Musings and Reviews of Metaphysical, New Age and Meaningful Writings

Posts tagged ‘forgiveness’

Chakra Secrets to Self-Love and Energy Healing


I’d like to share my tale encompassing a rugged path through all seven chakras, a happy ending and an instant healing technique everyone can use. I invite you to download a FREE copy of CHAKRA SECRETS through Friday, Oct. 16.

Here’s a review of the book by a reader on Amazon.com:

 Chakra Balancing, Past Lives, Yoga and More!

“Began this book at Midnight, read straight through until 4 a.m. and waited until the light of day to review.

All of the cliches fit: cliff hanger, couldn’t put it down, fast-paced, brilliant writing…yes, all that with an important message: life is the same for everyone, we hurt, we grieve, we suffer, we have moments of joy and passion, and we are all subject to the same feelings.

We are born and re-born both physically, as in reincarnation, and spiritually, as in evolution of the soul…and there are very real modalities that we can employ to overcome our private agonies and move along our spiritual path to fuse with the light. That’s the simplistic version.

Author Becca Chopra put herself out on a limb with this autobiographical novel in which she introduces powerful, spiritual healing modalities in a very earthy way. She covers yogis gone wild, drugs, passion, longing, as she takes you on a breathless journey from actress to respected yoga teacher, an amazing roller coaster ride that introduces yoga, rainbow tantra, tantric gurus, macrobiotic diet, past life regression, acro-yoga, Ho’opono’pono and a very effective Huna Dynamind technique which can be practiced at home.

The storyline is complex yet unfolds simply and easily, propelling the reader right to the happy ending. And after all the twists and turns, one is certainly ready for that relaxing out breath and release.”

I look forward to sharing my story with YOU also – I invite you to download CHAKRA SECRETS – the Kindle version can be read on virtually ANY smart device.

PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND MAY YOU ALL ENJOY THIS HEALING JOURNEY.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries, Chakra Secrets, Balance Your Chakras-Balance Your Life, and The Chakra Energy Diet

www.theChakras.org

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Become Who You Truly Are: YOU CAN TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE #BookReview and #AuthorInterview


You Can Transform Full Cover FINALrevWhat is your plan for transforming 2018 into your best year ever? Have you thought about it? Do you have a plan?

Imagine if you could have a year of inspiration mapped out for you. Well, Darity Wesley, a Modern Day Oracle™, has done just that for you. You Can Transform Your Life was written as a guide to support your personal and spiritual growth over the course of 52 weeks… so it’s a perfect time to start using it at the beginning of a new year. Of course, you can start at any time, go at your own pace, or even open the book at random for an Oracle message to answer a question on your mind in the moment.

The first Oracle message relates to Creating a New Way of Life, with the affirmation mantra: “I AM releasing the old so I can build the new…And so it is!!!” There’s also a circle for you to draw your goal or intention as a simple symbol.

Each Oracle message is followed by space for you to answer four questions of self-inquiry – to explore what the message means to you, to create your own personal mantra, to plan how to integrate the message into your life, and to direct your attention to any messages from your own inner voice.

The book’s design is so well thought out – I found that answering the questions and using this space to journal my emotions and thoughts on the Oracle message made it so much more powerful for me than just reading the message. This personal writing is therapeutic, helping you let go of the things that are holding you down, inviting you to freely express how you feel – which will make you feel better.

Spinx Darity with copyright

Love and Trust, my dear ones … Love and Trust! ~ Darity Wesley, Modern Day Oracle™

At the end of the 52 Oracle messages, there is a guided Personal Transformation Journal template that takes you even further, offering inspirational prompts for your writing. I think you will be amazed at how far you’ve come on your personal journey by the time you reach the last journal page, which prompts, “Free yourself from what is holding you back! Be who you truly are!”

For those seeking to go even further on their journey of transformation, Darity Wesley has designed a Companion Workbook for You Can Transform Your Life, that provides more in-depth questions for each of the 52 Oracle messages, bonus exercises to help increase intuition, spiritual strength and inner balance by exploring such topics as Tuning In, Gratitude, and Forgiveness, as well as practical advice on how to apply these tools of transformation to all areas of your life. It will be available on December 26.

What a great way to start 2018 with one or both of these books in hand or gifted to others!

Many thanks to author Darity Wesley for answering my many questions about her work here…

Can you explain what Oracle messages are?

I feel that the Oracle messages are communications written to stimulate and encourage thoughts and feelings that will support and assist us in our personal and spiritual development. I think of the Oracle messages as signposts. They point the way for our own consciousness, our own Soul self to discover, guide and change our behavior, our way of thinking, our way of feeling. Everything is possible and Oracle messages support whatever resonates with the heart of its reader.

What inspired you to become an “Oracle?”

In the late 1980s early 1990s I enjoyed a book by Shakti Gawain entitled Reflections in the Light. This book contained inspirational messages for every day of the calendar year. It felt good to think about or contemplate whatever she had written for that day. I liked it very much and thought it may be of value to others.

In 2006, I heard of the social media site called MySpace which was gaining in popularity in the tech industry I was working in. I put up a profile on MySpace and began posting what I called ~The Daily Oracle~: Inspirational messages by Shakti Gawain, Louise Hay, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass and many others. I allowed my spirit to be my guide in picking what to post for each day. At some point in the postings, someone asked if they could receive the messages by email and I said “Sure” and began the email subscription service. I stopped posting on MySpace somewhere along the way but continued with the email subscription service sending the messages of others.

In August of 2012, my treasured friend of many years, Cristina Smith, suggested I might like to write the Oracle messages from my own spirit as opposed to using the work of others. I was flabbergasted and immediately rejected the idea that I do that on my own. “Who, me?”

That “suggestion” was a seed that grew and blossomed, so I faced my fears and decided to do exactly that. Well, to at least give it a try! So, on September 5, 2012, I launched Oracles from the Spirit of Darity. While that space was always there, within me, it was my friend Cristina who inspired me to become a Modern Day Oracle™.

