Is Your Mind Pre-Occupied?

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Nancy Furst

The miracle you are asking for is in the present moment.  It can’t be found in a past that is no longer, or a future not yet realized.  Neither exist but in our minds, and if our minds are pre-occupied with projections or dwelling in either direction, then the power of our creative potential will be spent in repeating history or imagining what the undisciplined mind most easily envisions:  outcomes based on worries, fears, and grievances.

A pre-occupied mind is demanding at best, and dangerous at worst.  It can distract you, consume you, and create countless illusions to entrap you.  It will obscure the beauty in your midst, deny you intimacy in relationships, and camouflage the signs that confirm the presence of universal support taking place on your behalf.  The undisciplined, pre-occupied mind can’t register glimpses of truth long enough for them to be sustained, leaving the power of creation within you, subject to the greater unconsciousness around you.  It can, literally, give away your good.

So how do we discipline our minds so they aren’t interfering with the blessings and power of the present moment?  This is the purpose of having a daily spiritual practice that includes meditation.  Without it, we forfeit our greatest advantage for maintaining higher consciousness while in the midst of a predominating fear-based thought system.

As a life-long seeker of spiritual truth and universal law, my searching has led to many paths of belief and practice.  Some of them include:  organized religion, metaphysics, Religious Science, Native American spirituality, studies of indigenous cultures, Buddhism, and, most recently, the Course in Miracles as taught by Marianne Williamson in weekly lectures which I’ve been attending for the past three years.

Each has offered some type of spiritual practice that cultivated my ability to access universal wisdom while developing the discipline of my mind.  I would add that my devotion to spending time in nature has been as substantial a teacher.  There are many options for meditating and developing a spiritual practice, and your heart is an excellent guide for finding the path most suitable for you.  Follow through on your intuitive promptings:  read the book, take the class, make the altar, seek the counselor.

When I was in my twenties, someone sent me Unity’s Daily Word, a small booklet published monthly with spiritual teachings for each day.  I remember not understanding the meaning of the words and being turned off by some of the religious terminology, but I recognized truth, and one day I decided that if I could practice even one sentence of the text, I would realize the inner growth I was so compelled to pursue.  That became my focus and twenty years later, I not only understood the language, I was well practiced in the application.

Whether a beginner or an advanced practitioner, training in mindfulness can be your greatest gift to yourself and to the world.  It liberates our true potential and makes us available as conduits for the limitless possibilities that exist in the present.  It builds our spiritual muscles so that losing faith is no longer easy, but difficult.  Alertness becomes our natural state, and guidance is inherently accessible.  In unity with others and in harmony with the whole, the miracles we all need can be realized.

If you would like assistance with meditation or developing a spiritual practice, please contact me to schedule an appointment.  nancyfursthealer.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Mother Earth Calls – excerpt from “Life as a Spiritualist” (a work in progress)

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Nancy Furst

As the astrological Earth sign of Virgo, I have always felt a deep connection with nature, and spent countless years walking Her trails.  My lifelong passion for indigenous cultures (particularly Native Americans) led to a study of their spirituality and traditions, which I’ve woven into both my personal and professional lifestyles.  I find the importance of our relationship with Mother Earth more relevant than ever, for who better can teach us how to live in harmony with one another – while we still have the chance?

Recently one evening, when I felt an intuitive inner prompting to go to one of the most sacred canyons I frequent, I responded.  Driving along the coast, I gratefully breathed in the sea air before jutting off Pacific Coast Highway onto the meandering roads leading into the canyon, to find a parking space outside the closed gate of the state park.

Carrying my drum and a few hiking necessities, I stopped to offer some water to the Earth and ask permission to enter.  Feeling Her reply of “yes”, I walked quietly under the night sky,  surrounded by the lush canyon walls of dark green and shadow.  The light of the stars illuminated the path before me, and I could hear the rustle of animals finding their way down the slopes to the stream of water nearby.  I noticed how exquisitely safe I felt, and reflected on how fear-based human consciousness as it currently exists, seems so much more frightening to dwell in.

