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One of the challenges of the spiritual life is to remember our Source at all times: during good times, but especially during those times when we feel most undeserving, unworthy and blocked.

When circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, our eyes can move off the goal and onto those frightful circumstances… and all of a sudden, we may feel very small, alone and separate.

In that space of feeling insignificant, we tend to retreat from others, and we step out of the flow of life. We shut out the flow of love and blessing, filled with emotions of dread instead. 

But there’s more to life than the ups and downs of your changing emotions!

You see, when we allow our emotions to lead the way, we set ourselves up for a rollercoaster ride.  Our emotions change with the weather (or sometimes because of it)!

The truth is that you are not your emotions.

You are the consciousness in which emotions surface and subside like small waves on the ocean.  Just as the ocean is not affected by the rise and fall of the waves on its surface, you need not be affected by your emotions… provided that you identify not with your emotions, but with your True nature.

Your True nature is consciousness or Spirit.  It emerged out of the Allness of Divinity to experience and express itself through physicality.

You are not your physicality; instead, physicality is simply the medium through which you choose to express yourself in this life.  You are not your emotions, either; your emotions are the wave forms of expression inherent to the physical experience.

The findings of science and spirituality concur in that we are more than the physical world in which we live. 

Quantum physicist David Bohm expressed existence as an interconnected hologram where each particle contains a perfect representation of the whole; the totality of the whole being implicated in the order of its parts.

You and I proceeded from this Implicate Order into individualized or expression, yet we remain connected to each other and to the Whole.

When the circumstances of your individual experience appear overwhelming, try to remember that you are connected to that Whole, the Source where all begins and to which everything ultimately returns.

Remembering your Source restores your awareness of your true nature and power.  It aligns you to the Origin of all life and possibilities.

Looking at life from that place of connection, things look different. Instead of seeing the divide between you and success, health or other people, you can now focus on the common ground connecting you… and in seeing that, reach out in new and different ways. 

When your remember your connection to your Source, you can choose new actions and outcomes that more accurately reflect your Higher nature.

This is the inner space where miracles happen!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com  This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

The coming year will reshape the destinies of every human being on this planet. Simply stated, the forces guiding your life will make it a pivotal year of global and personal transformation.

Why? Because they are already doing that right now!

The essential question each of us should ask is, "How will the forces guiding my life affect me in the next year?"

Because whatever you are working on in your life, is already working on you.  Over the course of time, these forces will shape your life both on the surface and from within.

Nobody’s life is the same at the end of a year – any year - as it is at the beginning. You are building your life from the inside out even as it is working on you.  What are you planning to work on in the coming year?  Getting clear on the purpose and plan for your soul is essential because it will ultimately direct where you end up over the course of the next year.

Business philosopher Jim Rohn put it this way: "If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build, will end up building us."

These are some very profound lessons to be gleaned here.  

First is that life is a process, not a destination. Every year is simply a measure of life, a slice of the big picture. Instead of falling into the trap of reductionism and reducing life to a game of basic outcomes, why not become more conscious of the process, the journey?

After all, you are building a life, not just a year! The kind of life you build is going to be determined by the kind of goals and plans you work on, because they'll work on you.

And that's the second lesson: Your choice of goals and plans mean much more than just what you accomplish. You are choosing what you're becoming, too!

Deepak Chopra has said that the activities on the surface of our lives distract us from the deeper work of soul making. You do not need to caught up in the busy-ness of life to the detriment of your soul!  This year, resolve to see your life as a sacred process of soul making. Let that Higher awareness guide your vision of life’s journey. You are not meant to simply ACHIEVE something, you are here to BECOME something.  And that process happens along the way, not at some magical destination.

The third lesson is this: it's not just the good things we build that matter, it’s anything we build. They all work on us.

So if you use shame, blame, guilt or fear as building blocks for your life, that's what you’ll ultimately have. If you are avoiding the effort of introspection, personal honesty and spiritual alignment, you may think you're not building anything, but you are – and you’re not going to like the result, so why even go there?

On the other hand, if you build toward your highest potential, you facilitate the unfolding of your best life ever.

Reaching your highest potential is your soul's ultimate purpose, and it is revealed to you within the context of seeking to fulfill your highest potential, service and creativity.  Its beauty will radiate from your core when you seriously engage in the work of healing the wounded psyche by dispelling the stories of your past with Truth.