How do you access these messages or divinations?

Having been on the path of self-discovery and inquiry for over 50 years, I have experienced much support from my angels, guides and Spirit. Because I have “tuned in” for so long and “turned up the volume,” I feel I recognize and, therefore, trust, the voice within me. So what I do is just tap into that place where I hear Spirit and say “What?” “What are the energies and directions for …?” I then write or type the words or directions that come through.

How can the reader best use your Oracle messages?

Each Oracle message focuses on some area of self and/or spiritual discovery. Since inner work is very personal, the Oracle message will simply help the reader’s own intuition look at what they need to look at in that area or what they can focus on as a tool, a process, a step to work on, integrate or a practice to include in their life to support them along the way. As I said earlier, Oracle messages stimulate thoughts and feelings for us to investigate or assimilate or even relegate to another time if it causes us any resistance when we are reading it.

That is what the companion workbook: You Can Transform Your Life – Go Deeper (available on Amazon on December 26) will add to the process. It is intended to help us navigate these changing times and facilitate our journey to becoming our True Authentic Selves.

What are the benefits of using the affirmation mantras?

Affirmation mantras are the seeds of our intentions. We use them to support us. The main benefit of an affirmation mantra is its ability to bypass the “monkey mind,” the “ego,” the “personality” … that part of ourselves that is “rational” and “controlling” and caught up in the illusion of the way it really is. That part of us which will surely tell us why it won’t work or why it is something other than “love and trust,” for instance, or “I firmly stand in my determination to …” or “I am kind to others and myself.”

Another benefit of affirmation mantras is their support of the transformational energies of self and spiritual discoveries. They help us access higher levels of awareness. No matter how you use them, affirmation mantras have the ability to bring the seed of your intention into full bloom to support what it is you are wanting to do, be or have.

What are the different ways readers can use your book?

A reader can use the Oracle messages in the book however they feel drawn to use them. The book, and its companion workbook, is structured as a 52-week program beginning any time you want, however, they can be used and applied randomly, you can skip around, and let your very own spirit be the guide. Mix and match or go in order. It is all up to the reader.

You write of the New Reality – can you explain that and offer an example of that in action?

The New Reality is a term that comes up a lot in the Oracle messages. Quite simply, it is a shift in focus. This shift is from an external focus, which has been the way of life on this Planet for a very long time, to an internal focus that is a new way of life. The New Reality is a focus on an internal, higher level of consciousness. That “higher level of consciousness” may be your own creative sovereignty or that of a higher power or energy or just All That Is, the Universe, God, depending on your particular belief structure. When we step into consciously allowing that creative power to move through us, rather than resist it or not acknowledge it, we find such things as fulfillment, balance, happiness. What you need, what you want, comes from within, not “out there.”

As more and more of us step into the New Reality, as often as we can, we will feel there is more to be discovered about ourselves and our world. That can bring a calm joyousness and excitement to our lives.

An example of that would be my personal experience when I came to the realization that nothing “out there” was really responsible for my happiness. Not money, not things, not relationships. No. Nothing outside of me. I realized I was responsible for making me happy. I am the creator of my own reality and I choose, from inside, my happiness. That is stepping, a wee step for sure, into the New Reality.

What brought you to the decision you say you made, “to wear my heart on my sleeve and the world can just get over it?”

I will never forget the experience so many, many years ago. I was 33 years old. At that time I was a person who wanted everyone to love her. Mostly because I felt so unlovable. I had no real sense of myself. My need for love and approval was so great that I was like a chameleon. I had no opinions of my own. I would assume the likes and dislikes of whomever I was with. I was a Republican with Republicans and a Democrat with Democrats. I went along with whatever was happening. God forbid I would say what I thought or felt in a social setting.

Having been exploring myself and growing spiritually for many years prior to this, I was not totally devoid of self-inquiry, self-discovery and spiritual growth and so this was, evidentially, my next step.

At that time in my Buddha year, 33, I had a life changing experience at the foot of Mt. Shasta in California. Part of that life changing experience was “I am going to wear my heart on my sleeve, allow myself to be vulnerable, people will like me or not like me but they will like me or not like me as I am.” No more pretending, no more affectation, no more not saying what I think or feel. Nope! I began to step more and more into my True Authentic Self.

What would you most like readers to take away from this book?

Whether someone desires a complete life makeover or just wants to learn new ways to feel more in harmony with themselves and their world, this book and the companion Workbook, provide processes, tools and practices to take your life to a new level. Self-discovery and self-awareness are critical tools for these changing times and absolutely support our evolution as conscious beings.

As we evolve as conscious beings, we not only change ourselves, we change the lives of those around us and as that change energy moves out to world, it changes the world. That is my desire for my readers. To grow and change. To feel better, to feel more alive, to feel more at peace with themselves and all that is going on in the world. To become more self aware and to grow spiritually. To become more and more who you really are.

How can one subscribe to your Modern Day Oracle™ messages?

If someone would like to subscribe to ~The Weekly Oracle~™ they can email me at Darity@DarityWesley.com. Simply put “Subscribe” in the Subject Line or go to our website www.DarityWesley.com and subscribe there.

You Can Transform Your Life is available now on Amazon, and the You Can Transform Your Life – Go Deeper Workbook will be available on December 26.

Namaste!

Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries, Chakra Secrets, Balance Your Chakras-Balance Your Life, and The Chakra Energy Diet
www.theChakras.org

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Forgiveness is the Way Out of Pain: ALL THESE THINGS: Maya Invictus #Book Review and #AuthorNote


All these Things coverALL THESE THINGS: Maya Invictus is both an engrossing and inspirational novel of the life of public defender Maya Lee and the enlightened master who changes her life… who also just so happens to be charged with murder. 

This is the second in the Soul Invictus series from Mark Tiro. His first book, IMPLICIT: Soul Invictus, which I reviewed here, is the epic sweep of Maya’s journey through time and lifetimes, from beginning to end, until she decides that forgiving is less painful than continuing to carry around all her soul’s unconscious guilt.