When I reached a small amphitheater where I usually stop, I felt a compelling need to go further.  Walking deeper into the woods, I came upon a small group of benches underneath an old oak giantess, whose limbs extended far past the clearing to offer an expansive canopy of nurturing protection.  After pouring some water at the base of her massive trunk, I lit a dried sage bundle and smudged as I acknowledged the Four Directions and All My Relations.

Tears sprang forth and I honored their flowing.  Though I felt some relief in the release, I wondered at the unexpected emotion.  Certainly, the effort of practicing to stay open and conscious in the midst of unconsciousness can be draining at times and, no doubt, I’d been making extra effort of late.  And sometimes there is an accumulation of energy when counseling others and working as a channel, so I spoke out loud to Mother Earth and Great Spirit of all I was in the midst of, and asked for help.  Then I drummed softly as I sang prayer songs and offered the names of everyone in my life, including a client’s young nephew who was dying of brain cancer, and for whom I’d been holding a prayer vigil.

Sitting in silence while the prayers and songs reverberated through the canyon and across the adjacent ocean waters, I began seeing beyond the physical appearance of all that was around me.  The oak giantess showed me her essence, and how to embody strength and grace in the physical.  She revealed the openness and expanse of the Great Mystery in the spaces between her limbs where the stars shone through, and spoke to me of continually reaching upward.  When I went to touch her body, she showed me the rugged terrain of her bark and the glistening sap oozing through in spots, as if to remind me of the nature of the path of life in the physical.  The magnificence of Her love and beauty overcame me, and I allowed myself to be completely absorbed by all I was being shown.

The experience of Oneness dissolved all sense of time, until I received a clear prompting to gather my belongings and depart.  Following an expression of gratitude, I began walking out of the canyon and, within minutes, heard voices on the trail ahead of me.  I watched as a group of four young people approached, shining flashlights upon their imagined fears (it was Friday the 13th after all) and then exclaiming in great surprise upon seeing me, “Are you out here by yourself?”  “Yes,” I replied.  And one of the young men laughed shyly, speaking with a tinge of embarrassment, “Well then, I guess we shouldn’t be afraid!”  I answered reassuringly, “No, it’s cool.”

As I continued walking, I noticed my reply had been channeled- the words I used weren’t mine; they were given to me.  I thought about what I could have said to them as a Medicine Woman, and imagined the unique and memorable experiences we could have shared together; but I knew I was there for private reasons and it was important to stay present with the blessings and messages being offered.  I understood they had responded to their own calling in walking the canyon that night, and Great Spirit and Mother Earth would  have the perfect gifts to support their way; I was but one of them, helping to confirm they didn’t have to be afraid.

Once they passed, I sensed a growing spiritual presence and looked up to see a cloud formation spread across the expanse of the sky in the crystal clear formation of an angel with outstretched wings.  I felt the same overwhelming love I had experienced under the oak tree, and stopped in breathless wonder as tears again gushed like a waterfall down my face.  What WAS all this emotion?  I finished the walk in silent reverence and drove home in peaceful contemplation – despite the classic L.A. traffic jam on the 110!

My dreams that night were rich, as I slept with the crystal I had with me on the walk.  I vividly recalled riding a horse at full speed through the night and leaning my body closely forward to stroke the right side of its neck as we sped onward.  I could feel the taut muscle and pulse of life beneath the coarse, sweaty hair my fingers were touching.

The following day, a few hours after waking, I received an email revealing that the precious child I had been praying for, Gabriel, had passed peacefully in the night with his parents by his side.  I recalled the angel I saw in the clouds in the sky and the love that permeated me, and I knew what transpired in the canyon that special night held even more significance than I had realized.

To be continued….

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Whales and Intuition

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Nancy Furst

I awakened recently, to a heightened awareness of the presence of an energy that seemed to overlay my physical reality and encompass my mind.  I felt a deep resonance with something occurring in the unseen realm that was moving slowly and powerfully, and it compelled me to begin my day in silence to perceive what was taking place.

I’d been re-reading Mists of Avalon, so various soul memories and intuitive abilities had been ignited, and I spent most of the afternoon reading on a balcony outside my bedroom near two giant eucalyptus trees that overlook an energy portal in the earth where I have witnessed a passing of spirits on many an occasion.