These are skills that need to guide your life now more than ever, for they will reveal the true blueprint of your life. They will direct your path, your purpose and your potential to bring about the highest unfolding of your life.

So if you’re going to build something in your life during the next twelve months, make it something that you like and respect. It'll make YOU someone that you like and respect!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

According to the Taoist book of Chuang-Tzu, some pupils of Confucius saw an old man swimming in a raging torrent when suddenly, he disappeared. The pupils rushed to save him, but the man reached the bank entirely unaided.

Asked how he had pulled off this remarkable feat of survival, the man replied that he had simply let himself go with the descending and ascending currents in the water. The true Taoist, in other words, molds his senses, body and mind until they are at one with the currents of the world without.

In the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, Krishna stressed the need to let go of resistance in order to stay in the Eternal flow. He said, “You must be free from the pairs of opposites. Poise your mind in tranquility.”

The flow of water in nature serves as powerful reminder that life exists in a constant state of ebb and flow. You and I are intimately connected to this process of flow because our bodies consist of more than 70% water. Flow is our natural state of being.  

To resist the process brings pain; to move along gently with it facilitates the emergence of your true potential. When you do not trust the process of life, you’ll fear the future, the outcomes or the process. That resistance to what you fear blocks the flow of life and causes stagnation in yourself and in your life; over time it tends to create the very painful outcomes you have been afraid of!

All spiritual teachings share the principle that we do not have to live in resistance or fear. Growth in consciousness requires that we learn how to overcome our resistance to change, because it is rooted in fear. It is our very resistance to what we fear, that attracts to us what we fear – yet we can choose to focus on the perfection of the present moment and flow with that instead. How can you stay in flow, then?

To flow with the process of life, you need to surrender yourself to the perfection of each present moment.  Surrender the fear of losing control, the fear of the unknown, and the fear of what might happen if things don’t go the way you think they should.  

Instead, choose to remember that change is the natural state of things; it is a continuous, intrinsic part of life. No matter how overwhelming current circumstances may appear; they, too, will change! As you allow the process of change into your life without resisting it, you’ll find yourself carried toward your destiny on that gentle current.

By allowing the process of life to unfold, you remain open to all the possibilities. You choose trust instead of fear; trusting that you are living in a benevolent universe, and that each step is unfolding in perfection even when you cannot see it from your limited perspective. Instead of seeing lack everywhere, you start noticing the beauty of the process.

Life speaks to us in metaphor. The more we embrace its flow, the more we notice its subtle messages.   You may have a vivid dream that clarifies a problem you have been wrestling with, or you may find guidance showing up for you in unexpected ways.  Indeed, one of the secrets to spiritual growth is to regard everything that shows up in your life, as being sent for the express purpose of bringing you closer to enlightenment.  

When you no longer resist the process of life, you are free to reconnect to your inner core of peace.  You become quiet as you move beneath the surface chatter of the mind. As the surface noise subsides, you become aware of the vast expanse of stillness that lies within. Connecting with that inner core also connects you to Divinity, the eternal indwelling Presence.

Over time, your continued alignment with this indwelling Presence allows you to witness the perfection of everything in life as it unfolds.  Instead of judging what shows up, you start recognizing that life brings you exactly what you need, not necessarily what you want.  And the more you align to Truth within, the more your surface wants come into alignment with what you truly need, bringing harmony into every area of life.

The Essenes taught that life is like a mirror: whatever we don’t like in others, we also don’t like in ourselves. Pay attention to what you don’t like or resist in others: identify the emotion and the reason, release it and you will return to a state of flow. Here are some thoughts to help you stay the flow of life:

Stay open
Stay open and feel love flowing into you by connecting to the Divine or by reminding yourself of a time you felt intense love.

Recharge
Take time to observe beauty - relax and spend time in nature.

Observe
Observe what shows up in your life.  Instead of defending yourself or going into attack, ask yourself what the message is, and acknowledge the insight it offers.

Detach
Remember that you don’t have to use drama to compete for energy; simply detach from the ego’s story and let go.

Stay aware
Pay full attention to everyone you meet because they all have a message for you, as you do for them.

Focus on now
Recognize that the present moment carries with it all possibilities. By staying in the present, you stay open to all the possibilities.

Trust
Trust in the process. Surrender to the power of Consciousness and let it carry you – it will be perfect!

