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Weekly Reading #11: Wake Up!

  By The Mandala Lady | March 13, 2012 - 11:14 am |
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Weekly Mandala Reading: Wake up!

Wake up! Rise & shine! Up and at ‘em! Beep-Beep! A-OOO-Ga!

This is our universal life-force wake up call. The time for holding back, playing it safe, self-sabotage, blocking our forward movement, and letting fear have control has ended! Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead! The light at the end of the tunnel is here! Stay away from that snooze alarm!

Do we have your attention?

Right now we’re in this semi-conscious state of just opening our eyes, waiting for our whole self to fulling engage. We’ve been living most of our lives in this day-to-day dream like state wondering most of the time how we got from point A to point B…like zombies.

Please note…we have the option to stay in our zombie-like states for as long as we want. It begs the question, however, “how’s that working for you?”…to quote Dr. Phil.

Being fully engaged means being fully present at all times: body, mind and spirit. A monumental task that we can easily break down into simple moments at a time. It starts by remembering to be aware as often as we can; “am I fully awake in this moment, fully aware of everything going on around me and in me?” Just asking that question brings us to the present moment.

Why do we want to be aware/awake? Because only in this moment can we make any adjustments, any changes to our current situation.

For example, quite often I catch myself walking into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and grabbing something to eat…as if sleepwalking…when in reality I wasn’t even hungry.

When I catch myself like that, I realize that I’d rather eat than take care of whatever it is that I’m really trying to avoid. Chances are what I’m avoiding has fear wrapped all around it. Looking even further, going deeper within myself, I recognize that the fear comes from some distorted illusion that I am not enough, I am not loveable, I am not worthy, or some other such nonsense.

Repeat after me…

I am enough! You are enough! We are enough!

I am loveable! You are loveable! We are loveable!

I am worthy! You are worthy! We are worthy!

Now go outside and play :-)

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala Lady

Weekly Reading #10: The Bigger Picture

  By The Mandala Lady | March 7, 2012 - 7:17 pm |
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Weekly Mandala Reading #10: The Bigger Picture

Ever notice when flying in a plane how the view inside looks like a human sardine can? It’s packed with people in very uncomfortable seating arrangements with at least one poor child screaming in agony throughout the flight and another using your seat back as a kicking bag. Just getting up to use the rest room becomes a major ordeal, especially when seated in one of the inner seats.

But with one turn of our heads, the view completely changes. Looking out the window of this flying sardine can gives us a grand view, a bigger picture of where we are. Depending on the plane and how far along in the flight, the earth lays 30,000 feet below us in all its vastness as we fly amongst the clouds.

This mandala reminds us to turn our heads, look for a different perspective, see the bigger picture. What an amazing view we would miss if we stay focused on all the inner chaos of the plane. In this case we would miss beautiful clear night’s sky and the rising of the moon from behind a grand mountain range as it reflects off the large body of water below.

Today, while speedily walking towards my next errand and thinking about the next task after that, I caught a glimpse of a bright red, metallic star balloon, floating above the street. It contained just enough helium to keep it afloat without it going off into the stratosphere. I stopped to watch it as it floated up an down with the wake of the passing cars and trucks, without an apparent care in the world. It reminded me 1) to slow down and appreciate the view around me instead of being lost in my monkey mind thoughts as I scurried along, 2) to breath and be present in the moment,  and 3) to go with the flow.

Of course we can delve deeper into this idea of the bigger picture…of how we let ourselves become so wrapped up in what seems to be important in our tiny little worlds and forget to stop to take in all the wonderful and amazing things and people all around us.

What’s in your bigger picture?

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala Lady

ps…just for the heck of it, I decided to color this same mandala using the same colors but on white paper just to give you an idea of how different the mandala would look and as to why I chose (or rather was guided) to use black paper for these weekly mandala readings.

"White" version of this week's mandala

Weekly Reading #9: Leap

  By The Mandala Lady | February 29, 2012 - 6:56 pm |
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Weekly Mandala Reading #9

We continue our discussion about our paths.

Are we seated on the sidelines looking at all our options going back and forth over which one to choose? Or have we chosen one without yet being fully committed to it; as in “one foot in and one foot out.”

For the longest time I struggled with which path to take. What if it turns out to be less than what I wanted? What if I fail at it? etc. In the end I heard “just pick something…you can always choose again.” That made it so much easier to handle.

Recently it came to my attention that while it looks like I’m on my path, I have been reluctant to commit 100%. I let some fears about success and the responsibilities that come with it hold me back.

What this fear usually boils down to is the supposed lack of confidence we have in ourselves to handle success. When I seriously looked into this, I remembered how many leaps I’ve handled over the years, reminding me that I can handle it.

Where are you on your path?  Are you ready to take the leap?

