looking at life in general we are always presented with lessons that force us to stop ourselves and grow in a positive way. A lot of times we gain a bit of insight from the uncomfortable feelings that arise from our lessons, but in the end we come around a little bit wiser and more on track than we were. We grow and blossom into a more sentient being. With this oil spill, as well as, all “catastrophes” big and small, far and close, we have the opportunity to use them as our own personal lessons. With each one we can stop and think about how we can change for the better, to nourish not only ourselves, but the world as a whole.

Water is important, very important. Life requires water. We are water. Our Earth is water. Right now we are way too dependant on oil in order to function in our lives. I hope that we see a shift in that in our lifetime. I hope we can lessen our reliance on oil and give our Earth the recuperation time she needs. I’m sure somewhere along the line you have heard people tell you to treat others in the same manner that you wish to be treated…lets do the same for our planet.

the true meaning of life

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

~Nelson Henderson



::elizabeth::

We are always planting seeds. Being deliberate about the seeds we plant is hugely important. And maybe it is the ones that we plant without concern to our benefit that truly prosper. As a mom, I plant seeds everyday in the way I try model awareness and compassion. I do this from a place deep in my heart that is not concerned with the outcome. This is just how I want to be with my child.

There are other seeds too that get planted unintentionally (by me and others). And my hope is that the ones that come from a place of great love have all the conditions that are needed to prosper. These are the ones that I want to nurture.

I envision the result of these seeds of love and mindfulness as a tree that has very deep roots, a strong trunk, and many limbs reaching out in all directions and to the heavens. There are many, many people who seek the shelter of this great tree of love and mindfulness and benefit from these small seeds I and others have planted with great love.

This is my prayer, at least… so be it.

::lisa::

As mothers we provide the roots to anchor our families, the branches to hold our children, and the leaves to shade them from the sun. We do not expect anything in return. Even on the worst of days, we will still stand by for our children and catch them up hugging them tightly upon request. It is an endless, selfless, journey of which we will provide the very best we can for our children…just for the sake of love.

Life can be lived in a similar fashion. When we take the context of giving out of an ego centric stance, we begin to see this act of giving and being as a pure form of energy. Nothing more; nothing less. When we do something in a completely selfless fashion with joy and harmony, we put that joy and harmony out into the universe through our own act of doing. When we give up our expectations of what we want/need to receive in place of our doings, we free up the universe in a way that sends that joy and harmony right back to us in one way or another. It may not be at the same time, place, or form then you have ever thought about. Instead it comes to you from a place of purity.

It can be hard to contemplate not getting anything in return for our actions and efforts. It is how we were raised and how our society functions. Often, I dream of a world that is free from these kinds of preconceived notions, one where we all act upon the highest good for all things everywhere… all the time. Right now, this concept starts with in us, right in our hearts…the only place left on Earth where we are free and unconstrained from any barriers of any kind.

*******

The Mindful Mothering Workshop begins today and we have reached our max capacity for this workshop. There are still some people who have not yet confirmed their particition. Please make sure you check your email and it will guide you over to the workshop once you confirm. May everyone enjoy a wonderfully mindful week this week in wherever it leads you!

enable

We must make the choices that enable us to fulfill the deepest capacities of our real selves.

~Thomas Merton



::elizabeth::

This weekend I went kayaking. And kayaking in our creek is all about choices especially this time of year when the water level is quite low. It is often impossible to determine the clearest way to go until you are right up to the point of not being able to choose any other choice. And then you just have to ride with it. That sometimes means getting out of the boat and pushing the kayak through the rocks. Sometimes that means getting wacked in the face by a tree branch. Sometimes that means having your boat turn sideways and take on water. You can beat yourself up about the poor choice that you apparently made, but it makes a lot more sense to just go with it. Just accept it for what it is. If your intention is to make it down the creek eventually you will even if you get in a tough spot or two along the way.

Relating choices in life to kayaking today helped me forgive myself for some of the poor choices I seem to make in life. Lately, I keep finding myself stuck in choices that make me feel guilty regardless of what I choose. At some level, I have to get to the place where I can easily identify what choice fulfills my highest good, my deepest capacities, and let the guilt go. But that is often difficult. It is difficult to let the guilt go. It is difficult to always clearly identify what choice serves the deepest capacities of my real self. And sometimes what I think serves this real self, shifts right before my eyes. If I were like the bald eagle that flew over my head today, I would have the vision to always make the choice that fulfills the deepest capacity of my real self. For now, I rest in the grace that the choice I fail to make today doesn’t ruin the journey. It only makes it more interesting (smile).

::lisa::

We are constantly faced with decisions and choices. Every moment holds an opportunity to choose how we see or react or think about something. When too much emphasis is placed on making the best decision, decision making abilities tend to get a bit clouded. When this happens I try my best to listen to my heart.

