Another wonderful piece by Terri St. Cloud speaks to what occurred this past week in Expanding Present Moment Consciousness.

Drop it. turn your back to it leave it behind. we need your hands free. we’ve got some digging to do to find your light that you lost along the way. it’s still there. even tho you doubt it. it’s still there. and we’ll find it together. and when we do, we’ll fall on our knees in gratitude and joy, we’ll laugh. we’ll cry. and then gently, ever so gently, we’ll take it back out to the world.

Terri St. Cloud

Thank you again, Terri!

This past weekend brought the Expanding Present Moment Workshop to a close, leaving all of us who staffed it in awe of the healing that transpired in those five days. It was amazing and one of the participants sent me a poem by Terri St. Cloud that really says it all. Here it is, along with the link to her blog spot

http://bonesigharts.blogspot.com/2011/06/some-new-ones.html

She speaks to the healing that occurred for so many in our group this weekend. Thank you Terri!

Enjoy!

Today in Expanding Present Moment Consciousness we have entered sacred space together, once again, with beautiful, significant changes and healing as the outcome. The glow of hearts newly opened, healthy boundaries newly formed and steadiness reclaimed was readily apparent as the circle came to a close a short while ago. I am eternally grateful to all our support – seen and unseen – for guiding this process for all of us. Tomorrow we enter our day of setting new intentions and blessings.

As we continue in Expanding Present Moment Consciousness, we are exploring how to embody more deeply in all parts of our bodies using different breaths, sounds and movements. It has been an interesting day of exploration, crossing new thresholds where trauma and health separate. Realizing that as we drop more deeply into our bones, we are welcomed home once again – some people for the first time after years of hyper-vigilance. It has been challenging and heart-warming.

I sit here tonight with my heart and chest feeling melted and warmed in a way that I have not experienced before in quite this way. The group exercise this morning took an unexpected turn as Spirit graced us with a sweet communion of souls. I was quietly holding space for the process in the room when suddenly a number of people crossed the threshold between fear and the joy of deep connection. The feeling in the room was palpable. The waves of emotion washed over me and I found myself drenched in joy as well. My chest expanded and tears streamed down my willing face as I drank in the room. As my eyes met those of my staff members across the room we nodded, eyes filling up and spilling over together.

And now, hours later, I feel as though I have ridden a large wave and been grinning widely all day. It’s the feeling I get when I have been touched by the grace of the Divine. There is an awe that we can feel in certain moments like this, and yet we do not control when or how these visitations occur. All is forgiven. All unworthiness drops away. Love is in the driver’s seat. Deep gratitude is all there is.

We have begun the wonderful community building of the first day of Expanding Present Moment Consciousness. Dropping into our bones and listening to the voice of the Soul creates clarity for the next four days of our journey. It was rich, deep sharing that moved all of us to tears and laughter as we went around the circle. Slowing down and nurturing ourselves comes more naturally when we gather like this. The Sacred Path card drawn for the group was The Powwow card, symbolizing the power of gathering as a community – as a tribe – of support for all. Peter Hume, our chef started us off with delicious, organic food that is nourishing us on a whole another level. The mansion here at Claymont Court is cradling us with it’s stately, comforting energy. We are now off for a night of sweet dreams.

Tomorrow starts our advanced level training, Expanding Present Moment Consciousness – it is a training that I love to teach because I see it as a coming home to our senses – first order sensations that signal us that we are present in the moment.

As I was taking a walk a few days ago, my sense of smell became totally immersed in the scent of honey suckle. It is that time of year and it was everywhere. As I inhaled deeply, I felt as though my nose was having it’s own form of an orgasm. I could literally feel the tingling down into my toes as we continued our leisurely walk on down the path.

It was the perfect preparation for the next five days of releasing whatever is in the way of our present moment experience, so that we can come home to ourselves more fully – mind, body and spirit – in each moment of our lives. See you there!

My friend and colleague, Teri Cochrane just posted on her blog, Healing Paths, a wonderful ink that lists all the things that get in the way of being happy – thus leaving you with happiness upon releasing them or giving them up. In my opinion, it is a great list: Here it is. Enjoy!

As I return from St. Louis and the celebration of my daughter’s graduation, I am reminded again of the power of that invisible field that connects us all.

The more I slow down and drop into that energy field, the easier it is to pick up what is mine to hear, sense or feel. It becomes almost ordinary – having an old friend cross my mind and having them email me or call within hours; or walking into a room and sensing the predominant emotion that is there, as happened with the Field House at Alieza’s graduation. Holding prayers for a dying friend and feeling their passing as it occurs. And, it really does start to feel ordinary.

I am committed to being as connected to each present moment as I can be, which gives me natural access to what I need to stay in the flow of life. It connects me to my own grace and ease, although it is not always comfortable. This week was a perfect example. A lot of great celebration. Moments that were filled with emotion. Moments when we laughed out loud (thank you Michael Peters, aka Superman, for a great commencement speech.) We have returned home exhausted, satisfied and totally happy.

I am struck by how the story about Lawrence Anthony illustrates the interconnectedness of us all. And yet, it seems that those who feel and act upon those feelings of connection are the exception rather than the rule these days. I am hoping that is changing.

I just attended my daughter’s College of Arts and Sciences graduation yesterday and the main topic was about a man, the dean of the school until his death last September. What was remarkable about Dean James McLeod was his whole hearted approach to education and the value of each individual student. Here are some quotes about him.

“No single individual has had a greater impact on the vitality and the quality of student life at this university,” said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. “Jim was truly a man of wisdom, compassion, and steadfast loyalty to the university. He enjoyed deep and lasting respect from all who were fortunate to interact with him.”

“For those of us at Washington University whose memories go back 25 years or more, Jim McLeod was the cornerstone upon which this school is built,” said Gerald Early, director of the Center for the Humanities at Washington University. 

One of the remarkable things about Dean McLeod was his emphasis on the forgotten things in most universities today. He valued and knew each student in the school of Arts and Sciences by name. He inspired them to greatness and let them each know he was supporting them. And they felt it.

As the graduation proceeded and he was honored by speaker after speaker, the grief in the room – as well as his powerful loving impact – was palpable. I had only met the man once years before, and yet I found myself welling up from the waves of sadness.

Like the elephants called by some invisible but powerful force to the home of Lawrence Anthony, the entire class of 2012 was touched deeply by who Jim McLeod was and what he stood for. Hopefully they will carry it on out into the world. We certainly need those who have the courage to make a difference at that level in the lives of others, and Dean Jim McLeod certainly did.