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com

Finding Spiritual Guidance

By Ada Porat

There is spiritual guidance all around us… are you listening for it?
Spiritual guidance is not restricted to any specific time or space.  It is available at all times, everywhere.  It is found in casual conversation, in books that fall into our hands, in "wrong" numbers dialed… always available when we listen. After all, we believe that the Divine presence is everywhere, so why would the Divine voice of guidance not be everywhere, too?  And it is, provided we are not too busy to listen!
I find that listening to my inner guidance can save a lot of time and effort. Being goal-oriented, I used to have a tendency to move ahead before clear guidance has been given.  I soon learned that trying to hasten the outcome only inhibits my ability to receive true guidance and may even delay the outcome.
I found that the wisest move is to simply step back from the frenetic activity and to return to center.  From that place of inner balance, guidance gently emerges to lead my steps, and life flows with synchronicity and ease.
Maintaining neutrality is also important for receiving inner guidance. In kinesiology testing, attitudes of judgment or skepticism are found to calibrate at a level that undermines the expression of truth and can be destructive.  When we ask for confirmation of guidance, it is important to do so from an attitude of desiring to know and align with truth, and to be detached from the outcome.
When we are open and receptive, we are more inclined to recognize guidance we are given throughout the day.  If someone tells you about something, ask yourself, "How does this apply to me?" or, "Is there something I need to learn here?"
Inner guidance can come in many ways, some of which may surprise you!  I have had people tell me how they were asking for guidance in a difficult situation, only to have the business card of someone who could help, fall from a wallet.  At times, I have asked for clarity on an issue, and when the phone rang a few minutes later, the caller presented the solution to the issue without any prior knowledge of my predicament!

Guidance often arrives in synchronistic ways.  One of the funniest examples happened to me on a first date.  Throughout the evening, I felt vaguely uncomfortable with the person I was with:  he was doing and saying all the appropriate things, yet I could not shake a vague sense that I there was something amiss.  I silently asked for guidance and clarity.

Soon after, my companion decided to perform a karaoke song and as he was singing, the words of the song hit me like a ton of bricks: “…these boots are made for walking, I’m gonna walk all over you!”  The instant I heard the words, a sense of profound clarity came over me and I knew they expressed a deeper meaning about the person’s intent.  I found out later that the person indeed had a reputation for taking advantage of others.

At times, we may not feel comfortable enough to act on the initial guidance given and so we may ask for confirmation. Doubting ourselves is very human and we may feel a need for confirmation before acting on the guidance received.  I am always encouraged by the Biblical story of Gideon who put out a fleece at night and asked for his guidance to be confirmed by the dew falling everywhere except for on the fleece.  At the appropriate time, the guidance was confirmed.

While driving home one day, I noticed that someone had posted bright cardboard signs along the road, directing traffic to a yard sale on my street. There were signs posted at all the major intersections approaching my neighborhood – every place where drivers had to choose which way to go.

I realized that spiritual guidance comes to us the same way – there are always signs to guide us at the important intersections in life.  When we don’t see the signs we’re looking for, we are perhaps just not in need of those directions yet, and we can go with the flow.  When it is time, the necessary guidance will appear!

I use a very practical method to receive guidance. Whenever I am not sure what to do, I say to the Universe, "Just show me what I am to do here. I’m willing to do whatever is in the best interest of everyone involved. Give me a clue, and I will follow." Then I release the situation. I give up any preconceived notion about how things are supposed to turn out, and when I am supposed to know. Sometimes the answer comes instantly and sometimes it takes a while, but it always comes.

Spiritual guidance always arrives at the appropriate time, although recognizing it may require some adjustment in our expectations.  To understand this, we can look at the two different words used for “time” in Greek.  The first is chronos, which is equivalent to our concept of time as a chronological sequence of seconds, minutes, and hours. The second word is kairos, which can best be translated as "Divine timing" or "appropriate timing."

In our culture, we tend to live in chronological time, yet guidance emerges outside of chronos with the synchronicity of Divine timing. When we shift our perspective away from the linear paradigm of chronological time, we discover that guidance and answers always arrive at the perfect time.

When seeking direction, simply ask for guidance. Then allow the answer to show up in its appropriate way, place, and time.  If, upon voicing your request, you do not hear a voice from heaven bellowing, "This is what you must do!" don’t freak out. Allow for Divine timing to deliver your answer at the appropriate time. It will surely come!  

©Copyright Ada Porat.

