... the other face of our pain for the world is our love for the world, our absolutely inseparable connectedness with all life".
Joanna Macy, Philosopher and Buddhist scholar
Each month, we share insights, inspiration, and all the ways the cycles of the Great Mandala uplift and support you. We draw upon the metaphors and messages of each season to explore and celebrate our individual and collective personal growth journeys.
Life goes in circles...all aspects of life...expansion, contraction, every part is equal, valued, necessary to be in balance...
The seasonal cycles play a significant role in our daily lives, influencing our moods, energy levels, and overall well-being. The annual and monthly Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about the natural world and the energy in the universe at a particular time. The mandalas support aligning ourselves with the natural rhythms of the Great Mandala and enhance our sense of connection--within, with each other, and the world.
This month's mandala is Calmness.
Earth Day Blessings!
This Co-Creative Mandala from a photograph of a tulip (symbolizes love--tulips help clear and balance our energies) refers to big, dramatic changes and is associated with the all the chakras. It reminds us that every day brings opportunities for holding calmness in the midst of chaos and for being present to the blessings that are presenting themselves. This is a time to be prepared for anything. As our adventure unfolds, wonderful opportunities present themselves for healing. The trick is to learn to flow with the changes and challenges and have the willingness to experience it all without dictating from where or in what form opportunities will come.
The alchemists know that in the very darkness of nature a light is hidden, a little spark without which the darkness could not exist…
Carl Jung
In celebration of Earth Day, we're taking a moment to honor and express our gratitude toward our life-giving planet. On this special day (and everyday), let's remember our deep connection to nature and all its creatures — our extended family by recommitting to protecting the world we live.
We're connected to nature and everything in it, because we ARE nature. We're just as much a part of it as the trees. And, the natural forces that shape reality affect everyone and everything. Just over the past few weeks the fiery sign of Aries ushered in generative springtime energy, followed by the beauty of the total eclipse, and disruptions (my computer, TV, and printer experienced malfunctions) that Mercury retrograde brought. And Earth is experiencing ecological changes that are shaping the future of the planet and our place on it.
Many of us can agree that we're living in uncertain times, sometimes challenging, chaotic times. For some...that means hope for a better future. For others...that means fear that things will worsen. And, there are those who seem to stay open to possibilities...in the midst of chaos.
What I've observed over the years is that during the time leading up to, during, and in the aftermath of seasonal and astrological changes everything is intensified and accelerated. What's not working in our lives and relationships - what's not energetically aligned and resonant with our true essence, and our integrity, is illuminated. So much chaos can be stirred up in this unveiling, for so many of us. Emotions and memories I may have tucked away in the shadows are suddenly illuminated, veils of denial are lifted, whether I like it or not!
What a wild ride! The potent, often disorienting energies continue to ripple and swirl. Have you been feeling that too?
Now, we unravel the lessons.
If we're looking for only order and predictability, we may overlook the possibilities and potential within chaos. Chaos can bring disruption and confusion. It can also be a catalyst, a dynamic, life-affirming force, a portal that leads to profound spiritual growth. Embracing chaos for spiritual growth requires a leap of faith and demands a paradigm shift—a move away from viewing disorder as an obstacle to overcome.This blog explores the heart of this paradox, giving a glimpse into how chaotic and unpredictable times (on the surface) can be the very experiences that lead to spiritual awakening, transformation, healing, and a sense of deep calmness.
Life works in cycles. Sometimes things are great. Sometimes they're not. You may feel like you're going through the same steps over and over again. But it's not the same, because you're not the same. Rather than a "vicious cycle"--you're experiencing an upward, expanding spiral. Every opportunity teaches you something so you begin to look at life with a slightly different perspective. “I live my life in widening circles” — Rainer Maria Rilke
The seasonal changes and world events interconnected with our personal growth--are inviting us to embrace chaos as a gift on our spiritual path. The greatest gift we can give in return is our presence, showing up and expanding our capacity to love the world, ourselves, and each other--just as we are. Because healing won't happen without that.
From cosmic forces and seasonal changes, to personal upheavals and societal disruptions, and planetary changes there are many ways in which chaos, often perceived as an adversary, is in fact a powerful ally on our path to remembering our Wholeness.
Now, more than ever, we need to remember...
To nurture…
To make space…
To include…
To soothe…
To have compassion…
To be able to do whatever is needed…
To remain resilient…
To take care of ourselves, one another, and our planet.
As has been true so many times before, it's time to shine this compassionate light of truth as brightly as possible, because we need it to help us illuminate our shadows, both individually and collectively.
