Newsletter December 2009
Monthly Focus is Giving
Good Day and Shanti!
Giving is the gift we offer to life – the blessing bowl from which we pour ourselves outward. Giving is more than sharing the parts of ourselves we want the world to see. It is the ability to be open to all that one is. ENJOY!
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Monthly Kriya: A Giving Vibration
Each morning take a few minutes to visualize and radiate a spirit of giving. In a seated position, close your eyes and center yourawareness at your heart. Focusing on yourbreath, energetically radiate a positive vibration outward in all directions through your exhalation. Feel the warmth growing withinyour heart as you inhale. Begin to draw images in of those you wish to direct this energy toward. Without force or attachment, continue this practice of breathing and givinguntil you feel satisfied and full.
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Inspiring Quotes
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
Maya Angelou
“There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life — happiness, freedom, and peace of mind — are always attained by giving them to someone else.”\
Peyton Conway March
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill
“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.”
Anthony Robbins
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A Gift worth Giving
Giving a gift is often a very special experience and may include ceremonial elements of lovely gift wrap and thoughtful note cards. However, there is a more sacred form of giving that requires no shopping, no fancy package, and no other monetary resources. The greatest gift you can give is to simply be who you are fully, wholly, and completely. It is this gift of creatively expressing oneself in life that endures the most rewarding outcome.
Our innate gift to the world is the ability to live life fully. This does not infer that we should abandon our responsibilities or live extravagantly beyond our means. It is instead a call to explore, develop, and share the depth and qualities of our personal potential with others. And, therefore, heed our responsibilities with greater direction and fervor.
Giving authentically of ourselves without resistance from a preconditioned mind and allowing one’s true nature to flourish without pretense or a desire to be something or someone other than who we are, is not easy. We’ve all worn masks that portray specific roles according to how we think we should behave. And, while it’s necessary to extend ourselves in unlikely areas to fulfill our duties, this isn’t denying our authentic self. We deny our authentic self when we choose to deliberately act in opposition to our values and inner wisdom. For example, when we react impulsively to our emotions we are generally reacting to a preconditioned belief, rather than carefully responding from an integral place of inner wisdom.
When we begin to value ourselves and our abilities, we develop an inner trust and knowing. Instead of seeking to be extraordinary beyond our capabilities or desiring recognition from others to validate our worth, we begin to acknowledge, accept and find creative expression of who we already are with grace. The more we support the development of our inner world, the more we naturally give to life.
Understanding how our innate abilities support our responsibilities to life reveals a tremendous gift, and it is important to honor them with integrity in the choices we make each day. As you deepen your awareness of self, your natural beauty will shine — in thought, action and interaction — with ever greater ease.
Simply be all that you are – a gift that is truly worth giving.
Daily Reflections
Ask yourself. . .
How do I give to life by being who I am?
Do my daily choices align with my values ?
What innate abilities do I have and how do they support my potential?
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May your giving nature be revealed. . .
With warm smiles and a gentle gaze,
Elaina
Swami Karikananda
Namaste!
