Dear Friends,

Rediscovering Oneness in Gaia

In this era of new beginnings, taking into consideration the inevitable shift from the material to the spiritual, we must also remember that our relationship with the Earth should change from viewing it as simply a material resource to a spiritual source.  As a point of respect and even reverence, people might say that it's hard to love a rock, but the Earth is a whole lot more than the third rock from the sun. Understanding the Earth as "Gaia" is helpful in this respect, because the Earth really is a living "being."  

James Lovelock postulated the original Gaia hypothesis which showed how many of the earth's physical characteristics can adjust themselves to changing conditions, much like our body will respond to severe alterations in the environment.  In this sense, the earth itself can be seen as a living organism. It is like our own bodies, which need to have all the organs and vital systems healthy in order to survive.   Unfortunately, we are weakening the systems that depend on a delicate balance within Nature, that if disrupted, have the potential to collapse entire ecosystems
. 

As individuals, we understand this important balance of holistic health within our own bodies. Just as we should care about ourselves, we must treat the Earth with this same compassion. After all, the Earth is quite literally our mother in the sense that it provided the evolutionary crucible out of which Homo sapiens arose.  And just as we show love and respect for our biological mothers, we should do the same with the Earth, as she is the mother of all humanity in the historical perspective of evolution.  There is no better place to find a sense of spirit and to pay our respects to it, than in Nature itself.   

______________________________________________ 

The Importance of Creating a Sacred Place

Finding your personal sacred place or space is a critical part of the spiritual practice. Having a location that allows you to find inner peace, and therefore, present moment awareness, gives you an opportunity to take in the spirit of the cosmos while having the time to express gratitude and compassion in return. These sacred places can be found in Nature, or can be created in a corner of an apartment, but no matter where they are located, nurture theses spaces with positive energy and love while you work on your daily practice of transformation.

Throughout my own personal search, I have come to find quite a few sacred places that I hold close to my heart.  

Below are a top 10 list of my favorites places, in no particular order, that have been sources of inspiration throughout my own journey.

1.)    Sedona, AZ: Hopi Power Spot

In order to welcome in the new millennium in 2000, the Hopi elders made a visit to Sedona to pay their respects to this very special place, which is the equivalent of the Garden of Eden in some Native American creation stories.  When asked to point out one of the most powerful power spots, or vortices, one of the elders chose a place that is not on any of the tourist maps as a possible vortex.  He signaled out a spot just east of Dry Creek Road that is perfectly aligned with the masculine energy of Thunder Mountain and the feminine force at the mouth of Boynton Canyon.  Situated at the epicenter of ley lines, this knoll has become one of my favorite places to meditate and it never fails to energize me beyond my own belief.  Those of you who have joined us on a Sedona retreat will remember it well.  For those who haven't, you can conjure up its power in your mind's eye.

2.)    Chicago, IL: Spiral Galaxy Sculpture by the Adler Planetarium

Who says you can't find perfect peace in the heart of a city?  Chicago's lakefront offers plenty of opportunities to find it, but my preferred place is on the grassy knoll between the Adler Planetarium and the 12th St. Beach.  There is a stone sculpture laid out there, representing the spiral shape of the galaxies and symbolizing the unity of the Americas.  The openings of the spiral align with the solstices.  Sitting on a stone in the midst of that spiral, staring at either Lake Michigan or the Chicago skyline, one gets immersed in the vast energy of the cosmos and feels the flow of it swirling all around.  In case you don't have time to visit it sooner, we are planning a consultation with the I Ching right on this spot on July 24, 2012.

3.)    Chicago, IL: Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond

Beyond the cityscapes, skyscrapers and lake views, Chicago also offers its own version of a Waldon Pond.  On Fullerton Ave., just west of the turn in to Lincoln Park Zoo, there is a gateway to the Alfred Caldwell Pond.  Follow the trail around to the rise behind the southeast part of the pond and you will find a stone circle under the trees.  Here, too, is a place of peace, a point to meditate and look within, where the city vanishes in the depths of the clear pond of our own inner consciousness giving rise to the blooming of the Lotus, or lily pads.

______________________________________________ 

Quote: Our Spiritual Connection to Nature and the Cosmic Field   

We need to have a total respect for the divine essence of Nature. It's not just lofty words when we say we are made from stardust. Our consciousness and civilization of Homo sapiens did not just randomly and accidentally appear out of chaos. There is a theological methodology behind our evolution; there is a purpose-driven impulse in our universe. Scientists must embrace this idea of a spiritual source or quantum field of reality that has a purpose for our existence. We might not be able to measure phenomena with the usual methods or machines, but that is no reason to dismiss the spiritual essence that occurs. We are constantly in touch with the Field." - Emanuel Kuntzelman