This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Further information about Ada's integrative approach to body-mind-spirit healing may be found at www.adaporat.com or by dialing US 602-283-4628 (MST). 

Getting Unstuck
By Ada Porat

Are you feeling stuck in your life? Frustrated? Do you feel like you’re going down for the third time?

Take a moment to really feel what is going on. You are not stuck… you are constrained. Yes, the old way of doing things is no longer working, and you are trying to adjust to radically new ways of looking at life, doing things, and living.

Throughout this time of constraint and upheaval, there are unseen forces holding you steady while you try to run this new kind of energy… the energy of oneness with Divine purpose. It is a Divine connection, hosted in a human shell. Long ago, before you ever came into this life, you chose to embody this energy at this time. This is your contribution to the shift of the ages, and now is your time to fulfill that agreement.

The energy of Divine oneness or unity is the most powerful force in the Universe. It is powerful enough to constrain you when you try to separate from Divine guidance at your core and assert your human will.

In the old way of life, we accomplished our desired goals by asserting our human, egoic wills in our external reality. We were conditioned to be willful and determined, wanting whatever we chose to have when we decided to have it. This way no longer works. When we assert our human, egoic will in the new energy that surrounds us now, the obstacles we encounter are numerous.

To move past the constraints of the present, we have to give up the drive to accomplish things by sheer force of will. Instead, we need to yield to trust: trust in the Divine, in Divine Guidance, in Spirit, in God, in the Universe… whatever you choose to call the essential life force energy.

When we choose to trust, the energy of the egoic will and resistance yield to a bigger plan - the higher picture of Divine perfection. From the plane of trust, we are able to flow with the creative energies around us, participating in the process of creating a higher reality than we could ever conceive of before.

It is no longer possible to more forward in ego and still make spiritual progress. The constraining force of Spirit will block your movement at every turn. The inclination to be willful needs to be surrendered in order to move beyond the limitations of the egoic self. When we insist on operating from ego, we only end up hurting ourselves.

It is possible for Spirit to get you through this time of transition, no matter how difficult it feels. Those same unseen forces that hold you steady now, can and will lift you out of your pit of despair. All it takes is for you to let go of the old way of using power willfully through the ego, and to embrace the path of faith, the pathway of trust and allowing.

We are living in a very different reality now than we’d been in even five years ago. The old life with its hopes, dreams and loved ones, has been filed away in the archives of All That Is. To keep looking for it, merely deters our progress forward. We are in a new way of life now; mulling over the old ways with endless analysis, mourning and regrets will bring no comfort.

The more we try to recreate the past, the more we’ll find ourselves drawn down into the traps of ego like quicksand, our energy levels sinking into a quagmire of confusion and struggle.

Instead, now is the time to embrace what is showing up in your life moment by moment. Look for new ways to reframe things, new tools to do things with. Go inward. Drink deep from the wellspring of life. Let the timeless wisdom and healing energy of sacred teachings wash over you to renew your soul. Develop a dialogue with Spirit and ask for guidance and clarity. Stay present in the moment and allow the answers to flow to you through circumstances.

When action is indicated, do it. When circumstances open up for you, move forward. And when doors close, don’t try to break through them. Sometimes, we need to spend a while living in the in-between – learning to let go of the need to control, the need to logically understand. At times like these, we need to ask ourselves what we really want and why…even as we surrender the need to know how it will come about. We need to simply be present, be patient, and be still.

For years, I would ask Spirit to help me understand the why and how of life’s senseless tragedies. Invariably, the answer would come back in one cryptic word: “Trust.” Never before has the need to trust been more important for our personal well-being than now. Outside ourselves, the whole world is going through a spin cycle now. Just as we are experiencing at the microscopic level, willfulness and ego needs to be eliminated on a global scale as well to make space for a new order of trust and humility.

You don’t lack power. You are a powerful being. What you lack is remembrance. There is nothing wrong with you that complete remembrance will not heal. Like a survivor who has buried the unbearable agony of trauma beneath a layer of amnesia until they are ready to process it, we have chosen not to remember everything at once. As we proceed on the path we are shown, more is revealed to us. Through the integration and healing of each memory that surfaces, we reclaim our wholeness and power.

During this time of transition at every level of society, there are some helpful guidelines to keep us on track. Here are a few reminders:

Stay Detached

When we become emotionally attached to a desired cause or outcome, we become vulnerable to the trappings of the ego. Acknowledge your feelings and then surrender them to the Divine will so you can stay aligned to your life source.