Like many of you, I don't seek out or glorify chaos and disruption on my personal growth journey. I also recognize that we're going through a radical and rapid transformation, an internal revolutionary shift that is also happening on a huge evolutionary scale. It’s smart to get comfortable with the unknown, with change, and, yes, with chaos so that we find a way to walk that tightrope, trusting we won’t fall.
I invite you to approach this exploration with an open heart and a curious mind. The essence of this journey lies in finding harmony within discord, learning resilience in the face of uncertainty, and uncovering the wisdom that lies within. In these tumultuous times, it's essential to nurture ourselves and allow our Wholeness to enliven us.
...there is always an inextinguishable Light, an unbreakable Presence that says YES to us, exactly as we are, including all of our imperfections and perceived flaws and doubts.
Jeff Foster
Navigating the choppy waters, the chaos that lives in us can be confronting and challenging.
Some of us may be consciously, or unconsciously hoping the dust will eventually settle - and "all that" will just go away - drift back into the shadows - and we can settle back into a familiar space of denial or resistance. (My hand is raised!)
Or, maybe you're finding yourself filled with curiosity, excitement, and ready to bravely face whatever is revealed for you to hold gently, with compassion.
Are you ready?
To do the inner work required to heal - to liberate yourself from those old stories and constricted patterns?
To do whatever it takes to truly trust your inner knowing - to fully embody your truth, know you are loved and supported, and welcome lasting change in your inner and outer life?
So where to begin?
First, it’s okay to honor the chaos and not feel calmness. It’s okay not to be optimistic. Give yourself permission to be present with all your experiences. That said, in the midst of the chaos, we can’t allow the despair that we could fall into to cripple us. Because if that happens, then what? So just be present and honor, with compassion, the despair within the chaos and all things that take our hope away.
It’s also vitally important to make room for the darkness as well as the light in us. I invite you to create space for the "not calm", for grief, the rage, the shame, the fear and the loneliness. To bring shadow out of hiding and into the Light.
Trusting the love and light that is living through you and as you...living life aligned with your heart...is more important now than at any time in our lifetime.
Second, in the midst of the chaos, in this moment you’re being called to remember the inherent divinity in all parts of yourself. Perhaps you can’t see your Wholeness because you’ve lost faith in the universe or doubt your inner knowing? I know at times those are the challenges I face.
Like me, you may be left wondering if you actually have the willingness to be Curious about "those" parts of yourself, the Courage to trust your inner knowing, and the Connection with the universe that aligns with your authentic self and your Wholeness.
Third, surrender becomes the key as we acknowledge what we run toward and honor what we run from. It's a time to love it all - the expansion and constriction, safety and vulnerability, chaos and calmness. Surrendering to each moment helps us discover the freedom in embracing life as it is and as it unfolds and find calmness in the here and now.
Fourth, I may be conditioned to expect troubles ahead, but as I shift my awareness I remember my partnership with the Universe. I know that I can choose to believe that stepping into the unknown and welcoming the shadows will bring my heart's desires.
This is the time to metabolize the suffering...and see what's on the other side of pain.
One of my favorite teachers, Sharon Salzberg, says in an article How to Stay Calm In the Midst of Chaos
We can choose not to make an enemy of our feelings, as intense as they may be... It’s hard for us to allow our own or someone else’s pain fully if we are afraid it will steal our possibility for joy. It’s hard to allow joy its full expression if we have used it to avoid confronting the reality of pain.
I'm "leaning into” the chaos– which is so counterintuitive! Meeting “resistance” to facing pain, the shadows – with kindness and compassion--I stop “trying” to be calm, in order to find calmness. Paraphrasing Carl Jung--it's when I accept the unacceptable-- I trust that if I create space within for chaos and calm, my outer conditions will soon be calm, too.
By befriending the chaos, even if we wish it was gone, we discover profound transformation. When we honor the duality of existence, we find calmness within the turbulent dance of life.
Befriend the gift of chaos, they say.
Let curiosity guide you,
Surrender to what you evade and chase,
Honor where (and who) you are,
Nurture it all with love and grace.
In chaos lies both fear and courage,
Both wounding and healing,
Together with blisters and bliss,
Sorrow intertwines with joy,
Loneliness finds connection.
Compassion softens the edges of blame.
In this spiritual path of twists and turns,
Find calmness in the paradox,
Where life blends in Wholeness.
Finally, the more present you are in each moment, with all your emotions, the more you'll begin to co-create from your loving heart. Great expansion is possible when life feels a little lighter and more spacious, free from longstanding patterns of constricted thinking and feeling about yourself, other people, and the world.