In ALL THESE THINGS, we meet Maya as a young trial attorney who cannot escape her feelings of “a drifting emptiness,” and the pain her own thinking and anger are causing. She meets an enigmatic client, David, who is charged with the murder of his young daughter in a car crash. Why the District Attorney claims it is murder is just as much of a puzzle to Maya as why David is so stoic and calm, saying, “Don’t worry, she’s not gone. No thought of love is ever lost.”

David teaches Maya how he learned to watch his thoughts without judging them, and as each one would come up, he’d practice letting them go. He realized his problems didn’t come from the outside world, but his inner thoughts and reactions.

“…when he would recognize that he had gotten angry, when he would find that he had become anxious—he would consciously look at those thoughts, and then choose to overlook them. To forgive them. The result of this practice had been that he rarely found himself with anything but a quiet, peaceful mind…”

In another scene in his jail cell, David explains:

“Maybe we can’t change the world. But I can tell you, even in here, we are always free to change our minds about the world.”

Maya may not be ready to hear David’s philosophy that “The entire world is a projection,” but her interaction with him leads to radical changes in her life as she practices the willingness to forgive.

AUTHOR’S NOTE ON ALL THESE THINGS: Maya Invictus

Mark Tiro: After reading the book, many people have asked if Maya or David were real people. Sadly, the answer is no to both, although I’ve wondered more than once how I might react if an enlightened master showed up in my life at 2:00 pm on a random Tuesday.

The name of the book—All These Things—started with Augustine of Hippo. Before he was known as the great thinker he would later become, he may have been more famous—or as we might say today, infamous—for an impassioned prayer of his youth.

“Lord, make me chaste—but please not today!”

At some point after that promising start, he settled down, eventually coming full circle to this:

“If I ever know and see God in the way in which God can be seen, then all these things will disappear from my thoughts; even now, because of my love for God, they hardly enter my mind.”

The bookend to that comes from a Course in Miracles.

“I will forgive, and this will disappear.”

From these two book-ended ideas, the name and a fair amount of the concept behind All These Things as well, flowed relatively unimpeded onto the cover and into the pages within.

‘Relatively’—because it is always dangerous to underestimate my uncanny ability to complicate even the most straightforward of ideas.

A name, of course, does not make a novel.

And so I hope I’ve given Maya the room to breathe and stretch her wings, and above all—to be herself and fly free.

For now, Maya and David don’t come by anymore.

Late at night though, every so often, others stop by where they once did, to share their thoughts and their stories. I stay awake, here, listening, waiting, thinking…

Still… I would be lying if I didn’t say that some small part of me holds just the smallest hope that one quiet night, Maya or David might just decide to drop by unannounced.

To spend some time catching up over a late night cup of coffee, or a glass of wine…

Occasionally the sound of a far-away cricket will drift in to interrupt my reverie.

This is when the words come.

This is when, if I stop talking and listen just so, the faintest of melodies is carried in on the gentle breeze.

This is the time I sit with my wine, quietly off to the side. Just listening. Quietly listening as the winds carry their stories in from times and places far away.

I have the easy job. It’s one simple thing.

It’s just to get out of the way.

To listen.

Listen, and then—to write, as faithfully and thoughtfully as I am capable.

WHAT’S NEXT IN THE SPIRIT INVICTUS SERIES?

Mark Tiro: Book 3 of the Spirit Invictus series should be finished by the beginning of next year. It might be the last one in the series (after all, Maya’s already died however many life-times over in Implicit… so she needs a chance to finally relax). Although, as they say… you never know. Maya can be quite strong-minded—and persuasive—like that sometimes.

ALL THESE THINGS: Maya Invictus is available at the launch price of $.99 on Amazon through December 10, when the Kindle goes to the regular price of $4.99.

Namaste!

Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries, Chakra Secrets, Balance Your Chakras-Balance Your Life, and The Chakra Energy Diet
www.theChakras.org

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A Novel Look at Love and Forgiveness – IMPLICIT: Soul Invictus #BookReview and #AuthorInterview


Implicit-10-16-17 CoverIMPLICIT: Soul Invictus contains both wildly imaginative stories of a woman’s many incarnations, worlds, and adventures, and a profound discussion on the meaning of life, love and forgiveness.

Maya Lee is a law professor holding a grudge, which we might all do if we were in the same situation – being unjustly fired. But as we follow her soul through many other incarnations in both ancient and modern times and places, a theme emerges – about forgiveness, about love, about what is real and what isn’t.

“It’s not what happens in life, but our opinions about what happens that trouble men… Or women,” she learns in one of her incarnations.

In another incarnation, as a lawyer in ancient Rome, the protagonist Marcus learns, “…try your best, right? But then just let it go. Stop thinking about it.”  

As the reader, we learn along with the characters – “Forgive, and only love remains.”

The life and death stories in this novel touch on everything that makes life profound, beautiful, absurd, and heartbreaking. We follow each incarnation of Maya into the afterlife and learn:

“Love is. Love doesn’t go anywhere or come from anywhere. No thought of love is ever lost. You take it with you. Love is all that there is. And love is everywhere.”

Thanks to author Mark Tiro for this inspirational novel, and for answering my questions here about IMPLICIT: Soul Invictus…

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Have you incorporated any of your own past into your writing?

A lot of people ask me after reading the book if the character of Maya Lee is real. Before I started to write, like Maya, I had worked as a public defender in Los Angeles. I’ve tried to incorporate snippets of a lot of things, personalities and places, that I’ve gotten to know – to see – close up… Once I was able to sit down and reflect on it all though, I realized just how deep and profound – how much of an impact – some of these things I’ve seen have had on me.

“Still waters run deep,” as Marianne Williamson used to say. And so, the closest thing I can say about Maya is that she’s arguably the best lawyer I’ve ever known… But of course, maybe that’s why I ended up a better writer than I ever had been a lawyer. Somewhere deep down, I’ve always known not to get in a fight with Maya because she’d probably win.