Several hours later, I felt an intuitive prompting to go to the ocean, so I put some belongings together and drove to Point Dume in Malibu, where I’ve been going for over thirty years.  It’s a small stretch of beach with a backdrop of cliffs that has always been magical, but never more than on this day.

It was late afternoon and sea fog was slowly crawling up the foot of the adjacent hills.  I took a walk at the water’s edge so my feet could feel the waves as they gently rolled in and out.  As I was looking at the sunlight sparkling across the water, I saw the back of a whale gliding with the currents, flagged by dolphins swimming on both sides.

It was a dream fulfilled, as I had longed to see whales in the open sea my entire life, and it brought forth the same feeling I had when I first walked within the monoliths of  Stonehenge; a familiarity and comfort came upon me that penetrated my soul and erased my mind of all its thoughts, but those of truth.

The whale swam slowly along the coast, spouting air as it emptied its lungs to breathe, and I stood in awe feeling complete joy and gratitude.  I felt a calling to return over the next few days and had two more sightings, one of them so close to shore I nearly swam out to join the mother and calf at play.  (See the video link.)

As an intuitive who uses Native American cards for readings, and a trained crystal healer, I’m familiar with whale medicine as the record keeper of the history of Mother Earth, similar to record keeper crystals that hold ancient wisdom.  Both carry the sound frequencies and formations that allow us to tap into ancient knowledge and further us on our own unique path and calling in life.

I truly felt the Universe reaching a hand out that day, to powerfully assist me in shifting course to realign my physical path with my soul’s truth.  And there was another interesting demonstration:  driving home, I received an intuitive message to stop at a particular gas station and purchase a lotto ticket.  I was given the word “fantasy” and after inquiring, discovered there was a game called Fantasy Five.  So I purchased one “Quick Pick” and several days later discovered I had won $389 by having four of the five numbers.

For me, this day was a rare demonstration of the physical and spiritual planes existing through me, as One.  Rare, only in that my own mind is still in training to discover how to realize the potential to live as we were created, and thus create together (“to-get-there”) in love, beyond the illusion of a conditioned belief in separation.

There are such beautiful inspirations in nature that reflect the truth of who we really are, beyond the limiting ideas we have of ourselves and the world we live in.  When we bring our minds and hearts to love (forgiving all that has transpired) and are purely in the consciousness of the present moment – the barriers we created to prevent miracles are dissolved to unleash them – and we are guided anew by the power of how the Universe operates, through each and every one of us.

The energy of the whales helped me dive deeply within that day, and make outer choices from accordance with my inner spiritual nature and intuitive knowing.  And the sea, as always, reminded me of the vastness of life, of possibilities, and of my Self.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Focusing on Renewal

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Nancy Furst

The cycle of Spring on our planet is a glorious visual reminder that new creation is in our midst.  Through the flowers and blossoms of nature, we witness that which has been dormant and hidden beneath the surface now burst forth in astounding new expression and beauty.

Similarly, what we have been nurturing inwardly from Winter’s introspection, is also ready to emerge so we may begin anew and participate in life with fresh opportunity and perspective.  But just as some places in our country are still experiencing the remnants of Winter while others are in full bud and bloom,  the outer manifestation of our inner efforts may or may not be showing yet.

When efforts have not become results, the tendency of our human nature is to lose faith.  But our spiritual nature knows that this is the time to increase our faith and focus on the renewal that is promised.  If you have been cultivating the seeds of forgiveness from within, you can count on the blossom of new or transformed relationships.  If you have been spreading seeds of love, you can expect a harvest of feeling more love.  If you have treated another with kindness and mercy in the face of a perceived wrongdoing, you are creating a state of grace with an exponential growth rate for the creation of miracles.  And miracles are what we need now.

We can look through the lens of any newspaper, radio, or television program and be easily convinced that humanity’s emergence from the level of darkness we are in, is impossible.  Aspects in our daily lives can seem insurmountable in these current conditions.  But if we use our inner vision to see beyond appearance and relate to the unseen, infinite energy we are born of and exist as, we can know – without a doubt – that creation of the miraculous is just as possible as our expectation of failure.

