May Cause Miracles Live Seminar Coverage: Week 4

In her book “May Cause Miracles,” Gabby Bernstein opens chapter 4 with the following quote: “You practice loving God by loving another human.” – Olivia Harrison

She explained in this week’s live seminar, relationships are one of the hardest areas for many people to apply the principles of “A Course in Miracles.” It’s a lifelong practice, and we will all catch ourselves slipping into judgment from time to time.

“This is about tapping into the more loving place that we frequently detour from when it comes to relationships,” she told the audience. “It’s not about being perfect, or not being in judgment. It’s about realizing it [when we are] and being willing to reinterpret our non-loving response. I’m not asking you to be Buddha. I’m asking you to be witnesses and surrender to your inner guidance to change it.”

When we are in judgment, we are not only attacking another person, we are also attacking ourselves, said Bernstein. While the ego wants to separate us from others, the goal of relationships is create oneness.

“We need to look at our intentions in our relationships. Are we trying to get something from them? What do we want to get from other people? Sometimes these intentions create the reality. Without even saying a word, your thoughts create energy and your energy creates a vibe, and your vibe gets picked up by others,” she explained

It’s also important to look at the pretenses we put on other people and the stories we create around them. We often make others seem more special or less special then ourselves, and this happens often in romantic love.

“The special love relationship is the trippiest of all special relationships, because the ego convinces us that this one special person will save us,” Bernstein says in the book. “The ego substitutes the divine love within us with the special love relationship we’ve seen in movies or magazines. The special love relationship is based on the premise that something outside of us can fill up or compensate for what seems to be lacking inside.”

But we have the choice to surrender our perceptions to our inner guidance system. We can witness the stories we have created around these relationships and then surrender them, she told the audience.

“It’s about being honest. We are not saints, and I’m not asking us to be saints. I’m asking for us to be honest, and with that honesty comes healing, and with this healing comes new patterns and new behaviors … then comes new relationships or new viewpoints of our relationships. Love dissolves all boundaries,” she explained.

Lack of forgiveness holds us back in relationships, and Bernstein offers the affirmation: “I can see peace instead of this,” to interrupt our judging and attacking thoughts of others – whether its friends, family members or a romantic partner.

“In relationships, people bring up exactly what you need to have healed. Be it a partner or family member, when they trigger something, it is divine. The day we get triggered and we can say, “I wonder if I can see this differently. I can see peace instead of this,’ – that is a miracle,” she said.

We have the power to decide how we will react to others, and people will reflect back to us our intentions, Bernstein noted. We need to look how we are participating or being a match to the behavior or others.

“People will always bring stuff up because we are always learning and growing,” she said. “We just want to reinterpret it.”

Read our coverage of “May Cause Miracles Live Seminar Week 3.

Read our coverage of “May Cause Miracles Live Seminar Week 2.”

Read our coverage of “May Cause Miracles Live Seminar Week 1.”

For more on Bernstein, her books and her work, visit www.gabby.tv.

 

One Nutrient We All Need: Connection

By Lindsey Smith

How many times have you felt guilt about your food choices, your body image, or your weight? How many times have you compared your body to friends, colleagues, or people in magazines?

The shame, guilt, and comparison cycle we find ourselves spinning around really stems from a much deeper need: connection. We feel our worst when we don’t feel connected to others. Our food choices and body image happens to be an area in which it is so easy to feel disconnected.

Here are some examples of thought patters we have around these issues:

1. Why can’t I stay away from the cookie table? I bet I am the only person here that cannot control myself.

2. I am the biggest person in the room. Everyone here is going to notice that and no one is going to like me for it.

3. Why me? I bet I am the only one here that feels awkward in this dress.

In each of these thoughts, the underlying issue is the same: the fear of not connecting with others or feeling like an outcast in the given situation. We fear we won’t be accepted for our thighs, our food habits, or our clothing choice.

Connection is what melds us together, connection is what makes us feel okay, and connection is the one nutrient we all need.

We think separation or distance will help solve the food guilt, low self-esteem, or body image issues, when in fact, it usually leads us down an even darker, lonelier road.

While there is no one formula or recipe to help us feel more connected, I think there are a few places to start. Here are three ways to feel more connected in your life:

1. Remember you are not alone. We all have doubts. We all have negative thoughts. We all worry. We all stress. We all dislike our bodies sometimes. We all feel like an outcast in certain situations. We all eat things we know we shouldn’t. In those moments you feel alone, remind yourself that someone else probably felt alone for the same exact thing. It will instantly shift your thought from separation to connectedness.