What inspired you to write IMPLICIT?

I used to work out at the gym, years ago, a lot more than I do now. One day, a friend of mine who lived within walking distance invited me over for lunch, after our workout. Well, on his bookshelf, he had all these books – some I’d heard of, some were new to me. Everything from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to Way of the Peaceful Warrior to Paolo Coehlo’s The Alchemist.

He also had a tattered, old paperback copy of Richard Bach’s Illusions. He lent it to me that day, and I took it home and read it. That book – the ideas in it, I think, was what really set me on my life path.

I then read The Celestine Prophecy, The Prophet, Man’s Search for Meaning… even Mitch Albom’s Tuesday’s with Morrie. Eventually these all led me at some point, to a trip to Temecula and a quiet afternoon where I was able to meet Ken Wapnick. I really did come to appreciate his non-judgmental/forgiving take on A Course in Miracles.

What would you like readers to take away from the book?

I wanted to, above all, let readers get to know characters they would actually care about. So many spiritual parables seem to be so wooden. And so much spiritual non-fiction is just not as easy – at least for me – to read today as it used to be, years ago, before the internet.

Most of us now, because of the internet, Twitter, Facebook – being so interconnected – our attention span’s basically shot. The cardinal sin or maybe ‘cardinal rule’ now of anything, whether it’s a book, TV, a movie or a Facebook post, is just this: ‘Don’t be boring.’

And after years of ‘searching,’ I’d finally hit on something that helped lift the heaviness, the depression… something that helped me to just relax and not feel self-conscious when I was with people. As far back as I could remember, I’d always been on my own elusive search for the meaning of life, always trying to find an answer that just ‘felt right.’

I tried to show how this stuff actually looks in life – in this world we all seem to live in here.

Also, a lot of people don’t catch it the first time they read IMPLICIT: Soul Invictus, but I was curious how it would look in the real world, as someone goes through the stages of the ‘development of trust’ that A Course in Miracles describes. Maya’s journey takes her through all of it, and I was as surprised as anybody by the time I got to the end. It turned out that Maya’s journey didn’t look anything like I’d expected it would when I first sat down to begin writing.

In your Author’s Note, you say some of Maya’s lifetimes involve real people in history, such as the Greek stoic philosopher Epictetus. Why did you want to include them?

One of the themes that runs through and permeates the book is that in reality, time is not linear. Epictetus taught what we call ‘stoic philosophy.’ But Epictetus’ stoicism was only about one step removed from the Freudian Vedanta of A Course in Miracles that we know today. It’s also quite in line with a lot of the Gnostic teachings, and had quite a lot more in common with the Gospel of Thomas and non-dualistic Buddhism, than with what we think of today as ‘stoic.’

Plus, here was this great teacher – he was a giant, even in his own time, who at the end of his life, settled down with a woman he didn’t marry, and whose name has been lost to history, in order to raise the child of a friend (one who’d presumably died or been sent off) so that the baby wouldn’t die or be sold off into slavery. It was such a human thing to do – it really embodied all his teachings. I was really excited when I discovered I’d have an opportunity to write about that.

And of course, it just so happens that I knew of someone [an incarnation of Maya], who by complete coincidence, happened to be on a ship sailing to just the right place, at just the right time…

How is IMPLICIT connected to the next book you’re publishing in December and what can you tell us about that book?

A lot of people don’t know this, but IMPLICIT: Soul Invictus is actually the second novel I’ve written about Maya Lee. The first one I wrote actually slots in perfectly right behind it. So while IMPLICIT: Soul Invictus really is the beginning of Maya’s story – of the entire Spirit Invictus Series for that matter – in December, Book Two, ALL THESE THINGS: Maya Invictus, comes out. That book will actually go even deeper into Maya’s younger (and slightly wilder) years.

That book will tell the story of Maya and David [a client and spiritual teacher], and how Maya’s toughest and most brilliant courtroom battle jettisoned her off on an unplanned detour into her own personal dark night of the soul. The favorite feedback I’ve heard from my early readers is this quote: “Inner peace with an attitude – could be called Way of the Peaceful Lawyer!”

I’m also giving away a free novella called ONE MORE THING: The Lost Interview. It’s a small little snippet of Maya’s life after the events of – and complimentary to – ALL THESE THINGS.

You can download the free novella and learn more about the Spirit Invictus Series at www.MarkTiro.com.

IMPLICIT: Soul Invictus is available on Amazon Kindle at the special price of just $.99 through November 4, so download it today.

Namaste!

Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries, Chakra Secrets, Balance Your Chakras-Balance Your Life, and The Chakra Energy Diet
www.theChakras.org

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A Glimpse of Heaven: #BookReview of DANCING AT ANGEL ABBEY with #AuthorInterview


9781504353311_COVER.inddDancing at Angel Abbey is an entertaining, whimsical, light-hearted novel that also offers deep, thoughtful messages about life and the miracle of it. The story revolves around Kate, a woman who loses her self and her purpose in life, then gets angelic help to bring her back to her divine purpose. She’s a partner in a Wall Street law firm who loses her job and her father all in 24 hours, only to discover options she had never considered.

Kate goes home to Angel Falls to see her estranged father the night before he dies and falls into despair at not repairing her relationship with him, while destroying her law career at the same time.

Author Lauren M. Bloom offers a simple recipe for healing: 

“…healing comes in the simplest things — good, plain food, a favorite story, a comfortable place to sleep, the loving attention of familiar friends.”

I was captivated by the protagonist and the problems she faced, and inspired by the angelic help she received.

In fact, one of the most interesting aspect of the novel is the introduction to the archangels in heaven, and their commentary at the end of every chapter — giving us another view of what Kate just experienced. They also sprinkle their messages with advice we can all use.