Spring is a time to cultivate that which is growing.  Just as we tend the plants around us that bear witness to new life, we can fertilize the seeds of higher thought in our minds, and birth a new expression of humanity born of unconditional love and the willingness to forgive.  We can use the gift of imagination that Einstein referred to as more important than knowledge, and visualize the beauty we can create, the ideas we can channel, and the extraordinary field of energy our love can birth.

With the power of rebirth at hand, let’s add conviction now to whatever faith we can muster; that we can birth what our minds can glimpse…. for the possibilities we can imagine are as real as any flowers our mortal eyes can see.  The power of the Oneness that connects us all, creates the miraculous through us, and everything can be transformed through our willingness to grow.  Happy Spring!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Having Tea with Mother Earth

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Nancy Furst

Tea time is a lovely ritual of pausing to consciously relax and enjoy our connection with one another and the sustenance we are given.  With every sip, we acknowledge the delicacy and sumptuousness the Earth provides as the ritual itself brings our minds to a state of calm.  It is the same when we take the time to be in nature.

I used to hear it often while spending time with Native Americans:  “The Earth is your Mother.  The Earth is your true Mother.  Go to Her.”  Clueless at the time, I thought, “Nice romantic notion, but how is She really my mother?”.

I got that answer from my experiences hiking the same trail in Topanga Canyon several times a week…. for ten years!  (Thoroughness is definitely the means by which I learn.)  I used to think it was insanity that compelled me to drive nearly an hour each way in L.A. traffic, but I came to find out I was heeding the summons from one of the greatest teachers we have and, through Her limitless gifts, was given true understanding of a mother’s love.

I walked alone and at night, beginning at sunset with a prayer and an offering at the trailhead.  I called myself “Runs in Fear” because initially I would spend the entire hike doing just that.  But in time, I came to know the night creatures and they came to know me.  I adapted to shadow and darkness and learned to trust the life all around me through my sharpened instincts and heightened perception – and the messages I was given.

When facing a mountain lion I immediately heard a clear and reassuring voice say, “her stomach is full”, and moved aside to watch her slowly amble by.  When my friends grew tired of my stories as a hospice volunteer, I spoke them out loud as I walked the trail.  From behind dark, impenetrable clouds, miraculous warm rays of sunshine would wash over me and I was comforted.  Late one evening, I gave in to an annoyingly persistent message to go to the mountain, cursing in resistance all the way there.  After hiking until nearly midnight, I came upon two women who had been lost for over eight hours.  I was able to give them water and direct them to the proper trail to reach their car.

Through the years, I came to understand what Native Americans were teaching me.  I learned that Mother Earth is an alive Being and teaches us everything we need to know about existing in the physical.  She shows us the true nature of Creation and ourselves as part of Creation, and there is not anything you can take to Her without receiving a reflection of truth and love, and a nurturing hand to guide your way.

These days, technology and the subsequent changes in our lifestyle, keep many of us from connecting with our true Mother.  In one of the decks I use for readings, there is a card called The Drum, that speaks to the need to slow down and find our internal rhythm and timing through our connection to the heartbeat of Mother Earth.

By doing so, we remember ourselves as infinite beings having a temporary physical experience.  We can see the greater Whole we are a part of and how it is all connected.  We glimpse the Great Mystery as we gaze into the cosmos and realize there is a greater intelligence that we can yield to and co-create with.

For the moment, my daily tea time with Mother Earth is a walk in a nearby neighborhood that is lined with amazing old-growth trees of all varieties.  (Native Americans call trees the Standing People.)  And each time I go, I continue to receive the joy, peace, insight, confirmation, and inspiration that re-sets the karmic wheel of my day and lovingly returns me to the beauty and possibility of this world.  For this, I am deeply grateful.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Contemplations on 2012

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Nancy Furst

There is not a day that goes by where it is not blatantly clear that the nature of our lives has drastically changed.  It’s palpable:  the texture of the day, the sense of a greater energy within and around us, the seemingly uncanny synchronicity, and the relentless “material” that comes up, demanding our attention and forcing us to choose another way or remain painfully stuck.