2. Volunteer. Get out and volunteer with an organization or cause that you feel passionate about. This will help re-focus your mindset on “me, me, me” to others. Helping others is one of the greatest ways we can express connectedness. When people come together for a specific reason, it is a way to connect and relate to others that “get” where you are coming from.

3. Look people in the eyes when you talk to them. When you can really look at another human being directly in his or her eyes, you already start feeling more connected. Practice eye contact this week. See if it makes you feel more connected to your friends, colleagues, or even strangers on the street. This simple experience can instantly make you feel connected to others when you are feeling estranged.

Lindsey Smith, known as the “food mood girl” works with people who have a habit of looking to food for all the wrong nutrients: comfort, reward, fun and acceptance. Through speaking and coaching she motivates, equips and inspires people to sort out their relationships with food so they can live a healthy, balanced life. She is also the author of “Junk Foods & Junk Moods: Stop Craving and Start Living!” Connect with Smith via her Web site, www.FoodMoodGirl.com, on Facebook and Twitter @LindseySmithHHC.

Colette Baron-Reid to Host “Love Your Body” 30-Day Weight Loss Cleanse Online Course

Intuitive coach and author, Colette Baron-Reid wants to help you “release your cares, release the weight and love your body,” with her new course “Love Your Body,” a 30-Day Weight Loss Cleanse, based on her new book “Weight Loss for People Who Feel Too Much.”

Participants will be able to speak directly to teachers and coaches in live teleseminars; participate in her IN-Vizion process; hear from Baron-Reid herself, and so much more.

The 4-week audio will allow participants to learn and integrate the new habits offered in the book, and includes a workbook and interactive, live call-in teleseminars with Colette Baron-Reid and her Weight Release Energetix Coaches. There will also be a private Facebook group for participants to interact with one another and the coaches.

The program also offers the option to utilize a supplement program created by Baron-Reid’s health experts.

For more information, view the video below or visit Baron-Reid’s Web site page dedicated to the course.

VIDEO: Deepak Chopra & Eckhart Tolle to Teach Seduction of Spirit Retreat

Seduction of the Spirit is the Chopra Center’s signature meditation and yoga retreat, and this April 21−27, 2013, the theme is “Inspire Your Life,” and the teachers will include Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle. It will take place at the Chopra Center’s La Costa Resort & Spa location in Carlsbad, Calif.

Throughout the week, participants will be guided in practices of deep meditation, yoga, and other tools for moving beyond limiting beliefs into higher states of awareness and new possibilities, according to the Chopra Center.

“Seduction of Spirit has been one of our most popular retreats for many years, allowing people to step away from life’s daily demands and gain fresh perspective on who they are, what they really want, and how they want to use their unique gifts and talents to contribute to their families and to the world,” said Deepak Chopra, co-founder of The Chopra Center. “We are very excited about the upcoming Seduction of Spirit and the special guests who will be sharing their wisdom, inspiration, and practical insights. It’s going to be an unforgettable and life-changing experience.”

Seating is limited, and early bird rates are available. Seduction of Spirit guests are eligible to receive special resort rates that can be extended before after the event so that they can stay and enjoy the many local attractions and activities that the San Diego area offers.

Other guest speakers include:

● Janine Shepherd, a former championship skier and Olympic contender who was told she would never walk again after a near-fatal accident. Through determination and one-pointed intention, she overcame the grim medical prognosis to become a commercial pilot, aerobatics instructor, and international speaker and best-selling author

● Anita Moorjani, a New York Times best-selling author whose remarkable NDE (near-death experience) and subsequent healing from end-stage cancer is one of the most amazing cases ever recorded

● Robyn Benincasa, a professional adventure racer who inspires people to do amazing things like climb Mount Kilimanjaro, run their first triathlon, start their own adventure racing teams, or launch their own business

● Dr. Ken Druck, an inspirational leader, speaker, and life coach who founded the Jenna Druck Center in 1996 after the death of his eldest daughter. To date, the Center has directly helped more than 7,500 bereaved families through its Families Helping Families program and trained more than 15,000 young women through the Spirit of Leadership program.

For more information, see the below video, call (888) 736-6895, or visit http://www.chopra.com/seduction.

Spirit Quest Tours Adds “Spiritual LA” Experiences to its Offerings

Spirit Quest Tours launched a new tour offering called “Spiritual LA,” which allows tourists from all over the world the chance to experience some of the most serene and spiritual locations in Los Angeles.

The 3-day/2-night and 4-day/3-night tour packages are personalized based on the travelers’ desires to reduce stress, explore new growth opportunities, or experience nature.

