Love in our Society

I was about to name this piece Violence in our Society, but no. That word alone elicits such dark energy and we need Great Light at this time. Due to two healing experiences in my life – healings that delivered me back to vibrant aliveness instead of into a grave - I've become a staunch advocate of this Energy that we all share. I'm talking about the Universal Energy within which we all live every second of our lives. It moves the tides in the oceans, blooms the flowers in Spring, beats our hearts and breathes us, to name just a few of its life sustaining attributes. 

Each and every one of us is responsible for the Energy in and around our bodies. We create the quality of this Energy by the thoughts we're thinking and the feelings they engender.

Currently, it's seems our World has gone mad. And though I'm acutely aware that the majority of the peoples on the Planet are loving, caring and compassionate, our minds and hearts and souls have been being assaulted by fear and confusion. Now, right now, we must take a stand for Love. Not romantic love, but the essential Energy of the Universe, Love.

We simply cannot afford to be drawn into the anger and hatred that's being spewed forth. Honor your precious Energy and use It only for good. There's a wealth of goodness around us at all times, we need to tune into that. If you're still watching the news, be there and send Love out to whatever you're viewing. Feel that there's a powerful flow of Love pouring from your chest cavity (metaphysically referred to as the Heart Center). Commit yourself to that Love – live there. Decide to be a blessing everyday, wherever you go. In our own corner of Life we can be adding Light to the darkness relentlessly. Every little bit helps.

We are Body/Mind/Spirit Beings. Choose now to emphasize Spirit – that's the most important part and will guide you to the actions your body must take. And, use your brilliant mind to Imagine. We can be healing our World unceasingly by visualizing Peace – praying for Peace – meditating for Peace. John said it in the '70's: "Imagine all the people living life in Peace". Let us please Imagine. Let us be The Love. This is our job right now. Accept the mantel.

Francis, the Healer

I don’t know that Pope Francis would think of himself as that, but I surely do. Before he arrived on our shores on Sept 22nd, he wasn’t even on my radar. Of course, I knew of Pope Francis and his eschewing the worldly trappings of his new role, and his deep compassion for the poor and infirm and the children. But the  day he landed in Washington, DC, and was escorted around the city, my heart was enthralled. When I think on that week, I remember the milestone addresses to Congress and the UN, and at Ground Zero, and the beautiful Masses he offered, but mainly my consciousness embraces his rides through our streets and the love and compassion pouring out of his eyes and hands, his entire being. So healing - right off the TV screen. And millions felt it. The energy in our country was glorious.

I’m reminded of a study done years ago by a Harvard Medical School professor, David McClelland, PhD, from which the term the “Mother Teresa effect” emerged. McClelland demonstrated how the power of love could make the body healthier, by showing a group of his graduate students a documentary of Mother Teresa lovingly ministering to the sick. Before and after the screenings he tested the levels of Immunoglobulin A - an antibody which combats viral infections in their saliva. The IgA levels rose significantly even in many of the students who thought Mother Teresa was too religious or a fake. He subsequently discarded the film and simply asked the students to think about times when they felt loved and cared for, and times when they were loving to others. The IgA levels rose again. McClelland admitted that he’d aborted colds with this technique (me too) and he became an advocate for the role of love in modern healing. Me too.

One of the greatest lessons I learned from my spiritual teacher, Hilda Charlton, was that the Universe and everything in it is energy, Love being the most powerful. We were all extravagantly showered with the energy of compassionate love which poured from Pope Francis as he moved through our cities’ streets that week. He was blessing and healing us whether we were consciously aware of that or not. My gratitude knows no bounds, dear Francis, and I rest more and more in my conviction that Love Heals. 

Pope Francis - What A Blessing

We’re all being mightily blessed. And I’m so grateful.

 Love heals is a constant theme for me and for the past three days, we’ve seen Pope Francis sharing his boundless love and caring and joy in DC and NYC and through TV to everyone on our Planet. And today he’s in Philadelphia.

My heart is overflowing with appreciation for his generosity. When I think of the tens of thousands that have gathered to be near him, I feel there’s great hope for our human condition. Obviously in the midst of our raucous, cynical, often violent world, many are still drawn to pure goodness. This is beautiful beyond measure. This is very good news. 

Hilda “Hit”

I was outside at the river wall this morning, to greet and listen to my guidance. 

I’ve been feeling a bit wifty the past week and this is not ok with me, though I realize everything is purposeful and this is probably a message for me to chill.  Yesterday I’d listened to a *Hilda recording that I’ve had for several years. It’s what she calls a Healing Concentration and she lovingly and powerfully guides the listener to sending golden Healing Light to every part of the body. I felt fabulous afterward and vowed to do this daily to assist me through this current malaise.

