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Dear Greenheart Friends,
I have just returned from a trip to Belize and Guatemala to reconnect with nature and the Mayan civilization, and I was struck by the cover story on the main Belize travel guide: "Where will you be when the world begins anew in 2012?"
Clearly, the Mayan calendar is a reason for everyone to take stock, rethink the purpose of life and contemplate traveling to some place special to kick start the transformative process.
In this edition of the newsletter, I share some ideas on gratitude and love that have given me a major boost in my evolutionary process.
Just being grateful on a daily basis has enhanced my life and I am truly grateful for being reminded how we can all unconditionally thank the universe for its constant giving. As we do so, it is easy to feel the power of spirit in nature, and take the joy of our gratitude to the point of understanding that nature is the manifestation of the pure, primordial spirit itself.
Thankful as I am to all you cohorts in the transformative process, I look forward to celebrating the rebirth of the world in 2012 in one of my favorite natural settings: Ibiza, Spain, the birthplace of Greenheart. If you would like to be part of this unique retreat and make a Transit to your own Transformation, drop me a line. We still have space and scholarship funding available to share this experience together.
In Lak'Ech,
(a Mayan greeting meaning "I am another you")
Emanuel
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What's Love Got To Do With It?
Recently, I have been inspired by the book; "Measuring the Immeasurable; the Scientific Case for Spirituality," published by Sounds True. It is a compilation of articles supporting the scientific case for spirituality by today's big names like Peter Russell, Marilyn Schlitz, Daniel Goleman, Bruce Lipton and Gregg Braden, to name a few. One article in particular that really caught my attention was "Gratitude, the Science and Spirit of Thankfulness" by Robert Emmons, in which he builds the case of gratitude being an important part of our growth in life. For gratitude to be truly effective, we have to be detached from the expectations of reciprocation, or the sense of obligation in our gratefulness. Our feeling must be for the sake of gratitude in the spiritual essence. In their studies on the importance of gratitude, two experiment groups were observed. One group kept a daily gratitude journal, recording all the things that happened during the day that they were grateful for - including positive states, alertness, enthusiasm and positive energy. The other group was asked to write down any daily interactions, including problems, challenges and frustrations in their journals for a series of months. Not given any prompts to include moments of gratitude, these journals were filled with content that mostly reflected frustrations. At the conclusion of the study, it was found that the group with the gratitude journals showed better sleep patterns, better health, and more positive psychological states of mind. As a whole, they were more loving, forgiving and enthusiastic than the other group. The gratitude group was also much more likely to support the statement that; "Life is a gift instead of a burden. I often reflect how much easier my life is because of the efforts of others." Read more from Emanuel's blog...
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Finding Spirit Within Nature
Spirit in Nature; this phrase strikes me as almost redundant that one should even need to explain the presence of spirit in nature. The question arises as a result of the long trajectory of the materialistic paradigm that has caused society to see itself separate from nature. We are not. Human beings are living, breathing animals and part of the ecosystem of the cosmos, just as every other living thing. This idea of oneness in the cosmos isn't a debate, and not only is it not a debate, but I'll go one step further and say nature is the manifestation of spirit. Ergo, nature is spirit.
There are very significant points throughout the world that focus the flow of the earth's energy and emit this spiritual essence. These special places can be found in numerous locations, and for me, Sedona, Arizona and Ibiza, Spain offer a perfect example of the earth's stronger energy points. Ibiza pulsates with a special feminine energy of love and compassion.
In a year symbolizing new beginnings, let's show a new level of respect and gratitude to the nature around us, connect with our spiritual source in a positive way and be present in the Oneness that envelops us in our daily lives as we seek out our very own special place in Nature.
Read more from Emanuel's blog...
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Quote: Compassion Instead of Cash
"What we really need, is not cash, but compassion. As time goes on, love, mutual understanding and the opportunity to share experiences with others is what will raise the standard of living. We are finding more and more that the quality and purpose of our lives has more meaning when we connect and cooperate with our community instead of compete at a winner takes all mentality."
- Emanuel Kuntzelman
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