Monday, June 27, 2011
Igniting the Fire of our Passions
11:21 AM | 
Posted by
Lena Cain
I just recently returned from Fairfield, Iowa, where I was lucky enough to spend a week with my dear friend and her husband, receiving Shamanic initiations and partaking in two community events. While there, I was blessed to forge a new connection with an extraordinary woman. She invited me into her home, and began sharing with me her incredible artwork. I immediately felt inspired by the collages, paintings and drawings she has created. Most especially, what stood out to me was her ability to create visual representations that transmitted the energy of her deep spiritual and Shamanic investigations. The transmission from these pieces was palpable! These images also challenged aspects of my artistic rigidity, and green lighted my creative freedom to bring seemingly unrelated images together in a seamless way. She naturally creates from a sense of freedom, and I learned, while sitting with her divinely inspired creations that I, too, could and breathe more of my most essential expression into my art by letting go of limitations I had placed on myself.
Denise, Cielle and I offered a Sound Healing night mid-week and we had a blast sharing our unique offerings to the group. Cielle played her gong, Denise sang a hymn about the Breath of God, and I drummed and toned. Then, we facilitated a Harmonic Choir, in which a portion of the group members had the opportunity to ask for an intention for themselves to be expressed and met through group sound. This part of the night was so delightful and it was surprising how quickly the group attuned to one another and worked together to deliver gorgeous healing sounds, in a completely spontaneous and intuitive way.
This experience was deeply moving for me, and I had such an incredible time partaking in the event that I couldn't relate to "hosting" the event by the end of it. It felt as though we were each hosting spirit and celebrating divine creation through our voices. There was truly no boundary between the receiver of the sound and the one singing, or the one being sung. I was in a place of complete ecstacy throughout the entire evening, being fed by sound coming through me and all around me.
It is becoming more and more clear to me that sound healing a big aspect of my calling, and that I need to have fun, no matter what kind of "work" I am doing. This sense of not knowing who is receiving more--the "audience" or "me" is a very welcome answer to the question of "what I am supposed to be doing". I am really getting that it is important for me to do my work, and that it is equally important that my work be FUN! This is quite a revelation for me, because I was born rather serious minded. So, to find that sweet spot where I can work and play simultaneously is an incredible gift.
I feel so blessed to have had my fire ignited by my dear friends in Fairfield, and I feel inspired to pursue opportunities for collaboration and to share my teachings with those who are moved to receive them. But most of all, I discovered that God wants me to have fun and he/she wants me to delight in the work I do. This is a very real and surprising revelation.
I am feeling such gratitude for my friends and colleagues who ignited my creative freedom, my call to sacred sound, and my deep soul nature as a Shamanic practitioner.
Each of us has a "calling", which may show up as a specific activity like gardening, drawing, counseling, management, mentoring, working with children, flying, writing, seeing the beauty in every living being, devotional practices, guiding meditation, infusing life with laughter...the list goes on. Or your whole life might be your calling, as you offer each and every moment to the All That Is as your most natural expression. Or maybe you can't relate to either of these examples. I encourage you to feel into the question, "What activities do I partake in that allow me to lose all track of time and induce a state of relaxation and peace?" This will point you to what your most sacred expressions. Make a list of them.
Who in your life ignites these passions and helps you to cultivate them? I invite you to carve out some time this week, even 15 mins, to devote to that which feeds your soul. You can do these activities alone or with friends who draw you out. Either way, this one small act will enliven you. You are worth it!
Denise, Cielle and I offered a Sound Healing night mid-week and we had a blast sharing our unique offerings to the group. Cielle played her gong, Denise sang a hymn about the Breath of God, and I drummed and toned. Then, we facilitated a Harmonic Choir, in which a portion of the group members had the opportunity to ask for an intention for themselves to be expressed and met through group sound. This part of the night was so delightful and it was surprising how quickly the group attuned to one another and worked together to deliver gorgeous healing sounds, in a completely spontaneous and intuitive way.
This experience was deeply moving for me, and I had such an incredible time partaking in the event that I couldn't relate to "hosting" the event by the end of it. It felt as though we were each hosting spirit and celebrating divine creation through our voices. There was truly no boundary between the receiver of the sound and the one singing, or the one being sung. I was in a place of complete ecstacy throughout the entire evening, being fed by sound coming through me and all around me.
It is becoming more and more clear to me that sound healing a big aspect of my calling, and that I need to have fun, no matter what kind of "work" I am doing. This sense of not knowing who is receiving more--the "audience" or "me" is a very welcome answer to the question of "what I am supposed to be doing". I am really getting that it is important for me to do my work, and that it is equally important that my work be FUN! This is quite a revelation for me, because I was born rather serious minded. So, to find that sweet spot where I can work and play simultaneously is an incredible gift.
I feel so blessed to have had my fire ignited by my dear friends in Fairfield, and I feel inspired to pursue opportunities for collaboration and to share my teachings with those who are moved to receive them. But most of all, I discovered that God wants me to have fun and he/she wants me to delight in the work I do. This is a very real and surprising revelation.
I am feeling such gratitude for my friends and colleagues who ignited my creative freedom, my call to sacred sound, and my deep soul nature as a Shamanic practitioner.
Each of us has a "calling", which may show up as a specific activity like gardening, drawing, counseling, management, mentoring, working with children, flying, writing, seeing the beauty in every living being, devotional practices, guiding meditation, infusing life with laughter...the list goes on. Or your whole life might be your calling, as you offer each and every moment to the All That Is as your most natural expression. Or maybe you can't relate to either of these examples. I encourage you to feel into the question, "What activities do I partake in that allow me to lose all track of time and induce a state of relaxation and peace?" This will point you to what your most sacred expressions. Make a list of them.
Who in your life ignites these passions and helps you to cultivate them? I invite you to carve out some time this week, even 15 mins, to devote to that which feeds your soul. You can do these activities alone or with friends who draw you out. Either way, this one small act will enliven you. You are worth it!
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5 comments:
I am so glad you had such a lovely time! And that I got to read this while taking a break and drinking tea. I love the openness you are finding and the ability to have fun with what you are doing. I also loved your comments on the variety of callings people can have. It is a good challenge for me. Love to you.
Thank you, Peggy! It's great to be on this path with a blood AND soul sister all in one!
I love that, "What do I do that causes me to lose all track of time?" Here's another: I once had the opportunity to interview Bucky Fuller. He was in his customary state of enthusiasm, explaining how there is now so much possibility for humankind, that because of the tremendous efficiencies we've developed, there's no need for more than 15% of us to work, to provide for everyone's needs. But, I asked him, what will the everyone else do? He smiled wryly. "The thing to do," he said, "is just sit down in the middle of the floor, as you did when you were a child, and start recalling what you really wanted to be doing, before they began convincing you to do all this nonsense."
Jeffrey, you made me cry....again. Thank you for being my friend.
joy and sweetness bubble up as I read this.
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