“Despite what some people might think, ‘spiritual LA’ is not an oxymoron,” Halle Eavelyn, co-owner of Spirit Quest said. “Certainly Los Angeles is well known for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, and it has a reputation as being a shallow city, but Los Angeles has a deep spiritual core. The goal of these tours is to highlight some of the incredible natural wonders and spiritual centers of Los available to visitors and residents alike. There’s a reason why this is called the City of Angels.”

The Spiritual LA tours are customized for each group of two or more guests from a pre-screened menu of options, and all tours are designed around the goal of refreshing the mind, body and spirit.

“This is a five star trip, so it begins with a limo and driver service from LAX to take visitors to their hotel, and the car is available all weekend,” Eavelyn explained. “For hotels, we love both Shutters and Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, which are peaceful, stunning locations ideal for guests who want to be at the beach for inspiring sunsets, long walks, or yoga in the sand. Other travelers are inspired by art, so we also offer the choice of staying at the Luxe Sunset near the Getty Museum. It’s a hotel that offers tranquil, plush accommodations and lots of pampering. It’s perfect for an in-room massage or a quiet, romantic dinner.”

One of the special destinations that can be included on the Spiritual LA tours is the Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens at the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), which teaches soul transcendence and practical spirituality. Hikes in canyons and the Hollywood Hills are also popular activities, as well as Griffith Park, with its famous Observatory, the Hollywood sign, and numerous hiking trails.

“Some people want spa treatments or guided meditations. Others want to visit Yogananda’s Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, complete with its windmill and Gandhi’s ashes, or do yoga on the beach,” Eavelyn noted. “We also can arrange for a personal Spirit Session with a channel guide. We have options that fit every need of our guests who are on a spiritual journey.”

Fully custom Spiritual LA trips start at $500 per day, excluding airfare. For more information, call Spirit Quest Tours at (877) 406-5206 visit http://www.spiritquesttours.com.

Embracing Life’s Hardships

By Jennifer Garza

No one wants hardship. As human beings, we try to avoid it at all costs. We stuff our feelings down with food, alcohol, relationships, shopping – all in an effort not to feel pain. But pain is often a gift. When it’s not a gift, it’s something we are choosing to inflict upon ourselves – and realizing that is also a gift.

In the middle of a crisis, we often feel like we’re drowning and we do anything to keep our head above water. But if we realize we’ve chosen to go through experiences to learn on a soul level, we can begin to welcome lessons instead of running from them.

Neale Donald Walsh wrote a beautiful children’s poem entitled “The Little Soul and the Sun.” It’s about a soul who realizes it is the light and knows who it is, but wants more – wants to be who it is – which only occurs through experiencing life in the physical world. God tells the little soul it will be immersed in darkness – for we can’t experience the light without the dark. The little soul tells God it wants to experience what forgiving is like.
Another soul steps forward and says: “Not to worry, Little Soul, I will help you,” and volunteers to do something to the little soul in its next lifetime so he can learn to forgive. “I will do something terrible, and then you can experience yourself as the One Who Forgives.” The little soul says, “But why? Why would you do that?” And the other soul replies, “I would do it because I love you.”

Have you noticed patterns within your life? Have you struggled with a particular issue for years? Have you repeated relationship patterns over and over? There is a reason – and it doesn’t have anything to do with the externals. It’s not that life keeps throwing you curve balls you cannot control, or you keep encountering manipulative partners. The issue lies within yourself – on a soul level. It always does.

The key to breaking the pattern is looking deep to discover what it is that you are doing that keeps you locked within this pattern. You can’t blame another person in a relationship for abusing your rights because you are choosing to stay. You cannot blame fast food restaurants for serving food that makes you gain weight because you are choosing to consume it.

The questions to ask yourself with any hardship is: Why? What am I afraid of? What does this person, food, item or addiction give me? What is it that I’m not facing? The patterns keep occurring because the lesson is re-emerging to give you an opportunity to experience “Who You Are.” Did you travel here to learn humility, forgiveness, or to stand up for yourself?

You will continue to be challenged in these areas until you become humble, learn to forgive, or stand up for yourself. You can embrace the lesson and move on or continue the pattern of hardship. The wonderful part about it is that you have a choice!

Jennifer Garza, M.S., has a master of science in counseling and psychology. She is a former therapist and has taught life enhancement classes at venues including college campuses, state conferences and prisons. She is the author of the inspiration journal “365 Days to Happiness: Use Your Strengths, Thoughts, and Dreams to Manifest a New Life.” Garza has been featured in Natural Health magazine, AOL, BusinessInsider.com, Young Entrepreneur.com, and on FTNS radio. Visit her website at www.authorjennifergarza.com or connect with her.