The temporary periods of confusion and chaos are signs to go within to figure out what's going on before you act -- without being hurried or worried. Self-soothing is perfect when you need to be kind to yourself. When you bring self-soothing practices like breath work, journaling, mediation, EFT-Tapping, and mindfulness into your daily routine, you develop the resilience to ride the waves of life, to befriend both the chaos and the calmness.
Be observant and know that you have support and resources, both inner and outer, helping you all the time. You’re not alone. There’s something bigger than us that’s holding us. It will all come together, just let it flow and take its course.
Calmness Exercise
Intention:
The real power of the exercise is the intention you place behind it. Start your day with gratitude and by setting the intention that you are dedicating time for self-care, and for remembering your Wholeness. Create a space in your experience into which the energy of Calmness can emerge.
Why choose to Calmness?
You haven't now or ever lost your Wholeness...you've simply forgotten.
Activating Wholeness has special meaning at Co-Creative Mandalas. Our focus, and message, is on offering you support for remembering your Wholeness and coming to a deeper understanding of what is possible for you.
How do you Respond to chaos?
There are many methods, techniques, and teachings that support activating, remembering, awakening to Wholeness. Calmness is Connection in action.
Small acts of self-compassion/self-kindness support finding calmness in the chaos.
Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.
Hermann Hesse
There's a part of you that knows the truth of your being, who knows you aren't separate, who remembers your Wholeness. When you regularly remember the peace of your true nature, no matter how much you forget, you are inherently activating your Wholeness. When you love and accept all parts of yourself, you hold both the chaos and the calmness.
Begin and end with compassion. Ironically, it's when we cultivate compassion towards the least "awake" parts of ourselves -- the parts that are the most stuck in the "goo" that the path to remembering Wholeness opens up.
Revealing the heart of your true nature isn't the end of your journey, but the beginning of a new chapter--just like the spring seasonal energy. With Calmness you step into the world, which often includes chaos, and learn to love and accept all parts of yourself.
Are you willing to open your heart to your essential self, to the beauty of nature, to the rhythms of the season, to the present moment, to the Universe and remember your Wholeness? Then this Calmness exercise is for you!
The Calmness Exercise:
Allow yourself plenty of time to complete this exercise. You can use this exercise throughout the day and the weeks and months ahead. Remember, as you co-create this exercise, be gentle with yourself as you discover what nurtures and sustains you.
Before you begin the exercise:
There are two parts to this exercise. You'll need paper, pen, pencil, color crayons, colored pencils, and/or a journal. I invite you to write, draw, color, and/or create music that reflects your experiences as you complete each step.
Preparation:
Invest time toward moving into stillness.Create your sacred space. Light a candle. Create an altar that contains items that bring you joy, delight, and peace. Include items that reflect the season--colorful blossoms, greenery, crystals.
Take a few deep breaths to ground & center.
When you are ready, invite any subtle colleagues, allies, your guides and helpers to join you in your sacred space. Wait a moment for that connection and alliance to form.
Part 1: Power of Mandala Meditation
Incorporating mandala meditation into your routine gives added support for Calmness. Mandalas are sacred geometric patterns that can help focus the mind, induce a sense of calm, and unlock deeper levels of self-awareness.
Download and print out the Mandala Meditation Instructions
| mandala_meditation_instructions.pdf |
Part 2: Calmness Exercise
Step 1--Reflect on activating Wholeness.
What does it mean to Activate Wholeness? It means let's get it going. Let's prime the pump. Let's amplify, amplify your Wholeness.
This exercise will help you activate Wholeness with the Vibration of Calmness.
For this exercise you'll be using a self-soothing, stress reducing practice called S.O.B.E.R. When you release tension and avoid overwhelm amid challenging circumstances, you have an increased capacity to hold and honor both the chaos and the calmness and to remember your Wholeness. The key thing to remember is that this tool is readily available, including during difficult situations, not just after them.
Download and print out the S.O.B.E.R. Instructions:
| 1aaaas.o.b.e.r.-stress-interruption-1.pdf |
Over the next days, weeks, and months ahead, be sure to journal about your progress toward reaching your goal. What did you learn about yourself? What surprised you? What delighted you?
My major focus in this blog, in my practice as a Transformational Coach, and in Co-creative Mandalas is on cultivating spiritual Connection--for my clients and for myself. I support clients in creating a spiritual path. This includes finding purpose and meaning through heart centered practices toward oneself, each other and the world. If you’re curious about connecting more deeply with your essential nature--the source of goodness, joy, peace, and Wholeness, becoming more present to your life, and uncovering your authentic feelings…I think practices I share will be helpful for you! Contact me...I would love to co-create with you!
May you embrace chaos and calmness.
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