nourishment
Blessing Your Food And Drink
I am convinced that a cup of coffee or a sandwich always tastes better when a dear friend or loving relative has made it. Maybe it is because it was prepared with love and good intention?
I also believe that when food or drink is prepared with love, the intention behind its preparation is more beneficial to our bodies and well-being. This idea often comes to me when I’m a guest at someone’s table.
My belief is not just a personal fancy; it is based on the metaphysical notion that food is just energy, as are our bodies, minds, and spirits.
Energy is transferred through touch, and both good and bad energy can be transferred or exchanged through physical contact. Even without speaking, subtle, invisible thought forms and intentions also pass from one person to another.
It therefore makes sense that this would also happen when one person prepares food and another consumes it.
I believe this is one of the reasons why many religions and cultures have a tradition of blessing food and drink before consumption.
The Spiritual Importance Of Self-Nurture
We live in a challenging world. As true as that may be, Spirit teaches us that there is much that can be done to rise above any challenge, to become empowered in the process, and thus to manifest a better future for ourselves. One of the keys to this is self-nurture.
Why should we nurture ourselves, and more importantly, how do we nurture ourselves?
Self-nurturing is often confused with self-indulgence. However, self-nurturing is not an act of selfishness or vanity. It is simply taking care of yourself, both spiritually and physically, to keep your mind, body, and soul strong and able to meet the challenges of everyday life.
As a result, you will be better equipped to meet the challenges of everyday life and to contribute more to society.
Here are some good ways to take better care of yourself.
Feed Your Senses
Make sure that what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch each day is mostly positive, uplifting, and as nourishing as possible. True, this may not always be easy because we live in a noisy, troubled world. But it can be as simple as reading an uplifting book, listening to uplifting music of your choice, or watching a movie that you find particularly authentic and positive.
Let Us Make Strong Strides Into The Future
Here in Canada, the days are now getting much longer, the weather is turning warmer, and the trees are in full bloom. Gorgeous flowers are starting to take hold for the summer and the little birds start their incessant chirping at 4 am as the skies start to lighten.
What a beautiful time of celebration this time of the year is, with Pride Month, Father’s Day, and the Summer Solstice all being recognized, among so many other events around the world. It’s also my aunt’s 96th birthday, so that is of itself a reason for our family to rejoice.
Now is a time of nourishment, growth and abundance. Nature gives us so much to see and hear. We are enjoying maximum daylight, as the solstice grows near, surrounding us with warmth and energy. Let’s revel in the beauty that surrounds us, regardless of where we find ourselves or the circumstances we are currently navigating.
We should also take some time to honor those brave leaders of the past and present who have forged paths for others to follow, in spite of insurmountable odds. We can salute them for effecting lasting change and support them in ongoing pursuits for liberty and justice around the world.
The recent celebration of Father’s Day alsoreminded me that we must salute our fathers and forefathers, and those who have become father figures to us. When we think of fathers, we sometimes think of their traditional roles from back in the day as leaders of the family, sole breadwinners, arbiters of sibling arguments, and ultimate disciplinarians. It wasn’t cool for fathers to show emotion or tenderness, far less cry, and, of course, they were always right, even when they were not.
The Wisdom Of The Trees
The annual seasons profoundly affect perennial trees. Each year many species of perennial change color, release their leaves, go dormant, and then come back to life in the spring with new growth.
As humans we could learn a lot from these trees. Firstly, they are naturally in tune with the seasons. They can ebb and flow with the natural order of things. For a season their leaves will gather up energy from the sun for growth. They bask in the light and find nourishment. And they can do this because of their ability to release the old when the time comes.
There are times in our lives when we also need to release the old things from the past. All our life experiences have natural course and expiry date to them. All our relationships in this physical life are also temporary experiences. Knowing this allows us to be in the flow with the cycles of life and the afterlife.
Too often we resolutely cling to the past, which causes us to feel stuck or keeps us from developing the types of relationships and experiences we truly want. If the trees were to hold on to their old dead leaves, there would be no room nor energy for further growth. It would be impossible for them to thrive and be nourished by the sun.
There is also no way for trees to perpetually grow. One time I planted a tree late in the season. I gave it lots of nourishment, but over the winter it died off. By fertilizing the tree, I was creating a condition that would not allow it to survive. The fall is when trees release their leaves so the wood can harden off.