Listening to one’s heart can be hard. When things are noisy or chaotic in our minds, it can be hard to hear what our heart is telling us. At first it can be helpful to try to listen to your heart when all is calm and quiet. However, most of us live in a busy and noisy atmosphere in our everyday lives. Strengthening our listening abilities to be able to tune into what our personal needs are, even amidst chaos, can be extremely beneficial for everyone.

By following your own heart, you are sure to get yourself somewhere good. I always feel that you can’t go wrong by listening to that little voice within and keeping in mind the highest good of all things.

:::

There is still time to sign up for the free Mindful Mothering workshop to begin June 21st!  We hope you will consider joining us.

Mindful Mothering workshop...sign ups closed

****We are delighted that so many of you were interested in this workshop.  Unfortunately, we have reach the limit that we can offer this workshop too.  So sign ups for the summer solstice mindful mothering workshop are CLOSED.  Sign up for our email list in the left sidebar to keep informed of future workshops.****  

Do you often find yourself struggling to maintain a balance that honors the inherent goodness of your children and your own needs? Do you wish you had simple tools and practices that would help you maintain awareness and extend compassion to the children in your life regardless of what the day presents? Are you searching for a community of mothers who wish to explore and share what it means to mother mindfully?

For many of us, mothering is the highest job we are called to do during our lifetimes. We love and want to honor the sovereignty of our children. We want to be compassionate, nurturing, and open in all our interactions with our children. But we are often challenged to do so by many different internal and external influences as we attempt to mother in this way. And authentic models of mindful parenting in our day to day life may be lacking. Yet intuitively, we know there is a way to respect the needs of everyone in our life, especially the needs of our children, in way that is accepting and non-judgemental.

“The application of mindfulness to parenting means learning to be accepting and nonjudgmental in the face of a dizzying array of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of their children.” –Jason Goldstein

In this workshop you will be given simple practices, meditations, and opportunities that will help you discover what it means to mother mindfully. Lisa and Elizabeth will facilitate this workshop by providing structure and holding an intention that creates the binding for our work together. There is a much greater force that will inspire and guide each of us within and as we share and create together.

"Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn't more complicated that that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it." ~Sylvia Boorstein

The workshop will begin June, 21st and will last one week.  There is no cost to participate in this workshop, just the time you will put into sharing your wisdom and what you have gained through the practices we offer. We have so much to learn from each other…and so much light to radiate together.

In order to sign up for the workshop, please enter your contact information in the sign up box below. You will then receive an email confirming that you are a participant in the workshop within the next day or so. We will send out a reminder the Friday before the workshop begins and then daily emails during the week of the workshop. Please feel free to email us at threading_light [at] yahoo.com if you have any questions.

We are so excited to go on this journey with you!

***if you already signed up for our email list, you do not need to sign up again to participate in the workshop, but please send us an email if you do not wish to receive the workshop emails.  thanks...and sorry for any confusion. we are still trying to figure out our email system.****

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i see you

If only I could throw away the urge to trace my patterns in your heart, I could really see you.

~David Brandon



::elizabeth::

I imagine a moment when I finally take off what my ego thinks are ‘super cool’ glasses, and actually see the world and all the people as they are. There would no longer be a reason to fear. The root of fear is separateness. When I take off those ‘super cool’ shades, there will be no my and your. There would only be love, acceptance, and connectedness. Love and feeling the need to project my desires on someone else cannot occupy the same space.

Interestingly, this seems to be the most challenging for me with my own child. I have always had high expectations for myself and already I have seen myself transfer these self-imposed standards to my child by comparing him to other children, wishing especially at particularly challenging moments that he were different, or having really unrealistic expectations for him. This leads to a slippery slope of judgement and controlling in an unhealthy way. But awareness is key and every moment I get another chance to try again even though it can be really tough if I have slipped far. I am not a perfectly mindful mother who accepts her child at face value at all times at all costs. But I am aware, painfully aware, when I start slipping away from honoring my child for who he is as he is…a beautiful shining heart of gold. My heart can clearly see this without glasses.

::lisa::

There are so many times when something someone does, or says, can push me in the “wrong” direction. The most common place for me to feel this way is within my family. I know this is because they are the people I spend the majority of time and energy with. I sometimes get really tangled up in my own thoughts that family life should be a certain way all the time to be deemed as “good”. So when obstacles arise between my self and those I love the most, I feel icky.

I truly believe that the “bad”, “dirty”, and “uncomfortable” feelings we have with others, whoever they are, are really just a reflection of a part of ourselves that we need to be seeing in that moment. At first it seems rational to place judgment on others and hide our face. It’s is easier that way. However, by taking the time to go within ourselves and remove the blame, judgment, and patterns we have instilled, we are given the opportunity to truly see others for the beauty that they truly possess. In this process we also give ourselves the wonderful gift of an open heart, where we can accept all beings for where they are on their path in life with respect. It is that respect which we show others, that shines right back on us...coming full circle, from where it started, right within.

{Please stop back here in this space on Wednesday. We have a special announcement to make and are super excited to share it with all of you!}