“You are good enough. Just get out there and do some good.” ~ Archangel Michael

I found myself entranced by the imagery used by the author, as well as the story and the many inspirational messages woven throughout. In addition to the angels communicating with Kate through dreams, visions, visitations in disguise, and even actual physical notes, Kate also gets advice from the Lady of Angel Abbey, where she donates her time after returning to Angel Falls:

“…interpreting your memories of the past in the best way rather than the worst is a very good strategy. It can save you a lot of resentment and regret.”

I do believe, I do believe, I do believe in angels, and am not above asking them for help. They certainly helped Bloom write a perfect book to read this summer or any time of year — it’s a good read for the beach or during a quiet weekend at home. Either way, it will be hard to put down.

It’s easy to see why Dancing at Angel Abbey won the New Age Fiction category in the 2017 International Book Awards.

Here is my interview with Lauren M. Bloom, an attorney, interfaith minister, and award-winning author who believes that listening to the voices of angels can help us discover our best destinies and become our finest selves:

Is there a message you would like readers to take away from your novel?

Life is meant to be a magical, magnificent adventure. We were meant to live in loving collaboration with the Divine, to care for one another and our shared world, and to savor the incredible experiences that come from just being alive. Scary as it gets sometimes, I believe that we’re always beloved, and that help and comfort are always there if we remember to ask for them.  

Your bio says that you are an attorney and an interfaith minister. Is any of Kate’s story modeled on your own experiences?

It is, although I haven’t had the kind of direct encounters with archangels that Kate experiences (at least, not yet). However, I know the kind of soul-crushing damage that a hard-charging professional career can inflict. I’m all too familiar with Kate’s sense of never being good enough, and of longing for a gentler, more meaningful life. Like Kate, I get tremendous satisfaction out of giving practical help to people who need it, but I can be stubborn about accepting help. And, like Kate, I’ve had the privilege of being owned and loved by several Siamese cats. All of those experiences contributed to Kate’s character and the choices she made throughout the book.   

You describe Kate and modern women in general as self-loathing. Why do you think that is, and what is the remedy?

We hold women to ridiculously high and narrow standards in our society. Unless you look like a fashion model, have a successful career, are in an ideal relationship, raise flawless children, live in an immaculate home, and devote your spare time to community service, you’re not accomplishing as much as you “should.” That message is everywhere in popular culture, and it’s positively brutal. 

The remedy, I think, is for women to recognize that “perfection” is the last thing we can, or should, strive toward. Rushing around trying to juggle all of those demands is a wretched way to live. Learning to appreciate our “imperfections” as the things that make us uniquely precious isn’t always easy, but it allows for a much more comfortable and happy life. It’s also better from a spiritual perspective. Perfectionism strangles gratitude, and being genuinely grateful for our imperfectly beautiful selves is a huge first step toward entering into a loving relationship with the Divine.         

In your plot, Kate loses her job over a seemingly small lie. Why do you think lying is so pervasive among people when, as one of the archangels says, “…it always gets them into so much trouble?”

People most often lie because they’re terrified of the consequences of telling the truth. A lot of the time, there’s reason for that fear. Going back to the perfectionism that poisons so much of our society, I’m concerned that we’ve reached the point where even a minor mistake can ruin a person’s life. Kate’s lie was relatively insignificant, but I’ve seen people lose jobs over less. If we want people to stop lying, we have to make it safer for them to tell the truth. Yes, hold people accountable for their mistakes, but keep those mistakes in perspective and make sure that the consequences don’t become too severe.

With help from many angels, Kate leaves the practice of law and discovers her divine destiny. Do you believe we all have a destiny that is mapped out for us? 

I don’t believe that anyone has a predetermined “divine destiny,” because that would make us nothing more than pieces on a game board. As beings with free will, we make choices that are more or less consistent with our better selves, and the choices that bring out the best in us are, in my opinion, the choices that lead us to our best destinies. It can be very tempting to pursue things like power, money and fame just to have them. There’s nothing inherently wrong with those things, but it’s important to remember that we literally pay for them with our lives. If we’re miserable, they just aren’t worth the price.   

Your protagonist gets a lot of angelic help in finding her true life’s work. How do you think one can best find meaning and purpose in their lives?

It starts, I think, with recognizing that meaning and purpose can come from many sources. What makes you genuinely happy? Anything you do that leaves you feeling as though your time was well spent is a step in the right direction, whether it’s building a skyscraper, reading to a child, singing a song, petting an animal, saying a prayer, writing to your Congress member, or calling your grandmother. Maybe you want to make the world a better place, or maybe you just want to enjoy some time alone or with someone you love. Maybe it’s what you do for a living, or maybe it’s what you do when you’re not at your “day job.” Each of us only has so much time in this life. Spending it in a way that seems meaningful to you is important enough that it’s worth devoting enough time to figuring out how you really want to spend the rest of it.

If someone wants help from the angelic realm, how would you recommend they ask for it?

Just ask. Don’t worry about choosing the perfect words, don’t worry about things you’ve done that you wish you hadn’t, don’t fret about not being good enough. Just ask, keep asking, and keep an eye out for miracles. The angelic realm doesn’t always answer right away or exactly as expected, but an answer always comes, and it’s always to the good. There have been times in my own life where it’s taken me years to realize just how important it was for me not to get exactly what I wanted. Once that realization finally dawns, however, I’m always grateful that the angels took better care of me than I would have taken of myself.

You mention that self-forgiveness may be the ticket to heaven. Do you believe most people are too hard on themselves?

Heavens, yes! And I think the people who struggle hardest to be “good” are the ones who tend to punish themselves the most. There’s nothing wrong with having dreams, and ambition can be a wonderful thing if it arises out of a happy excitement about life’s possibilities. But even the highest achievers among us fail at least as often as they succeed. I also believe that it can be very difficult to forgive anyone else if you’re unable to forgive yourself. Time spent agonizing over mistakes, whether they’re your own or someone else’s, is time wasted. It’s better to forgive, and to devote that time to something more productive and pleasant.    