Set Clear Boundaries

Social pressure always tries to make us conform to the expectations of others. Defining your boundaries protects your power. You are not obligated to accommodate everyone; instead, your first commitment needs to honor your inner guidance. What is your truth in the situation? Are you compromising in order to be liked, accepted, or nice? You cannot find happiness by living your life to appease the expectations of others. Define how far you are willing to go, and then say no: No, I cannot have you as a house guest for a month; no, I am not able to able to serve have lunch with you today; no, I am not able to volunteer my time to sell Girl Scout cookies.

Stay Present

When we feel overwhelmed by the intensity of the present, we may choose to find refuge in the memories of the past or the dreams of the future. Neither serves us well. Now is the only time we have – life only happens in the now. Don’t let your fears and regrets rob you of the precious gift of staying present in the Now.

Listen to Yourself

Within you is the wisdom to address all the challenges of life. When you feel overwhelmed, slow down and focus on your body. Let the wisdom within show you what you really want. Ever found yourself ‘giving in’ to the requests of others while you feel a huge lump in your chest or stomach? You body is trying to tell you something. If you cannot maintain inner harmony while engaging in the activity, recognize your body’s signals and re-align with your personal truth. When you listen to your body, you will recognize the ‘right timing’ at the place where desire and opportunity intersect. There will always be peace and confidence there, enabling you to flow forward with grace and ease.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Finding Wholeness In A Fragmented World
By Ada Porat

The modern world is marked by breathtaking rates of fragmentation and change. According to the National Geographic Magazine, fragmentation in nature (the breaking up of large habitats into smaller, isolated chunks) is one of the main forms of habitat destruction, and the primary reason biodiversity on the planet is in decline.

Humans on the planet are affected by this and other forms of fragmentation at all levels of life and society. Life is no longer governed by rites of passage. Fragmentation has filtered into every sphere of existence and affects every level of being. And yet, amid the emptiness of a splintered society, the drive toward wholeness beats within the human heart, contradicting all external demands of fragmentation to dissect, separate and isolate.

The dream of the human heart is that life may complete itself in some meaningful pattern before death. When isolated from the concept of a Higher Power that lends context, this search for meaning may leave one deeply disillusioned. In the face of trauma and suffering worldwide, each of us needs to develop a sense of self that integrates and strengthens us.

This search for authenticity and meaning has become more complex than ever because the goal posts keep shifting. Today, there is no consensus on what used to be defined as ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Instead, secular humanism has replaced traditional faith on college campuses, in schools and in the media. Within the span of a single generation, relativism replaced belief in an Absolute, Higher authority to become the secular religion of the age. In the view of relativism, perception is reality and each individual has the right to not only perceive, but to act out their particular version of reality. Free speech without the acceptance of a Higher Power degenerates into a cacophony of discordant voices without meaning. As a result, the person who goes on a killing spree to ‘express’ their anger and frustration, now receives protection from the law on the premise that their actions expressed their freedom of speech.

Through iteration, the oft-repeated half-truths or slogans of the times reprogram society and damage the individual psyche’s ability to tell truth from falsehood. After all, we know that when a non-truth is repeated often enough, it becomes accepted as truth. The search for truth has become ever more challenging because in the modern global village, there are numerous voices promising instant relief, answers and success. Who do we listen to and how do we know what is true?

The fragmentation of social structure corrodes the individual’s ability to discern and align with truth. This process can be likened to what happens in the body when it is attacked by malignant cells. The malignant cells travel through the blood stream from where they deposit in the cells and organs to silently multiply, robbing the healthy cells of sustenance until they reach critical mass and destroy the very organism that has nurtured them. To the outside observer, the body under attack may appear healthy until deeper investigation reveals the presence of the insidious culprits. There may be plenty of diseased cells in a healthy-looking body. Society reflects the same dynamic – in our fragmented world, there is plenty of falsehood in the best of society, and there is plenty of truth even in the worst areas of society. It is up to the individual to discern truth from falsehood.

To some, it may appear as if the only way to survive in a fragmented world is through resistance, and so fundamentalism is born. Fundamentalism creates a faith in exclusivity and absolutism, even if it is accomplished through rigidity and control. It fragments the self further to the point that the capacity for empathy, tolerance and wholeness is lost. A psychic numbing develops which impairs discernment and compassion, and further fuels the cycle of fragmentation.