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala Lady

Weekly Reading #8: Stay Focused

  By The Mandala Lady | February 21, 2012 - 1:24 pm |
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Weekly Mandala Reading #8

It’s easy to be distracted by all things big and small while moving forward along our path. In continuing with last week’s discussion of finding joy on our path, this week’s mandala reminds us to stay focused on our path.

These days, lots of things try to grab our attention…from disasters, scandals, and reality TV shows to more personal things like the laundry, emails, and all the gadgets that help us ‘make our lives easier.’

We may choose many pathways in this lifetime which is part of the joy of being here, more importantly, striving for excellence (vs perfection) in all we do while honoring our authentic self is our True Path.

Fears, doubts, ego, peer pressure and other such human foibles can lead us astray, distracting us from this Path. And that’s okay as long as we become aware of this distraction and put ourselves back on track. It becomes easier with each course correction, that the distractions eventually change into mere breezes passing by as we continue on our merry way.

The Key to Staying Focused

Be diligent and vigilant about asking ourselves: am I on the Path or am I distracted away from it.

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala Lady

Weekly Reading #7: The Path

  By The Mandala Lady | February 14, 2012 - 6:04 pm |
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Weekly Mandala #7: The Path

Ever been on a roller coaster? Up until I received hypnotherapy for my height issues, I stayed away from them. Now, I love them!

The coolest part for me is when I relax as we quickly approach the top of a soon-to-be big drop so that as I fly over the top and drop (while still relaxed) I receive the full effects of zero gravity, weightlessness. In that tiny moment, I’m floating on air. What joy!

Having that experience requires being present in that very moment without thinking about the next hill, drop, twist or barrel roll.

We’re being asked to look at our paths and to ask questions about them…Where am I right now? Where do I want to be? What can I do now to move forward? What has to wait it bit? Is what I am about to do helping or holding me back?  What am I neglecting/avoiding? Do I even want to be on this path? How can I make it fun?

The Key to Being On Our Path:
Find the joy in where we are while moving forward, on our way to where we want to be.

Weekly Reading #6: On the Horizon

  By The Mandala Lady | February 9, 2012 - 6:42 pm |
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On the Horizon

In the movie “Contact” young Ellie asks her dad about life on other planets. He offers a wonderful answer: “I don’t know, Sparks. But I guess I’d say if it is just us…seems like an awful waste of space.” (iMDb)

When we look up at the night sky through the ‘goggles’ of this mandala, we see waves of energy radiating outward into the vastness of space. And if we observed earth from any one of these stars or planets, we would see earth radiating an energy life force as well.

At the center of this mandala, a tunnel emerges, allowing us to delve deeper on the path into our own world where we can explore the core of earth’s life force.

We can use this example on ourselves. All around us, everything consists of some form of energy…people, animals, plants, rocks, etc. Along with experiencing this energy outside of ourselves, we can experience it within ourselves. Take a moment to feel your vibrational energy field within your own body.

Energy/Life exists everywhere.

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala Lady

Weekly Reading #5: Supermind

  By The Mandala Lady | January 31, 2012 - 1:47 pm |
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Supermind (click for larger view)

Vernon Howard defines Supermind as the mental faculty which is above and beyond conditioned human thought (“The Power of Your Supermind” pg 14).

Ever have a brilliant idea just pop into your head at the oddest moments? Mine usually occur while talking. My left brain becomes so preoccupied with talking that the right brain takes a quick trip to access this Supermind, channeling in a brilliant idea which then blurts out of my mouth often leaving me wondering “wow…where did that come from?”

This mandala represents this Supermind where Thoughts await their journey from Thought into form. I liken it to this giant spotlight roaming the Earth in this Supermind dimension searching for anyone who may be open to it.

Howard states, “Supermind exists within everyone but [we are] asleep to it. Our entire task…is to awaken to the unfoldments of Supermind.”

We can wait for it to come to us in snippets of Divine Inspiration or in our dreams or in serendipitous events.  Or we can consciously tap into it directly when we quiet our busy little minds through meditation or creative activities (coloring mandalas works great for this).

Weekly Reading #4: To Source

  By The Mandala Lady | January 24, 2012 - 9:55 pm |
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Weekly Reading #4: The Source

All roads lead to Source, to God, to God Energy, to 100% pure white Light, to Heaven, or whatever term you feel comfortable using. Even if we choose to pooh-pooh this notion, eventually, we ALL come home to the Light, the Source.  Just because we don’t believe it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

Many wonder what path to follow, what belief system to adopt; others opt out completely believing that what we see here on earth is all there is. Regardless of the path we choose, this mandala reminds us that we all go to the same place.

Some paths are easier, some are longer, some are exciting and some are boring.   The question is, do you want to go the path of pain and misery or joy and peace?