It brings to mind the highly anticipated planetary configurations occurring on Winter Solstice, December 21, 2012 when (in simplistic terms) the Earth is said to be in direct line with the center of the galaxy.  In the language of astrology, it is a precession of the equinoxes that goes in a complete circle and happens only once every 26,000 years.  Add that it coincides with the end of the Long Count in the Mayan calendar (marking the beginning of a new cycle of great significance), and we have a potent field of possibility in the making.

Clearly, the shifts are already in motion as we are forced to deal with the imbalances we have created, personally and collectively.  The movement seems slow as we are held to the mirror for the reflection we must acknowledge and take responsibility for.  There is no looking away now.  Never before has it been more apparent that what we do to another, we do to ourselves – in every moment of each and every day.  And we can no longer pretend that happiness can be found through the manipulation of others and the favors of the material world alone.  That is the real end that is nearing.

Recently, while in meditation, I saw a holographic image of another dimension beginning to overlay the physical plane as we know it.  It appeared as a fluid creation, its moving form inspired by all who are raising consciousness and returning to the truth of our inherent power to create from love, and it gave me a much needed reminder of what is truly happening beyond that which is visible to the human eye.

As an intuitive and spiritual counselor, my life has been led by a relentless and passionate drive for internal transformation, with less emphasis on the material mandates of a society driven by acquisition.  It hasn’t always been easy to reconcile and there has been much sacrifice, but at 57 years of age I am beginning to accept that the purpose of this lifetime relates most significantly to the reflection of the value, and consequence, of the important crossroads humanity is fast approaching.  Perhaps you feel that way too.

As I see it, the 2012 prophecy is in our hands, determined by our choices, and responsive to our every effort to reach and allow for… the miraculous.  Every moment is our creation and every visualization, a reality to be born.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waking Up In The Morning….and Other Tales of Misadventure

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Nancy Furst

In our family, my mother had a bit of a reputation for NOT being a “morning person”.  Her pulse didn’t even register until she painstakingly made her way to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee (no, back then it was instant dehydrated-looking stuff you mixed with boiling water), and light up that first precious cigarette of the day.  Dressed in her robe, she sat at the kitchen table with her head held up by the one free hand left to do the job, with smoke curling all around her as she sipped steaming coffee.  Her face was a display of exhaustion and despair.

My father was, quite annoyingly, the opposite.  He had nothing on the Bluebird of Happiness and, because he was probably secretly pissed at my mom for….well, being Mom, he would burst through my closed bedroom door unannounced (and always too early) with a theater-projecting, “Good Moooorrrning Sunshine!”  Living in Florida had convinced him he was the Sunshine King and, I, the wayfaring subject to be conformed under his expert (and oblivious) dominion.  Neither of my parents’ routines worked for me, and both left a lasting impression.

Needless to say, how I wake up has become important, and I noticed today my current morning ritual pays homage to both my parents.  As the apple not far from my mother’s tree, I am aware upon waking, that my mind does not immediately churn out thoughts of anticipatory thrill over another day’s existence as a human being.  My body’s chronic aches and pains then conspire to add some dread, and any limiting conditions I may be struggling with, pop up eagerly to assume the exclusive lead role.  Left unmanaged, my mind would easily relinquish to the onslaught, and happily deliver me straight to my mother’s kitchen table in the sky for quite a long chat.  (Yes, misery and toxins do shorten one’s life; she passed decades ago from pancreatic cancer.)

Rather than adhere to my father’s intrusive greeting and demand for positivity, I grab whatever current material I am reading or using for my spiritual practice.  For thirty-some years it was Unity’s Daily Word; now it happens to be the Course in Miracles and the Tao Te Ching.  I read words that speak of a higher truth beyond the illusions of the material plane, and of my inherent power and ability to create from a higher source within.  I remember my Oneness; my connection to others, and how we are here to love.  I yield my mind to Spirit and ask for the help I need.  I offer forgiveness and then pray ahead the day, blessing every person and circumstance I know I will be dealing with.  Sometimes I journal or pull my own cards from the spiritual decks that I use for readings.

