Awakening Together

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NON-DUAL PURPOSE & PRACTICE

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Qigong : “The Movement of Now” with Ian McArthur~ 3-6-22

In this program, Ian teaches about the traditional Mind, Body, and Spirit practice of Qigong (Chi Kung). Qi meaning life energy, referring to the energy circulating through the body, and Gong meaning cultivation or work. The two words are combined to describe a practice to cultivate and balance life energy. By following movements (forms) and a simple breathing technique, we encourage more Qi to flow which in turn allows us to feel more peaceful and at One with ourselves.

Live in the Sanctuary Sundays at 2:30-3:30 pm ET/12:30-1:30 pm MT on the 1st Sunday of the Month.

 

 

 

Something Genuine: “Where Joy Hides and How to Find it” 3/6/22

In this program, we watched and discussed a selected TED talk. TED talks follow a unique format. Speakers at TED events have a maximum of 18 minutes to share their messages, which are delivered in highly polished, succinct speeches. TED talks are delivered by people from all walks of life on a multitude of subjects. A great many of these talks are about the insights gained by ordinary people–insights gained through extraordinary experiences or based on their contemplation of the ordinary events of their lives. Either way, their insights are genuine—not based upon theory or dogma, but through experience.

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The title of this Ted talk is “Where Joy Hides and How to Find it” by Ingrid Fetell.

Cherry blossoms and rainbows, bubbles and googly eyes: Why do some things seem to create such universal joy? In this captivating talk, Ingrid Fetell Lee reveals the surprisingly tangible roots of joy and shows how we all can find — and create — more of it in the world around us.

This group was facilitated by Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert.

Online Dyad Retreat: April 22-24, 2022

 

Dyad Retreat

April 22-24, 2022

An Online Retreat with Anne Blanchard & Kate Brennan

This retreat is for everyone interested in an extremely deep experience of self-inquiry, regardless of whether you are new to self-inquiry or you’ve been practicing self-inquiry for years.

Psychologists have discovered that dyads (two people sharing in a structured way) are a powerful way of going deeper within one’s self in order to see that which is beyond one’s daily conscious awareness. At this retreat, we will utilize this same practice for the purpose of awakening.

This is a highly structured retreat. Expect to give 100% to the retreat. Participants will not be permitted to come and go during this retreat.

Facilitated by Anne Blanchard & Kate Brennan

Retreat Schedule

The retreat will be held Friday, April 22 through Sunday, April 24. The retreat will begin at 10am ET (8am MT) and end at 6pm ET (4pm MT) each day. A 1-hour lunch period will be provided.

Retreat Fee: $120.
$50 non-refundable deposit.

Registration Closed

Registration closes on April 19.

500 Days with NTI ~ Day 429

NTI-The Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New TestamentDay 429 Assignment

This evening (or tomorrow morning):

Watch the following 32-minute video.

Tomorrow:

  1. Meditate in silence for as long as you want to meditate. You may practice any method of meditation that you want to practice.
  2. Pick an exercise from the previous week to do again.

Gentle Healing Year 3 ~ Daily Contemplation #349

Please read quotes 1189-1192 in The Seven Steps to Awakening with your inner teacher. Here is the last quote:

There is only one formless, beginningless, endless, non-dual infinite consciousness.

Note: The next Daily Contemplation will be available tomorrow morning after 2am ET at this link.

Gentle Healing Year 2 – Day 25 – NTI Matthew 26 (v31-35) – end

Just as the scribe was coached directly in yesterday’s reading, the scribe is coached directly in today’s reading. When I was the scribe of NTI Matthew, I had Jesus on a pedestal. Because of that, it was hard for me to see him as imperfect (in my eyes). It was hard for me to read about people mistreating him. All of these ideas came from conditioned thinking—from the way I had been taught to think during my upbringing—so all of this thinking had to be let go.

As you read today’s reading, it is okay to keep in mind that I was being coached directly. Since your mind was conditioned differently, you may not need the exact same coaching that I needed as I read the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and as I read the story of his arrest and trial. Look to see what is helpful for you in today’s reading. For example:

    • Do you dislike it when people point out your mistakes? Look at the story Peter’s denial.
    • Do you think forgiveness should be easier than it is? Look at the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
    • Do you get angry with people who act sweet when you perceive them as devilish underneath? Look at the story of Judas’ kiss.
    • Do you have a habit of defending yourself? Look at the story of the disciple who grabbed a sword.

