To my regular readers:
You may notice a preponderance of reviews here recently, which is not my usual fare. This is because I’m 
So … I’m not doing my regular posting these days. However, I am reading and reviewing and will continue to share my impressions as I go along. I hope it’s helpful — and thanks for your patience in the meantime!
Namasté,
This really is the most important thing I could possibly say.
But bear with me, as it’s a whole different paradigm than most people live by.
When you know who and what you truly are, in your essence, you will realize that you are not at stake here in this life.
That frees you to simply enjoy it, challenges and all.
I know. I’ve been through some major challenges, the most recent being a major financial loss. It could have been devastating but for this new way of BEing that I picked up along the way.
It’s about living in Presence, one experience of what I call the Open State.
If you’ve followed Eckhart Tolle, you may have an idea what Presence is.
But I also think that many of us (because I did it in the beginning, too) have a shallow understanding of what Presence actually is.
It’s NOT simply being in the moment in the sense of experiencing what’s in front of you right then, although that’s a helpful way to finally get to it.
It’s not even just about practicing mindfulness – that’s more a way to enjoy and “play” (which I’ll talk more about below).
It’s about going a level deeper than that.
It’s about BEing in that moment fully and to such a degree that you are aware of your immortal nature.
You become aware of the space or silence or stillness that Eckhart refers to.
You become aware of the still field that is omnipresent, existing throughout all things.
The field that you ARE.
The awareness that you ARE.
Once you’ve experienced this, you just know that you are not threatened by anything happening “out there” (more on “out there” later ;-)). You are not helped by it, nor are you harmed by it.
And then, as you experience it more and more, this knowing becomes a part of who you are as a personality, and you begin to live much more in peace.
The love that you are in essence begins to express, naturally, as compassion for everything and everyone, for you know that it is all YOU.
And you don’t just know or believe it intellectually. You know it through and through.
Then you’ll begin to see that this you, this essence that exists prior to manifestation, is what unfolds or emerges AS as your life, including you as a thinking, acting human being. (This is the level at which we work and play during a Holographic Emergence™ session. This you, and these subtle layers that are the blueprint for what manifests.)
But still, YOU are not affected by it in any way. Not really.
And you know this.
Which frees you to play with it, no matter how your mind might judge it.
You get to fully experience lila, or Divine play. (For you are Divine! :-))
And you experience your life as one giant playground, full of all kinds of new experiences!
I’ve come to this over time primarily with the remarkable guidance of 2 enlightened beings.
1) Eckhart Tolle. I can’t recommend his work enough. I’ve read his books several times, each time getting something deeper and richer. I listen to his audios over and over, again hearing or absorbing exactly what’s needed to keep me moving each day toward this state of BEing.
2) John Sherman. His work at River Ganga is extraordinary. Without him, I don’t think I’d have really gotten even what Eckhart offers. His teaching is one-pointed, i.e. Look at Yourself. It’s through this extremely simple practice that I have really grokked who/what I am. I mean really, really got it, to the core. I no longer simply experienced the stillness. It became clear that that is what I AM, and that stillness is ultra-aware. It’s pure consciousness. It’s awareness. It’s me.
Both Eckhart and John illuminate in a new and accessible way what the Eastern Masters have been saying for millennia. I spent quite a long time immersed in Eastern philosophy. The world they so beautifully describe is nothing short of heaven on earth. (Have you ever read the Upanishads? They’re breathtakingly beautiful!) I’ve meditated for decades and meditation is, of course, helpful.
But it wasn’t until I became aware of these two and dove deeply into their teachings that I was able to actually access it; to benefit in a meaningful and profound way, and to really begin to become more consciously this Light that we all are.
I’m still growing. I don’t consider myself an enlightened master – yet. 😉
The good news is you don’t have to be at the summit to experience extraordinary benefits.
Little by little we become more and more conscious of who and what we are.
And little by little, we emerge as our true, authentic, essence. And this unfolding is rich and satisfying.
No matter what.
Namasté,
What are your thoughts about Presence? Or better yet, what’s your experience of it? Please let us know in the comments!
Want to learn more about Emergence – plus experience a session yourself?
You’ll receive the Emergence Primer + Tune-Up Session as a thank-you gift (it’s an instant download) when you subscribe to my free newsletter.
This book, Loving Yourself to Great Health: Thoughts & Food–The Ultimate Diet by Louise Hay and Ahlea Khadro has a lot of meat to it! Or for you vegetarians/vegans, a lot of fiber. 😉
I was delightfully surprised at the wealth of information which I’d not heard or read before. It’s very up-to-date and includes a broad range of ideas.
As someone with a chronic issue going on, I found it especially helpful. It’s in no way superficial, but offers information and philosophical approaches to in-depth practices that can truly turn things around.
As with all Louise Hay books, it includes quite subtle — yet powerful — suggestions for you to apply. Examples are being aware of — and turning around when necessary — your thoughts, attitudes, and emotions, especially regarding yourself. (Thus the title, Loving Yourself to Great Health.)
It includes quite a bit about diet (one way to love yourself), including leading edge research and findings.
It steps very thoroughly through our bodily processes and I learned a lot about our physiology, even though I’m already quite knowledgeable about it. This was and is a very valuable aspect of this book to which I’m sure I’ll refer again and again.
And yet … As much information as this book offers, one of its most invaluable gifts is that it includes methods and exercises for you to tune into your own body to learn what it has to say to you in particular, thus guiding you to customize your very own healing journey.
About half the book is dedicated to recipes and lists of various foods’ qualities. What I like about this is that it’s a great cross-section of different kinds of foods that might be hard to find elsewhere under one cover.
If you’re considering buying this book, but are afraid it might be a bit “Micky Mouse”, be assured it is not! I can’t imagine anyone reading it who won’t get something valuable out of it.
Many thanks to Louise Hay, Ahlea Khadro, and Heather Dane. It’s quite the impressive collaboration!
Recommended!
Note: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes and this review reflects my honest evaluation.
E-Cubed: Nine More Energy Experiments That Prove Manifesting Magic and Miracles Is Your Full-Time Gig by Pam Grout is a fun book. Pam has a candid way of writing which is entertaining in itself, and at the same time the experiments she presents are lively practices that can shake you loose and help you be [more *magic*]
I liked this book — it was a gratifying read! Walking Home: A Pilgrimage from Humbled to Healed by Sonia Choquette is the story of Sonia’s recent pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. I enjoyed it just like I do a good novel. It’s interesting and entertaining to read about the logistics of the walk [more *magic*]
You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Dr. Joe Dispenza is an excellent book! And please don’t be misled by the title term “placebo”. This book is much more broad than how we often think of a placebo, i.e. in a medical/health-related context. It addresses any and all situations you may encounter. Yes, [more *magic*]
I can’t believe I debated whether or not I’d find value in this book, All is Well, by Louise Hay and Dr. Mona Lisa Schultz. If you have any question at all, or are on the fence: Get it! It is fantastic! Part of the book description states: “For the first time ever, they present [more *magic*]
The process and concepts set forth in this book, Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph. D., can be life-changing. I’m really excited about practicing the simple suggestions over time and experiencing their benefits. Contrary to some reviews, I didn’t find it technical at all, much less overly-technical. It’s interesting [more *magic*]
I’ve used a lot of oracle card decks and would rate Chakra Wisdom Oracle Cards by Tori Hartman above average. Oracles are helpful to reference when considering a question or issue, as they help trigger intuition and insights. Some work better than others, and this is one of the better ones. What I like the [more *magic*]
I love this book (Holy Shift!, edited by Robert Holden). I’m pretty stingy with stars but this one gets all 5, meaning it’s a book I expect to treasure and use always, and which I highly recommend. This isn’t a book you read; it’s a book you use. I’ve had it for a few weeks [more *magic*]
I have mixed feelings about this book (Miracles Now by Gabrielle Bernstein), but all in all, I’m glad to have it. First, I think the title may be misleading. Its content is not about what most people think of as miracles. According to the Oxford dictionary, a miracle is “A surprising and welcome event that [more *magic*]
First, I’ll start off by saying that I’ve read several of Amit Goswami’s books, and would be happy to read all of them! Although he’s an accomplished physicist, consciousness is of primary interest to him, especially its interplay with what he knows of quantum physics. His books are a perfect combination of both of those [more *magic*]
How often do you experience yourself anew, completely free of a past and a future? If you’re like me, then probably not enough! But it’s possible to do it quickly and easily. And you’ll come away with a new sense of freedom and possibility. This Very Moment Even though the now is eternal, everlasting, with [more *magic*]
I really liked this book. It’s made me so much more aware of my language, not only of the words I speak but also the words that appear in my self-talk (i.e. thoughts). “Any word you use invokes the exact energy of that word from a very responsive world around you.” ~ Sharon Anne Klingler, [more *magic*]
This is a review of the fun-to-read book Play Your Bigger Game by Rick Tamlyn. I really liked it, and am eager now to play my own bigger game! Here’s why. [FYI, I’m not going to discuss the layout or the squares on the game-board. A lot of other reviewers have done that if you’re [more *magic*]
I was going through a period where I was working through some anger toward someone who’s repeatedly frustrated me with her power games. I was eager to read Love Your Enemies by Sharon Salzberg & Tenzin Robert Thurman to see how effectively I could apply its lessons. Well … In the end, I was a little [more *magic*]
If you’re living a truly conscious life, then you naturally have great respect for animals. And you probably also feel great pain at how they are often treated by humans. Sometimes it’s even disheartening that so little progress is made so slowly. But there’s good news. As part of the human race, the more we [more *magic*]
I’m a big fan of Gary Renard, and I did like his newest book, Love Has Forgotten No One. However, I was expecting something “new” over and above what was in his last two books (The Disappearance of the Universe and Your Immortal Reality) and I don’t think it delivered on that. Toward the end [more *magic*]
As you expand your conscious awareness, your intuitive faculties expand right along with it. It can’t be helped. Everyone is intuitive to some degree. We have so much information available to us all the time, but we just forget to pay attention. Today we’ll discuss a few more ideas to help increase your awareness, and [more *magic*]
Life has much more richness and depth to it when you can live it consciously. And a highly rewarding and straightforward way of being conscious is to recognize the interconnectivity of everything. At the same time, even saying “every-thing” implies that there are separate things — and of course, there are, in this dualistic dimension. [more *magic*]
So, recently we talked about Eagle Eyes and expanding our attention out past what we might normally notice. If you took part in the 30 Day Conscious Living Challenge at OM Times, you may remember that on day 2 of my challenge “The ABC’s of Actively Being Conscious”, we talked about what you can think [more *magic*]