What are we to do about the fragmentation that seeps like a cancer through each element of modern life? Does our drive to survive in this fragmented world really have to threaten our health, our relationships and our families, leaving us with an eerie emptiness of spirit? Do we have to become distant, detached, and distracted from other human beings in order to survive? I believe not.

As with every experience in life, we are offered choices. We can allow life to chip away at the wholeness of our being, or we can choose to reconnect to our souls – that infinite, unlimited part of ourselves that transcends all the vagaries of life in a fragmented world. The Sufi poet Rumi invites us there when he writes:

“Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing
and right-doing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.”

When we start looking for ways to re-integrate our lives, we can start healing the separation of our fragmented society. We can reclaim the delight of heart-felt love, work and play. We can learn to be at the center of swirling activity without getting fragmented.

The single most important antidote to fragmentation agreed on by all teachers of consciousness through all time, is the practice of spirituality. What is spirituality? The common view of spirituality is that it is all about God, rules and punishment. However, when we start looking deeper, it becomes clear that true spirituality is not concerned with a rigid set of rules at all; it is about clearing away layers of misperception so that truth can emerge.

There are numerous examples of individuals who found the key to unlock spirituality in their lives throughout history. It is comforting to know that the individuals we have come to know as saints were not born that way; they became saints through personal choice. It was their dedication to higher principles that transformed average people into extraordinary human beings.

In the book, 50 Spiritual Classics, author Tom Butler-Bowdon reviews the lives of individuals who found the way out of fragmentation and into wholeness. Malcolm X, for example, was a petty criminal whose religious conversion turned him into a voice for black empowerment; St Augustine lived for cheap entertainments and sex until he moved through a period of great soul-searching and eventually became a father of the Catholic church; Richard Alpert gave up his Harvard career as psychology professor to become Ram Dass, master meditator and Eastern spiritual guru; Francis of Assisi was the son of a well-off businessman who threw away his inheritance in order to commune with nature and reinvigorate the church.

Each of these individuals came to the realization that only a complete commitment to a higher Power could shift them from psychological fragmentation to spiritual wholeness. Their stories are inspirational because they demonstrate the potential of complete transformation that is present even in people that society would normally give up on. They demonstrate the spiritual potential of you and me.

While we can have grand dreams of becoming enlightened in this lifetime, the more common reality of spiritual life really has to do with consistent daily effort to be compassionate and to stay attuned to right principles. These truths are taught by all great teachers of spirituality. In his autobiography, Gandhi accredited his daily habits of dietary restriction, celibacy and simple living for decades with transforming him from a self-absorbed young man into a symbol of selflessness and human freedom.

Another practical outcome of developing spirituality is the ability to live in the moment. The Buddhist practice of mindfulness aims toward this goal by endowing even the smallest acts of daily life with significance; every moment is considered precious.

Belief in something greater than oneself forms the essence of traditional religion; that is why it is powerful. True spirituality takes the notion of a Higher Power one step further to become a personal knowing. That is what Carl Jung meant when he was asked whether he believed in God and he replied, "I don't believe - I know."

And yet the pathway of true spirituality is not for the faint-hearted. In the books of Carlos Castaneda, Don Juan teaches that a human being only really becomes a whole person when they stop being a mere reflection of their culture and master their own mind. That means cutting through the conditioning of society to reclaim our forgotten fragments.

Along this journey from fragmentation to wholeness, we may find ourselves asking the age-old question, “Why am I here?” Spiritual teachings throughout history grappled with this and voice the same conclusion across all faiths and timelines. Over nine hundred years ago, the Muslim scholar Al-Ghazzali taught that men and women were created to achieve greater knowledge of God, and that happiness was dependent on increasing this knowledge. The Jewish system of Kabbalah teaches that God created mankind in order to be made complete - the unfolding of the universe literally depends on the fulfillment of each person's unique potential.

The discovery of one’s life purpose, then, becomes the defining event in anyone's life, regardless of how long the discovery takes. Mother Teresa's calling to help the poor of Calcutta came comparatively late in her life, but the clarity of her mission saw her go from being a modest school principal to becoming a global spiritual entrepreneur within fifteen years.

In the hands of a person who has clarity about their life purpose, worldly power can become an extraordinary tool driven by spiritual conviction. In fact, that sense of spiritual purpose fuels the process of spiritual evolution and is a prerequisite for evolution at every other level. Ken Wilber, one of the prominent spiritual voices of our time, has said that evolution of the human species will only occur when we give as much recognition to personal development as we have done to the manipulation of matter.