And then, in the compassionately resurrected marriage of the two, I go to the kitchen to grind fresh coffee beans and brew the most divine, half-caff cappuccino, prepare a healthy organic breakfast, take my supplements, and return to my bedroom for stretching and an  hour of meditation before moving into the rest of the day.

It may be some effort, but the time I take each morning to return to the truth of who I really am and connect to my spiritual parentage, is the time that ensures the day’s potential to yield the miraculous synchronicity and support of the Universe that makes each and every day worth living – and waking up for!  (Cappuccinos don’t hurt either.)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Eliminating the “Attack” in Our Relationships

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Nancy Furst

The changes abounding on the planet are shining a bright light on our relationships, and beyond the relentless exposure of behaviors that keep us in disharmony, lies the promise of a new world unity that reflects the truth of our Oneness and our potential to create “Heaven on Earth” – in our lifetime.

By recognizing the price we’ve paid (and manipulation that’s occurred), for believing we are separate from one another and from God, we can return to the truth and make the changes within ourselves that will inspire the transformation of humanity.  Understanding the suffering born of that belief, and how it affects us today, is crucial.

It’s a lot easier to bestow violence upon someone you view as separate from you, without the realization that what we do to another, we do to ourselves.  And it’s a lot easier to accept our helplessness and remain in attack-defend-attack mode, than to acknowledge we have the same power within us as the energy of Creation itself, and can use it to recreate all that we have destroyed.

One of the most powerful things we can do to affect change on the planet, is begin the daily practice of eliminating attacks upon ourselves and others, whether done consciously or unconsciously.  Outward attacks are obvious:  physical abuse, punishing words, vindictive driving, passive/aggressive behavior, control and manipulation, etc.

Not so obvious, are the internal attacks our conditioned minds dole out all too easily:  judgment, as an imposition of our critical mind upon another; projection of our anger with hostile thoughts; the perception of superiority and inferiority; comparison, in its diminishing of oneself or another; blame; and any reactive thought that rebukes the sacredness or denies the respect of a fellow human being, or any form of life.

Because of the truth of our Oneness, when we unwittingly project our callous thoughts and actions onto another (often because we have not learned to manage our own pain or discomfort), they are returned to us directly in the experience of guilt, fear, shame, limitation, and other innumerable forms of misery and self-sabotage.

Because of the truth of our power, when any one of us, in any moment, recognizes we are attacking and seeks to stop it (asking for help from God if we can’t or don’t know how), the entire world benefits in that instant.  Just as a radio frequency is heard by those who turn to the channel on which it broadcasts, the change your action inspires is transmitted energetically to everyone of like mind, and a resonating, magnified field of energy is created for the manifestation of the idea.  That “magical” synchronicity we all experience time to time??  It’s simply the truth of how the Universe really operates and what can happen when we are in alignment (and embodiment) with spiritual law.

We have to see what we are doing in order to change it, which means we have to overcome our tendency to avoid looking at our own shadow; a tendency developed, in part, because of the judgment we hold in place while doing so.  We’re more likely to fight to stay stuck, than take a stand for our freedom.  Think about it.  Why would we be more willing to continue suffering than to discover and renounce the false ideas that are entrapping us?  It brings to mind a reply I’ve heard from clients through the years about the effort required to achieve transformation:  “But it’s hard!”

That’s resistance speaking; a defense mechanism whose only purpose is to keep the jail door locked, with you inside!  It may be difficult initially, but it is ultimately much harder to sustain the painful effects created from our belief in the illusion of separation.  And the reflection of that suffering can no longer be denied; humanity is at risk.

My own realization of how often I was in attack mode, brought forth profound changes as I learned to manage and take responsibility for my emotions, discipline my mind through meditation, take better care of my Self, and cultivate the practice of forgiveness.   After a lifetime of struggle in all kinds of relationships (highlighted by torturous drama with men), I’ve come to be a different woman:  a woman who has learned to forgive and accept; a woman who can love more, unconditionally; a woman who has learned to give more selflessly, and demand less; a woman who takes responsibility and is passionate about contributing.  Not only have my relationships vastly improved, I am more available to the Universe as a vessel for transformation and love.