So when choosing your path, go with your heart…go with the one that feels true to you and encourages you to be a better person, inspires you to make this world a better place, brings joy, love and peace to you and all those around you…choose that path.

And regardless of the path chosen…know that we can always choose again.

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala Lady

Weekly Reading #1: Welcome

  By The Mandala Lady | January 3, 2012 - 12:36 pm |
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Welcome

Starting today and every Tuesday, I plan to create and post a weekly mandala reading with the intention of offering insights for that week (Tuesday-Monday).

When I posted the Winter Solstice mandala reading on December 22, I felt compelled to invert the colors to expose an image of what looked like a parallel universe. Seeing that inverted image inspired me to create the weekly mandala readings on black paper.

By doing so it’s as if we’re being allowed to see images, energies and vibrations that would normally go unnoticed. Had I used these same colors on white paper, most of it would be barely visible.

It reminds of how during the day we see one sky and at night we see another…we see way beyond our world. Just because during the day we don’t see (with the naked eye) the stars, planets and galaxies, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. The light from the sun just shields it from us until it goes around the other side of our planet.

This mandala welcomes us to this weekly series as well as welcomes us to be open to the possibilities of what exists beyond our normal day-to-day world.

I sense that these energies, these vibrations exist to remind us of the joy, compassion and guidance that are there for us to tap into and experience.

Assignment

  • Take note of the difference between the day sky and the night sky as a reminder to be open to the possibility of seeing beyond what you think you can see.
  • Take the opportunity to be with the night sky at least once this week, to experience how we are standing on a planet that ‘floats’ in space, that we are among a vast array of planets, stars and galaxies.

    For those of us in the northern hemisphere, tonight would be an excellent night to do so since the earth passes through a stream of debris known as the Quadrantid Meteor shower, with up to 100 meteors an hour! It’s expected to peak around 07:20 UT (02:20 am EST) on Wednesday morning, January 4th…11:20 pm PST on Tuesday night, January 3rd.  For more info…

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala Lady

Winter Solstice 2011

  By The Mandala Lady | December 22, 2011 - 4:06 pm |
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Winter Solstice 2011 Mandala

This mandala looks like a cosmic flashlight exposing an opening into an inverted version of our universe…a parallel universe. And just for the fun of it, I used the “invert” effect in photoshop on the mandala and below is the result. Interesting.

Winter Solstice 2011 Mandala - Inverted in Photoshop

The mandala also looks like a magnification of one of the items flying by in the stream of red, green and gold flowing horizontally across the paper.

At the Newgrange mound in Ireland, built over 5,000 years ago, the only time the sunlight comes in to light the passageway and chamber inside is at sunrise on the winter solstice. Those who built the mound paid attention to and paid homage to this time of year. The sunset is aligned at Dowth.

So what does it all mean?  What’s the message here?

Winter solstices mark the beginning of a new cycle…it’s Earth’s new years day in the northern hemisphere. New light is shed onto the next 12 months, with new energy to help us move along in our earthly and spiritual evolution.

Why wait until the new year to start anew with whatever goals and aspirations we have for ourselves in 2012? If we start now, we’ll already have a running start by the time we sweep all the party favors up off the floor on January 1.

Along with this winter solstice we will also experience a new moon in three days on December 24…an added energy boost for starting anything new.

Rather than setting specific goals such as lose 40lbs or organize the garage, how about we strive for more deep-rooted life-style commitments such as loving and respecting ourselves in every way, living authentically, or being true to ourselves.

When we truly love and honor ourselves, we will naturally eat more appropriately and take better care of our bodies…which will produce the desired results of dropping 40lbs.

We when love and honor our surroundings, we will naturally do whatever we can to make our environment more pleasing…which will produce the desired results of having a clear and organized garage.

And we have the added bonus that when we love and respect ourselves, we will automatically love and respect others.

We just have to remember that when we do something counter to our commitments, that we quickly recognize it, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back on track.

I hear this countless times and it’s just as true here…slips are not the problem, it’s what we do after we slip. Do we want to wallow in self-pity and self deprecation or do we want to move forward with the intent of doing better next time? It’s your choice.

Just like they tell us when meditating…as soon as we catch ourselves thinking about anything, we are to stop right there, without any judgment or further thoughts, and return to the breath…always come back to the breath.

Life is a celebration and while a lot of us in the northern hemisphere are experiencing cold and wintery weather, with nature in hibernation all around us, beneath the surface there is a promise of new growth and more light just around the corner.

Let’s release that which fails to serve us any longer and embrace a new commitment to shine our light even brighter than before…be the loving beings that we are meant to be.

Happy Winter Solstice!

joyfully, Maureen
The Mandala Lady