You write that miracles happen every day. Can you explain that?

In my opinion, it’s a mistake to think that miracles have to be huge and flashy. The fact that each of us is here at all, that we’re surrounded by beauty if we stop and look for it, that love exists, that there are an infinite number of things we can do, to care for Creation and each other, all of those are inherently miraculous. Here’s a simple example. Think of a piece of music, a painting, a book you like that was created by someone you never met. Even though you don’t know that person, you immediately recognize the work as belonging to its creator and, if you thought for a minute or two, you could probably explain exactly what it is about that work that makes it his or hers. Nobody else could have created exactly that song, painting or book. Each of us is that unique. If that’s not miraculous, what is?

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read as much as you can of what you love, and write what comes to you. If it surprises you, so much the better. (I’m normally a non-fiction writer and would never have imagined writing Dancing at Angel Abbey. Once the idea for the book came to me, though, it wouldn’t leave me alone. Then, the characters started saying and doing things I didn’t expect. That got a little nerve-wracking, but it ultimately made the story a whole lot more interesting than it would have been if I’d stuck with my original plot.) Only give early drafts to people whom you trust to be both honest and kind, and get a good editor. Finally, don’t handcuff yourself by believing that your story has to be “big” or “important.”  If it speaks to you, write it down, and trust that it will speak to other people, too.       

How can readers learn more about your work or connect with you?

Come visit me dancingatangelabbey.com, or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorlaurenmbloom/ and Twitter at @authorlaurenbloom. Let’s talk about angels!  

Dancing at Angel Abbey is available at Amazon.com.

Namaste!

Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries, Chakra Secrets, Balance Your Chakras-Balance Your Life, and The Chakra Energy Diet
www.theChakras.org

The Chakra Blog

 

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“Happiness: The Key to Inner Sunshine” Review and Author Interview


For a complete handbook to achieving a happy life, I recommend Nicola Krystina Greene’s “Happiness: The Key to Inner Sunshine.” From ways to discover your inner sunshine, to ways to dissolve any blocks you have to happiness, Greene covers all the current wisdom on finding your inner light and letting go of negativity, fear, suppressed anger and hurt.

Despite your life circumstances, Greene shows you how to live a sunnier life right now by living in the moment, practicing meditation, and expressing your true self. One of the more beautiful ways she shares is how to reconnect with nature and find inspiration all around you. As a daily meditator, I also appreciated the powerful meditation techniques she teaches, including the Hong-Sau Meditation and Candle Flame Meditation.

Greene not only shares wisdom for the ages, but beautiful quotes from those who experienced happiness despite all odds. From Helen Keller: “Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” And a Chinese proverb: “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”

Unhappiness only exists in the mind, writes Greene. So open your mind to the possibilities of a happier life. Anyone who puts her suggestions into practice will feel freer, more empowered, and definitely, happier.

Nicola Krystina Greene is a freelance writer in the U.K. who travelled the globe for 10 years meeting spiritual masters, healers and religious experts in search of greater joy and happiness. Here she answers my questions regarding the subject of happiness and her book:

Becca: What is happiness?

Nicola: Happiness is a deeply subjective personal experience and we each feel it and express it in unique ways. But it does have a universal aspect to it which is that it is related to our ability to feel our inner light.

That ‘inner sunshine’ sits within us, waiting to be unlocked, but is usually hidden behind the layers we create around us that imprison or dull that light – such as our fears, masks, and distortions. The more we free ourselves from false beliefs and learn to connect with our internal sunshine, then the more we experience our true selves, our connection with the Universe, and finally have the keys to lasting happiness.

Becca: Why do you think more people aren’t “happy?”

Nicola: Many people do not yet understand that happiness is not found in external objects, or in having specific events occur, and until they know where the real source of their happiness resides, they will always be seeking in the wrong places.

Along with this, today we live in isolated, artificial spaces and are less in tune with the healing rhythms of the outdoors and the natural world. Instead we have developed frenetic and technologically driven mechanical rhythms that create unbalance in our systems and biology.

Becca: Would you say, as others have, that our brains are wired more to remember trauma than happiness, so we have to work at being happy?

Nicola: It may be true that traumatic events are more easily remembered, and happiness is something we always have to work at. However, when we learn to re-program our thoughts and habits towards happiness and positivity (as shown in the book) then we may find that happiness comes progressively more easily and effortlessly.

When we practice happiness, we naturally attract more positive events to ourselves, and will even find that we experience challenging or traumatic times differently. As we learn to turn up the light inside us, raise our vibration, and centre our attention and consciousness within that inner light, then we develop a habit that will help us to more easily return to our happiness again.

Becca: What are the most common misconceptions about happiness?

Nicola: Perhaps the most common misconception about happiness is the idea that the feelings of joy we experience are caused by something that has happened outside of us – an event or action. However, we can ignite that same feeling simply by remembering an event or picturing a scene or that makes us happy, and this shows that the outer stimulus is not necessary, so we don’t even need the external event or person in order to feel happiness.

Becca: How can we train ourselves to have a positive outlook?

Nicola: There are great ways to train our brains to help us notice things that make us happy and get in the habit of deliberately thinking more uplifting thoughts. By using these techniques, and changing the neurological pathways in our brains, we can train ourselves to generate positive feelings more often than negative or pessimistic feelings. This way we begin to see things that make us joyful more often, helping us to become happier and happier!

Becca: What led you to write this book?

Nicola: When I was 18 I developed health issues that gradually became more debilitating over the years and which led to times of depression. I spent a decade travelling the globe looking for answers and healing, and along the way I met many amazing spiritual masters, shamans, psychic surgeons and gifted spiritual teachers who helped me to find my happiness again.

I gradually began to focus less on my health issues, and more on being happy now, learning to enjoy the beauty of each moment exactly as it is. I finally stopped reaching for happiness in the future, and got to where I could feel that everything is perfect in this moment, even during times of sickness or pain.