Ask inner wisdom to guide you through today’s reading so you can find conditioning that needs to be seen and undone in your mind. If the coaching in the reading is not perfect for your needs, journal with inner wisdom and receive your own coaching.

If you are not familiar with the stories from the night of Jesus’ arrest, please read those stories in the Bible.

Thoughts of Awakening # 25

Love is not absent from me.

I am love.

Love is within me.

All I need do is accept it and embrace it as my truth.

This, I am willing to do. I need not seek for love.

I am love.

I need not bargain for love.

I am love.

I need not earn love or fool love into coming to me.

I am love.

I am love, so all that I need do is be.

 ~A prayer of awakening given to us by our Holy Spirit

Gentle Healing Year 1 Tip – Lesson 50, I am sustained by the Love of God

One error that creeps into the minds of many spiritual students is “magical thinking.” Magical thinking is believing that spiritual practice protects us and makes us happy by correcting the things in the world that we think need correcting. This error is fairly common and is fiercely protected by the ego, so it isn’t always easily let go.

Why is this error protected by the ego? Lesson 50 answers that question. “All these things are cherished to ensure a body identification.” Valuing magical ideas is the same as valuing pills, money, etc, because the emphasis is on valuing form.

Everything that is born will die. Each one of us does well to accept this fact. When we accept that the body-personalities that we perceive ourselves to be are temporary and can end at anytime, we are ready to seek for our eternal Self. Our eternal Self is beyond everything temporary and is affected by none of it. The realization of our eternal Self as our truth is ‘salvation’, ‘awakening’, and ‘eternal life’.

“Only the Love of God will protect you in all circumstances. It will lift you out of every trial, and raise you high above all perceived dangers of this world into a climate of perfect peace and safety.” This refers to truth realization. When you know what you are, you are not affected by the ups and downs of this world because you know yourself as beyond it.

A perfect illustration of this is the story of Ramana Maharshi’s death. When his body was dying of sarcoma, his devotees were in great sorrow. They thought they were losing their master. But Ramana responded to them by saying, “Where can I go? I shall always be here.” He knew himself AS eternal life. He identified with eternal life, not the temporary body.

Contemplate Lesson 50 carefully today, and watch your mind for every scrap of magical thinking. “Put not your faith in illusions. They will fail you. Put all your faith in the Love of God within you; eternal, changeless and forever unfailing.”

Here is a link to a song that may help you in this contemplation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llKPujyRgek

p.s. Because magical thinking is such a strong ego defense (to keep us identified with the body), people often ask me questions like, “Should I take medication?” I resonate with Byron Katie’s response. She says that the body is the doctor’s business, not hers.

Let the doctor play games with the body. If the doctor says to take a medication or go through a certain procedure, go ahead, but watch your mind for the idea that this will save you. Identification with the body is an error. You are not the body.

Ramana Maharshi allowed his devotees to call a doctor, and he submitted to the doctor’s operations. His attitude seemed to be the same as Byron Katie’s. His body was not his concern or his business. He let those who saw the body as important make decisions about the body.

 

Kate Brennan ~ Giving Up Kate! ~ “Practice Self Honesty” 3/6/22

Kate shares her experience, poetry, and life with us as she goes about the business of giving up her ideas about herself and the world on her journey toward purification and awakening. Kate shares with wisdom and humor and allows us a glimpse into the beautiful and sometimes messy blossoming of life examined with an eye on Truth.

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Sunday Morning Meditation with Michael DeForbes ~ 3/6/22

Michael DeForbes led our Sunday morning meditation. Michael is a student of Helen Hamilton. His guided meditations are based on the direct path, which is an integral part of our teachings here at Awakening Together.

Enjoy this powerful, deep meditation into ever-present peace and the now of the Noumenon which had the theme of embracing all aspects of the self.

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500 Days with NTI ~ Day 428

Day 428 Assignment

This evening (or tomorrow morning):

Read NTI 1 Peter 3 (v8-12) thru the end of the chapter.

Tomorrow:

  1. Set a timer for the amount of time you want to meditate, and then meditate with this Loving Consciousness audio.
  2. Stay with this focus today:
    (a) Seek out your misperceptions about who you are by noticing your self-judgments, both positive and negative.
    (b) Inquire into the judgments you notice to discover how you misperceive yourself.
    (c) Recognize each judgment that is noticed as an opportunity to discover and clear away misperceptions about yourself.
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