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July 2022

Using everyday moments to raise our level of consciousness

I hope this finds everyone doing all right as we continue to move through these intense times on our beautiful planet. I am grateful for each of you as I feel we are all doing our part to bring more light and love into the world in our own ways. I truly feel the presence of this amazing tribe!

With all that is coming up for us collectively and perhaps individually, it seems there is no lack of opportunity for deepening and expanding ourselves. Definitely there are days when the overwhelm, anxiety or depressed mood sets it...but let's keep rising above it and do what we are here to do, which is to keep raising light and spreading love.

But how do we do that in a world that often feels aggressive, intolerant, ignorant and dark? I believe we first must be aware or conscious of how we are living, thinking and feeling. This means that, as much as we can, we are navigating life and our decisions in a conscious thoughtful way, not acting out of compulsion or reactivity. This can be challenging at times and under certain circumstances, but as we begin to bring more awareness into how we are living and practice this way of being, we become better at it. It is actually about coming back to the essence of our true being. We have spent years becoming who we are not so that we might be at the place of not really knowing who we are and whether our actions, thoughts and feelings are in integrity with our true self. Over time, we build habits and ways of coping, and we are even wired a certain way through what is passed down through our lineage! So, we must begin to take space from what is compulsive or reactionary, so that we can begin to unwind the old habits and let go of the behaviors and thoughts that aren't serving us anymore.

A few years ago, we bought trees and shrubs for our property. We were thrilled, because we spend much time and energy in our gardens, which in turn give back to us in immense ways. After we had planted all of the trees, I thought maybe the high quality compost we used to plant them in might not be enough. I just loved these trees and shrubs so much, I wanted to do more. So I bought organic tree and shrub food and gave them lots to eat so they would have enough nutrients to keep them full and happy. It was a quick instinct to give in this way, but it was compulsive, and I didn't take the space to give more conscious thought to the process or stay tuned in to the trees themselves to sense what they might or might not need.

We noticed over the next week or so that the trees didn't look so good. And then the shrubs began to loose their leaves. I called the nursery in a panic when everything we planted began to 'bend over at the waist'! When the kind woman at the nursery asked how I had cared for them, I told her what I had done. Her empathetic response back to me was, 'oh, too much love, way too much love'. I hadn't even considered that it might be a bad idea to over feed them. But here we were, six trees and 5 shrubs later... all showing signs of imminent death.

So it's been a few years now, and we decided to try again. This time we would only buy one, and then add more if we were successful. When we went back to the nursery to pick out our Korean Dogwood I had my phone ready to take notes on the best care possible, I wanted to know exactly what, when and how to keep this tree alive. When I started to pepper the poor woman with questions, I was shocked when her response was, "when I bring a tree home, I don't do anything, except put it in the ground." I was sure I misheard her. "No," she said, "I figure this is the ground and conditions they are going to live in, so they need to learn to make it on their own." Wow, I thought to myself, this was certainly tough love and a bit cruel in my perspective, but then she went on. "For the first year or so, they look a bit tired and defeated, but then they adapt and become strong and thrive." I started to feel I had more to learn about this experience than basic tree care.

Since I was unsuccessful with all the trees I had planted before, I was more open to listen and consider doing things a new way. I decided to go against what I felt I should do out of instinct and gave myself the space to try something new and to stay more conscious of myself, the trees and the process. And as you can see from the picture above our Dogwood is happily settling in and seems to be healthy.

The experience gave me enough insight to begin to consider how I might be playing out this compulsive behavior in other ways, with my kids, family and people I care about. It is just the start, but I am more able to allow space before I react to a thought or impulse. The deliberate pause feels like it is helping me unwind and see ways I can set myself free. More and more, I am just me.

Interview with Heather Ensworth PhD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My7ibnd8Gbg&ab_channel=HeatherEnsworth

Thanks so much for connecting with me in this present moment. If you would like to continue to stay in touch this way, there is nothing more to do. But if getting one more thing in your inbox doesn’t feel fun to you, no worries! You can unsubscribe in the link below. Please pass along to those who you feel would also like to join the tribe! Sending light and love.

—Kristina

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The Prophecy of the Rainbow Warrior

By Sliver Song Cree Blackfoot

This is the way I’ve heard the legend pass down through the ages. A time will come when the Earth and all of life will need our help. At this time, a tribe will gather from all cultures of the world. They will be recognized by their spirit connection and life-giving actions towards the finned, the winged, the creeping crawling, the standing green growing, the four-legged, the two nations, and all that is. They will awaken humankind to find a star inside themselves. This star will guide them to overcome the mountains of ignorance, prejudice, hatred, and fear through compassion, harmony, and honor. They will find a new song and a new dream. The beautiful bow that hangs in the sky after a storm is a monument to these ones. I believe we are living in this tie now. All of us with this vision are the tribe, we are the rainbow warriors, we will heal the world. We are the cherished dream and the vision of the ancient ones of long ago.