I began to feel so much joy that when people saw me they described me as ‘sunshine’ and that it made them happy to be around me. I knew that this was something I wanted to share, because all of us can feel that ‘sunshine’. So, I decided to write this book as a way to give back and pass on this wisdom.

Becca: What advice do you have for first-time authors who feel they have inspiration to share?

Nicola: The biggest tip I can offer is to focus on the feeling that you want to inspire in your readers. If you want them to feel happy then focus on happiness, or if you want to offer advice on overcoming fear, then focus on strength and empowerment.

The more strongly you engage with that feeling as you write, the more you will find that your words become energized and infused with that energy, and your writing will align more closely and powerfully with the message you are trying to convey. You have a specific energy and message that is unique to you, so when you write, allow your own unique expression to come through.

For more information, see www.innersunshineeffect.com.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries, Chakra Secrets, Balance Your Chakras-Balance Your Life, and The Chakra Energy Diet

www.theChakras.org

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THE DANCE OF FORGIVENESS AND THE VICTIM ARCHETYPE


Marya Mann and Cindy Longhofer sending energy.

Marya Mann and Cindy Longhofer sending energy.

There was a frog in my throat the night we practiced the Forgiveness Dance as part of our Yoga Dance Training last month in Kona. We practiced progressive forgiveness as a way to help heal the heart’s wounds and induce radiant health and joy around the places in our hearts where we’ve felt victimized. In a guided meditation, we invoked three separate kinds of people with whom we wanted to experience forgiveness.

“First, we invite into our heart a person who we want to ask forgiveness of,” I said, “someone who has felt hurt or betrayed by us, and who is withholding love because of it. We ask this person to forgive us and to allow a place of peace in our shared heart. May we find peace and a renewal of love with each other. May we ask that person, ‘Please forgive us for whatever we’ve done to cause you pain.’ And we ask the person’s higher self or spirit to open arms to embrace and listen to our higher self in a communion of souls forgiving and reconnecting to each other.”

As a Wellness Consultant and Writer, I have heard enough horror stories from quite ordinary people to convince me that there is not a human being on the planet who has not been seri­ously victimized at least once, and in minor ways more times than they could count. Who among us can say they have never blamed someone else for their lack of happiness? For many, blame is simply a way of life.

Indeed, the victim archetype is deeply ingrained in the human species, and acknowledging that it exerts great power over mass con­sciousness can help us to transform it.  So in the Yoga Dance class, I asked students to invite into their hearts a second person, someone who wanted our forgiveness. This friend or family member or co-worker, requests our forgiveness. It is someone we have pushed out of our hearts because we refuse to forgive what we perceive as a violation against us. “Say to the person who is asking forgiveness, ‘I forgive you. I know that you are in pain and have felt victimized too.’ As your higher self, open your spiritual arms and receive the one who is asking forgiveness back into your heart. Feel the courage of compassion and how your higher self’s radiance adds to their radiance, and their light adds to yours. Feel and see how the spiritual power in real forgiveness dissolves old hurts and impediments to love. Open spiritual arms and receive each other. Replace hatred with love’s light.”

For eons we have played out victimhood in many aspects of our lives, convincing ourselves that victim consciousness gives us the right to dominate others. The victim-dominator two-step seems fundamental to the human condition. One dominates, another is the victim, and usually a rescuer comes in the middle to mediate and often becomes the dominator in a never-ending cycle of the classic crazy-making family triad of relational abuse.

Colin Tipping in Radical Forgiveness says the time has come for us to stop creating our lives as victims and dominators. The fundamental question, he says, is this: “How can we let go of the victim archetype as the model for how to live?”

“To break free from such a powerful archetype, we must replace it with something radically different—something so compelling and spiritually liberating that it magnetizes us away from victimhood. As we continue to move into the new millennium and prepare for the imminent next great leap in our spiritual evolution, it is essential that we adopt a way of living based not on fear, control, and abuse of power but on true forgiveness, unconditional love, and peace.”

That’s why the third person we invited into our hearts at the Yoga Dance Training last week was ourselves. How many times have we withheld forgiveness from ourselves? Guiding the dancers, I said, “Bring your innocence and basic goodness to the forefront inside your heart. Feel the flame of purity flickering with joy in your heart. Compassion is your purpose. Your forgiveness of self spreads light upon the world. Infinite love and forgiveness inside your heart opens all the spiritual doors and re-invigorates your dance of pure aliveness.”

To transform an energy pattern so fundamental as the victim archetype, and thus the dominator archetype, many, many people—souls who possess the wisdom and love necessary to accomplish this immense task—must awaken and accept their spiritual mission.. Perhaps you are one of the souls who volunteered for this mission.

Everywhere we look—in the newspapers, on TV, and even in our own personal lives—we see exam­ples of people who have been victimized by crazy people.

There’s a lot to forgive in the world. If we’re lucky, it’s a full-time passion and we move from compassionate action to forgiveness as quickly as A to B.. But for some people, victim consciousness seems to hold their history together so they weave from old hurt and wound to another arrow and dart, their preferred method of feeling affection, even if it’s negative-love affection.

The skill of the new human is to learn from mistakes and move on. Thus, we see incredible acts of heroism and goodness. Goodness will win when the dominator trait, the one that begins with arrogance and ends with torture, repression, genocide and open warfare on a vast scale, runs itself out. Goodness is what will go on as long as we are free to forgive.

When we stop forgiving, we stop living.

– From Brave New Viewsletter by Marya Mann. Visit www.maryamann.com/the-way-of-quantum-healing-yoga-training-in-hawaii/

Namaste!
Becca Chopra

www.thechakras.org

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Inspirational writing, The Chakras and Relationships, Yoga & Meditation

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Wise Reflections On A More Fulfilling Life


Ten Life Changing Lessons contains wise advice for everyone, whatever their religion or core beliefs. The ten lessons Winsome Campbell-Green includes in her concise yet substantive book can be found in every great philosophical tradition and are taught by most New Age life coaches. But she serves them up in her own unique, delightful manner, including how these lessons transformed her own life and can help you enjoy every minute of every day of your life.