We can become just as adept at celebrating the victory of our growth as we are at condemning ourselves for what we feel powerless to change, and our amazing journey to liberation can be rich and joyous.  On the level of consciousness, transformation can happen in the instant we drop the false conditioning of how we’ve come to be, and return to the truth of who we really are.  And in the quickening that’s upon us now, the miracles spawned from our resolve to eliminate the “attack” in our relationships, can manifest our loftiest dreams of a world united in love, faster than we ever imagined.

Posted in nancyfurstblog, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How To Stay High (Minded, That Is) Into the New Year

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Nancy Furst

I almost titled this “My Spiritual Hangover” because it’s a perfect description of how I felt the first week of 2012.  After navigating through the classic holiday triple-header of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years more consciously and successfully than ever before, I experienced an aftermath of weakness and vulnerability; similar to how your muscles feel the day after a strenuous physical workout.  It’s something I’ve noticed can happen when we break through old dogma; it can take a bit of time to adjust and learn how to sustain the new-found mindfulness.

Even if you weren’t someone who made a serious effort to maintain a higher consciousness throughout, the holidays take their toll.  Highs lead to lows, until we develop the ability to maintain balance.  So here’s how I found the way to keep my sails up through the aftermath without tipping the boat and ending up in a life raft.

Recognize the Cause:  Any fellow Virgo will empathize with my choice to over-clean my house for the start of a fresh new year.  (There really should be a law that women over 50 are not allowed to clean anything ever again!)  I re-injured my back, which caused pain, which drained my energy, which became the catalyst for throwing me off in the areas I had been successfully disciplined in:  nutrition, exercise, staying present, and being positive.

It doesn’t take long for the mind to find an opportunity to run old tapes.  Any reason will do and, before we know it, we are back to procrastinating, resisting, and self-sabotaging – and any one of these can quickly lead to depression and inertia.

Recognize the Effect:  The drain of energy in my mind and body had created a state of weakness, and I was succumbing to quick-fix tendencies with long-term, disastrous results.  But here’s the key:  I stayed aware as I began returning to unhealthy foods and portions; as I stayed up too late watching television (disturbing my mind and disrupting my sleep patterns); as my thoughts became increasingly negative and self-defeating.  And this is very important:  I chose to view myself with compassion instead of judgment.

Ask for Help:  I recommend starting with God before going to people.  The possibilities and resources are far more infinite, right?  It’s not uncommon to find me sitting alone in my car in some parking lot, uttering the words I often hear at Marianne Williamson’s weekly lectures in Los Angeles:  “Dear God, I am clearly not in my right mind.  Please help me.  I don’t know how to get out of this, but I am willing to see it differently.” Any honest conversation of prayer will do.

Re-Engage with What Works:  For me, it’s a daily spiritual practice of meditation and prayer, writing, and walking or exercising that helps me stay in the positive flow of life.  I often work with an altar, where I light candles and place what I am surrendering or praying for.  And just as I go to God for spiritual assistance, I go to Mother Earth to support my physicality and feed my soul.  When I found myself feeling low, I forced myself to re-engage with one or more practices until I was able to resume them all.

Be patient:  with yourself and others, and with God.  Leave some space for the Universe to respond to your willingness to shift your perspective.  Stay quiet, open, and allowing, as you remain aware and reflective.  If negative thoughts continue, don’t dwell on them.  Let them pass as you repetitively choose thoughts of love instead.

And remember you are never alone in what you are going through.  That Oneness thing?  It’s true.  The human experience is the same for everyone; different on the outside but the same on the inside.  The Buddhist practice of Tonglen is a beautiful way to experience that truth.  When you are in pain of any kind, close your eyes and imagine everyone who is feeling the same pain.  Then inhale all of that collective misery and exhale a deep breath of freshness and relief to all of you sharing the experience.  Even a few minutes of this practice will demonstrate your ability to transmute anything and experience the truth and power of our Oneness.

May our Happy New Year, be our Happy Whole Year!

Posted in nancyfurstblog, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments