I am off to Greece in a few days to teach for three weeks and to introduce a new course “Gateway to the Heart” as many of you know the heart is the bridge between the physical and spiritual aspects of our energy system and the energy center or “chakra” we seem to close the most when we do not love out of fear or judgment/reaction. It is an experiencial course using many different techniques and will be taught in English and translated into Greek. Many of my advanced students will be there to support the work in all the classes. It will be a real homecoming.
The focus of this newsletter is about making our personal history. Each and everyday we all touch others and leave lasting impressions. At times when we may have forgotten how interwoven our histories are we can be blessed with a reminder. This is what happened to me last Sunday when I received an e mail from Jitka, a dear friend and student in the Czech Republic. Along with the letter I received photographs of Jana and Ota; two of the children I had attuned into Reiki many years ago in Czech.
Of course they are almost grown up now. It was so lovely hearing from Jitka their mother. She wanted me to know how much I mean to their family, that I am missed, appreciated and loved. Receiving the letter put me in touch with how our lives have been touched and enhanced by each other...we have a history. Afterwards I sat and looked at some of the pictures I had taken in the Czech Republic; the pictures of Kolin where I first lived and remembered the English classes in the hospital and Gymnasium. All of these children from the school are now grown up and are parents and making their way. I thought of the very first Reiki class for 28 doctors… the people that touched my life in such profound ways, the days at the Red Cross with Josef translating for me while I worked with so many people giving Reiki and love, how we converted a sewing room into a Reiki Room on Friday after seeing clients all day, making sure to pick up the pins on the carpet before teaching Reiki on the weekends. I remembered all the miracles that I had witnessed, the changes in the people as they touched their own souls. I remembered the conversations started and continued with a dictionary, trying to speak Czech, and practicing to ask, ”how much is this,” only to be frustrated because I forgot to learn the numbers. I still had to hold out the change in my hand for them to take what they needed me to pay. I was impressed with the Czech spirit, how the people sang from their heart then and still do now. It was a time to acknowledge the start of coming away from everything that had been familiar, and having to discover my inner will and resolve to trust and embrace the unknown and to find the gift that each new day brings.
Foremost is the impression of how I came into a deep realization how we are the same, no matter what religion, philosophy, color and language we speak. We can choose to find a common language. We can come to understand each other. And this is born from the compassionate heart.
I have changed and learned so much about myself during this time. Looking at the photographs of me taken over the last seventeen years in the many countries I have been blessed to teach in. I see my hair going from dark brown to more silver and then turning to dark blonde, “a woman’s prerogative. In those pictures it is evident how softness had come over me as I moved into my own peaceful place inside. I acknowledged all the inner battles of my spirit. I came to terms with my past, let go of demands, and forgave, let go of people that came into my life and left again. I realized that people came into my life in the “right moment” and that I could choose to let these arrivals awaken me. I also learned not to take their departures personally. That was the biggest lesson. Losing your adopted family is always hard, as the mothering part of me also requires the letting go of those who are precious and yet not to take it personally. I had to realize that it was about choices in living, my process to learn and fine tune while living and working in Europe. And of course during the transition back to the USA and to living with my biological family.
I still haven’t finished learning; life by its very nature will always bring lessons to deepen awareness and turn this new understanding back out to the world. I am more exposed, vulnerable, and I shine from the inside out. I am more dedicated than ever to helping people find this inner same kind of beauty. I am here to light a path to brotherhood and peace from a new perspective. I realize that, like eagles, we all have our own patterns of flight. But I hope we meet in the vast sky of love and compassion. I invite you to join me in this grand adventure called Life. I invite you to remember to fly free and high but you do not have to fly alone.
Love and Blessings,
Mari
Making History Every Day
Your Personal Legacy
When we focus on people who make a huge historical impact-presidents, visionary artists, great spiritual leaders-we sometimes forget that we, too, are making history and influencing the future with the way we live our lives. This is obvious if we just look at our own parents and how the way they lived affected us. In the best case, we received lessons from them or other mentors that have empowered us. On the other hand, we may have decided to depart dramatically from the way they conducted their lives. If so, then their mistakes and shortcomings were catalysts for us to change old familial patterns. Either way, their way of being determined the course of our future. By the same token, our actions determine the course of the future for others, and those who follow us will remember us as part of their history. In light of this, it is good to ask ourselves what our legacy will be. We have all heard stories about family members we may or may not have known; sometimes it is their humor that shines through in others' memories, or their contagious positive energy, or their skill in managing the family assets. People outside our immediate family may have changed the course of our lives as well-a teacher who encouraged and inspired us; a neighbor who helped us in a time of need; or even a stranger who came to our aid in a difficult situation. When we remember these people, we realize that however small our daily lives seem, they are actually very important. How we treat people in each moment, with each interaction, can have a major impact. It helps to begin our days with an acknowledgement of this fact, taking a moment to consider how we want to be in the world and how powerful we really are. We must remember that our lives are not meaningless--quite the opposite. Every day we have an opportunity to "make history" and influence the future for the better.
The Daily OM