Are you holding on to grudges? Winsome’s powerful first lesson is about forgiveness, which is sometimes hard advice to follow. She strengthens her lessons with wise quotes at the beginning of each chapter and ends each chapter with questions to make you pause and discover the steps you need to take to transform yourself.

Other sage advice included in the book includes listening to your intuition and feelings and not your fears, being positive, objective, accountable and grateful. Who could argue with these concepts? Instead, if you’re feeling your life is less than what you want it to be, read and reread the author’s suggestions and be sure you’ve put them into action.

Winsome Campbell-Green is a multi-talented young Jamaican woman who has a passion for writing and inspiring people. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with very high honors and hopes to change the thoughts and lives of people with her books. She is currently working on her first novel as well as her second non-fiction book. She was gracious enough to answer my questions below.

What is the mission of your book?

Winsome: Ten Life Changing Lessons is a book aimed to help both women and men, especially young adults, to make better life choices.  The book aims to eliminate self-doubt, lack of confidence and seeks to encourage readers to be themselves, be comfortable in their own skin and appreciate life for what it is.

What inspired you to write the book?

Winsome: I was inspired to write this book after going through various life struggles and bad friendships and just a genuine interest to overcome the “negatives” in life. The lessons are real and they come from a real place. They are very simple yet powerful lessons that made a world of difference in my own life. I started the book on the topic of forgiveness because it does not come very easily. There are perhaps a million books out there that “teach” people how to live a better life but I wanted to show people that because I learned and now live by my own principles, I am a now able to live a life of purpose and potential. This book only became possible because I chose to change my perception of life. If I can do it so can you.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Winsome: My hope is that my readers will feel uplifted, feel better about themselves and feel more hopeful about their own lives. I invite my readers to examine how each lesson resonates with them. This book is a guideline on how to live one’s higher purpose, one step at a time, one day at a time, and most importantly, how to have fun throughout the journey!

Where do you find your inspiration? 

Winsome: Hmmm…that’s easy:) Me! My own life, really. I was just like anyone else who has ever felt wronged and felt like “nothing ever goes right!” All my life, I have always felt that I experienced various struggles for a reason, and each one left me with a very important lesson which I felt had to be shared. While others will “suffer” in silence, I wanted to tell my stories. Just knowing how it really resonates with people is very heartwarming!

Any advice for others who feel they have inspiration to share?

Winsome: Go for it! Believe in your work and believe in yourself. I met someone who started to write at a late stage in life and her only regret is that she wished someone had encouraged her from her younger days to write. As I stated in my own book, “Confidence Is Everything.” If you are still in doubt, check out my book and look at the lessons. Feel inspired and LIVE inspired!

You can find Winsome Campbell-Green’s book on Kindle.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra

www.thechakras.org

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Book Review, Creative Writing, Indie Authors, Inspirational Books

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Finding New Meaning in Life


How do you find meaning and purpose in your life? Especially if you have lost a partner or friend or job and find a “whole” in your existence?

The answer is to focus on what you want to create and experience next to find meaning and satisfaction. Recognize your gifts and use them to make the world a better place for yourself and others.

Love all, be grateful for what you have, help others and have fun while doing it. Either find meaning in your work itself, or if not that, meaning in working for the love and betterment of our families and all people, and the world itself.

“If you are feeling bored or disconnected from life, then you have lost touch with your spirit and awareness of the many blessings and gifts God has given you. To cure boredom stop holding yourself back from life and take a risk. Take a chance and get involved in something bigger than you. Goodness knows the world has ample opportunities to choose from,” said Sonia Choquette in her recent “Heal Your Life” posting.

There are many opportunities to “connect,” which is the way to overcome spiritual malaise. Volunteering at a shelter or community garden, taking a class to learn a new skill, use your creativity in a new way or find balance in your life (perhaps yoga, meditation or chakra work), or joining a group whose purpose resonates with your heart and soul.

For example, The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers came into being in 2004 to help spread peace and promote healing.

Together, the Grandmothers unite ancient indigenous prayer lineages from around the world to create a sacred circle for blessing and healing. You can enter into a virtual circle with them for 3 nights the first week of October, 2011, in a circle that will call us into a spirit of reverence and personal and planetary healing.

Find out more and register here (including how you can help them with their upcoming Brazil trip): http://theshiftnetwork.com/Wisdom

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

http://www.thechakras.org

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book review, Health Benefits of Balanced Chakras, http://TheChakras.org, Inspirational Books, reading & writing, Reading Recommendations available on Amazon, Spiritual Books, The Chakra Diaries, The Chakras and Relationships, Yoga & Meditation

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A UNIQUE CHAKRA TEACHING TOOL


Just finished reading Rainbow Eyes: Chakramid Reflections.

Rainbow Eyes starts with a unique new way to look at and understand the chakras – with an introduction to the Chakramid, a pyramid of chakra energy with the Root Chakra forming a strong foundation, ascending up to the higher energy self in the Crown Chakra. It’s a wonderful way to quickly understand the properties and functions of our body’s energy centers.

The heart of the book is one woman’s self discovery as she journeys through the chakras, balances them and, in the process, recognizes her true path in life. She is able to remove the blocks that her unbalanced energy centers had previously placed in her way.

The book ends with more info on the 7 chakras and Chakramid Journal pages for you to record your own personal reflections. What a wonderful tool for self-discovery and growth! I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to find their life’s purpose, or simply to manifest their dreams more easily. As Mary Jo Shaffer writes, “How quickly something manifests depends upon the alignment of all of the Chakras.”

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

www.thechakras.org

Category:

book review, Health Benefits of Balanced Chakras, http://TheChakras.org, Inspirational Books, reading & writing, Reading Recommendations available on Amazon, Spiritual Books, The Chakra Diaries, The Chakras and Relationships, Yoga & Meditation

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