Too often people want to run to the next experience, and the next experience. Or they they try to make an experience last indefinitely. They want to make the ‘summer’ of their peak human experiences last forever. They never give themselves the opportunity to let go and properly grieve what has been, in order to recenter and become stable and energized for the next spring.
It is important for us to acknowledge our actual life experiences and move through the winter seasons in a way that prepares us for the next season. There is a temptation to just keep running to the next experience or next relationship to satiate a previous painful experience. However, in doing so we create situations that are toxic and unsustainable.
Life Invites You To Dance
In the quietude of the morning, as the sun gently rises with a golden glow glistening through the trees, I feel a calm within reflecting the clear blue sky. The season is changing. The heavy heat and humidity of summer has dissolved into an idyllic balance of coolness, warmth, and lightness in the air.
It is a time of transition, moving toward autumn, but not fully there yet. For me, it is a season of revitalization and renewed inspiration. The vastness of nature expands all around and the interconnectedness of every soul within it reaches the forefront of my awareness.
Today, I will be intuitively teaching a dancing with nature class at the World Peace Sanctuary nearby. All of life is a dance with nature and its Creator. We are invited into that partnership and party of life, to move together in joy and harmony.
But how do we join the flow? It begins at the feet, at the root of the tree of life. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, the great celestial sage Narada instructs, “As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.”
Not only are angels, nature spirits, and demigods part of the tree, but so are we. Like leaves upon it, we are connected not only with the twigs, branches, and trunk, but with the root, the very source and sustenance of all life. By watering that root with our whole-hearted attention and intention, we are nourished, supplied, and satisfied.
But what does this mean practically? It means peace and growth rest not in pursuit of individual desires, but in harmony with and service to Divine desires. Endeavoring to serve separate interests is futile and unfulfilling, just as watering the leaves and limbs of a tree individually would be. They would dry up and die if simply watered separately. Continue reading
Stay In The Light
During these challenging times, it is essential to stay in the light. It protects your emotional, spiritual, mental and physical health. How do you ‘stay in the light?’ You achieve it by maintaining a raised energy vibration in a time of extreme darkness. It means you don’t get sucked into other people’s drama, darkness, fear and toxicity. You don’t allow yourself to get weighed down by the negativity in the world around you.
Staying in the light doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion or strong personal views, or that you are not aware, supportive and caring, or that you don’t get involved in the world around you when it truly matters. It simply means you always take care of yourself, while you are doing whatever it is that you need to do every day. Staying in the light is about making self-care a priority.
Staying in the light is about psychic shielding and setting boundaries where and when necessary. For example, avoiding toxic people and environments is one of the best things you can do to stay in the light. You have no obligation to tolerate and accommodate toxic people and energy thieves!
If you work with toxic people, don’t listen to the office gossip and don’t get sucked into their negative world. Also, don’t show them that they may be upsetting, or hurting you. Take a deep breath, call on your inner strength, and simply smile. Own your personal power – you are much stronger than you may realize.
Stay away from social media, if you are easily overwhelmed by negativity. For the first time in human history, we now have the technology to instantly access the opinions, fears, false beliefs and negative experiences of every human being who has access to a keyboard or smart phone. We are confronted daily with the pain, hysterics and drama of thousands of people, all at once!
The Sweet Nectar Of Romantic Relationships
The energy of the hummingbird brings immense wisdom to be shared with us. When he appears it is always such a treat, as I have learnt so much from this amazing bird, including about love and romantic relationships.
When the hummingbird comes into my life asking to be painted, my vision blurs. I can then only see my artwork clearly and the brush strokes needed to finish his painting. I have learned that sometimes our own vision needs to become blurred, so that what we are seeking can be shown to us.
I have also learned that the ‘narrowed vision’ of hummingbird is vital to the health and vitality of our relationships, especially those of a romantic nature. When we keep our focus firmly on the present moment and the feelings we share with our partner in this moment, rather than on the negative thoughts, concerns or expectations, we blur out the noise.
This allows for a breaking away from the old energy patterns and lack consciousness that too often govern the roles played out in our relationships. It allows for a simplicity to arise in the communion and communication with our partner.
The hummingbird gathers nectar from the flower through its power of focus and natural instincts. It trusts its own innate nature to choose the flowers that will nourish and feed it. Finding trust in our own feelings and intuition is important, so that our relationships are nourished and allowed to blossom from within.