This morning I felt she was there with me and she encouraged me to share what came to me, even though it’s similar to another recent blog, which, I'm happy to report, has been helpful to me and many others. However, it's always appropriate to follow Hilda's advice, so here she is. Feel that she’s speaking to you. She is. 

I’m with you, darling. You must keep focusing on the Light. Walk in It; shower in It; let It shower you. Feel Its vibrant aliveness soaking into all your pores, saturating your bones and muscles and ligaments and joints and organs – all the vital systems within you – respiratory, circulatory, digestive, eliminatory. Let the Light saturate your brain, bringing it brand new Life – new neuropaths – new connections – great clarity and creativity. Feel Light vigorously flowing through you – washing away the old and depositing New Life within every cell and atom of you. Yes, Elizabeth/Betsy get into your computer and share this soon as a blog, a podcast – wherever you can.

Hilda called me Betsy most of the time. That’s the name I grew up with. I never liked it and started using part of my real name, Elizabeth, in the mid '80’s. On my birth certificate it says Mary Elizabeth. 

Much of what followed this morning was personal, but she ended with a message that seems right-on for all of us. Re the healing Light flowing through our bodies:

 Now do it. Be it. Receive. Relax and Receive constantly. We’re always with you. We’re here to assist you in this fine endeavor. Smile and know that you are not alone and that you are indeed getting better every day and night. Your job is to know that. Blessings to you always. Know that you are loved.

I firmly believe that as we wake up, embrace ourselves with Love and take exquisite care of our body/mind/spirit system, life will be Better and Better.

*I met Hilda in1976 and though she left her physical body in ’88, she continues to be my spiritual teacher.

Blessings Abound

I’m walking in the park this glorious morning and bounding down the path towards me is a little beagle. I say “Hi, there” as he passes by and notice that he’s stopped and is coming back. He reaches up and licks the fingers of my right hand. Ahhhh - How blessed am I this beautiful morning.

Daily Shower

This morning I was struck by what I feel are thoughts held by many, that illness is inevitable, and aging, always arduous. Clearly our society is youth oriented and the media bombard us relentlessly with how to look and feel forever young. But intuitively we all know that “enyouthening” is an inside job. The better care we take of ourselves, the more conscious we become of the Energy in which we all live and by which we are all nurtured, the better each and every day of our lives becomes.

And I was thinking how long it takes many of us to awaken to that consciousness of Who We Really Are, and how years of “being in the dark” about Life and Love have created a lot of baggage in our bones - our shoulders, hips, knees, etc. I celebrate how salubrious a session of Jin Shin Jyutsu or Acupuncture or Massage can be.* But if I’ve learned anything on my life/healing journey, it was to take full responsibility for myself everyday and in every way. This often entails allowing myself to be guided to whatever/whomever can assist me during a particularly challenging time. Hence, the aforementioned modalities.

But the overwhelming thought this morning was that we need to incorporate into our daily lives, basking in a metaphysical shower each day. It can be part of our physical shower, or something that we can simply stand up and do anytime anywhere we can be private for a few moments. We can close our eyes and imagine that we are standing in a large column of showering Light, stunningly beautiful, shimmering Light. Its origin is as far out in the Universe as we can possibly imagine. And we are allowing ourselves to feel it saturating us - every cell, every muscle, every bone, every ligament, every organ, every single atom of our bodies - embraced and healed and renewed by this Magnificent Light. We are feeling totally blessed and healed and surrendered to this Light and know that it has the ability to wash away our baggage, regardless of how long we’ve been carrying it or how heavy it is. How Wonder-full. We breathe out a sigh of relief, and become suffused with gratitude and over and over repeat: Thank You, Thank You, Thank you. 

And so it is. We gently open our eyes and allow a new strength and courage to empower us. We walk tall this day knowing that we walk in the Light always and in that Light all things are possible. 

*My profound gratitude to Jed Schwartz, Dr. Nan Lu & Tatiana Philippova, and Linda Cali.

Here's to The Unfettered Life

Though it's no longer my birthday, I found this little piece on my desktop this afternoon and felt it should be shared. Hope you enjoy.

It's my birthday and for the first time this year it’s warm enough to sit outside. As I’m walking out with my writing book, I hear “go get Hilda’s Saint’s Alive book – there’s a message for you”. I got it and walked out to the river wall and stood there feeling quite exhilarated. 

Usually on my BD I’m a bit glum that here I am getting older and I haven’t done anything yet. That is a lie, of course.  I know that, through God’s Grace, I've done some very good things and there’s a lot more to do. I go back to the table to write and open to this passage in Hilda’s book: “You don’t have to do pranayama, concentration, meditation or contemplation.  You only have to let go of your fetters and everything happens right.” 

May I, may we all, surrender with abandon to letting go of any and all fetters! Thank You, Hilda.