Humans are essentially spiritual beings inhabiting human bodies. The evolutionary journey of the soul, therefore, goes hand in hand with emotional healing. Each fragmented part of the soul is connected with an emotional pattern like anger, resentment or fear that relates to the fragmenting experience. As we heal painful emotions and bring more conscious awareness into our choices, we transcend limiting beliefs and open to new possibilities. This process of re-integration through emotional healing enables more of the soul to be present in the body, which raises consciousness and flows increasing amounts of love, compassion and joy into our lives.

Another critical ingredient in the process of reclaiming wholeness, is the ability to tell truth from falsehood. Kinesiology muscle testing provides a reliable method for discerning truth from falsehood and is one of the most valuable ingredients in any spiritual seeker’s toolbox.

We can reclaim the innate wholeness of our souls through many other practices such as yoga, prayer or meditation. When we engage in such practices, we experience being pulled through life, not pushed; going with the flow instead of fighting the current; being responsive rather than reactive.

Re-integration also requires that we reclaim our relationship with our bodies; the physical vehicles that carry us through life. Each of us experiences life through this unique latticework of energies that is innately designed to facilitate self-healing. The body’s fields are attuned to earth’s electromagnetic, gravitational, and nuclear fields, emitting electromagnetic energy and light.

In the world of high technology, we swim in a sea of energy that is almost totally man-made. These external, manmade electromagnetic fields can wreak havoc with biological systems that are not designed to adapt so rapidly.

We need to maintain the structural and functional integrity of our biological systems by taking conscious action to strengthen the body’s innate energy pathways. One of the easiest solutions is to invest in regular energy work to help maintain the body’s functions. We can also minimize exposure to harmful electro-magnetic fields; learn how to clear, strengthen and balance the body’s energy systems; and maintain the physical body with proper food, rest and exercise.

In a world fragmented at every level, the call is sounding for global healing through re-integration. The outcome of life on the planet is not written yet – it depends on the choices of every individual everywhere. What will your response be?

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

By Ada Porat

Is Chronic Worry Getting You Down? Scarcely a person in the world is exempt from worry. Why do we worry so much?

We worry over finances, work, relationships, the future and our health. We also worry about the state of the world, the economy, terrorism, our loved ones and friends… there are always plenty of reasons for worry!

While we may not succeed in eliminating all worry from our lives, there are practical tools that we can use to break free from the cycle of worry. At higher levels of consciousness, worry does not have to torment us – instead, we can process it effectively and return to our true state of peace and joy.

In truth, nothing can touch you but God, for God is all there is. What is there to fear, then? As a child of God, all power is within you for guidance, and around you is the Eternal Presence for safety.

What are your greatest fears? Name them and expose them. Notice how insignificant they seem in the light of truth. The presence of God – spiritual consciousness – is the only Power at work. There is no other Power, so allow all beliefs to the contrary be uprooted and dissolved. God is our Source, so what is there to fear? Nothing! We live in a benevolent universe, so let's cease projecting ignorance and false beliefs onto the screen of life.

Our experience of worry and anxiety goes back to where we are in consciousness. God always meets us on the level where we are. The Presence of our Creator eternally radiates into and through us. This Presence manifests as power, love, wisdom, light, substance and energy. It radiates in and through us at every moment in time and space. And our awareness of this Presence is always perceived at the level where our consciousness is focused.

That is why advanced spiritual teachers have taught that we can only do for the world that which we have become. God can do for you only what God can do through you. Spirit is always available; we are the ones who curb its expression because of our limited states of consciousness.

Keep in mind that Spirit always sees us as whole, complete, and abundantly supplied with every good thing – because Spirit sees us as Itself. This is the highest reality about us, yet somewhere along the line, we made the choice to see an illusion and then to worry about it. We see ourselves as experiencing lack and failure when we're not, and in situations of conflict that are real only to us.

What Spirit sees is what Spirit radiates through us, yet we filter that reality through our limitations and beliefs before projecting it onto the world as our perceived reality.

At higher levels of consciousness, we begin to see as Spirit sees and know as Spirit knows. All that the Father is, I am. All that the Father has is mine. Yet many of us sit around worrying and wondering why prayer isn't answered, or why nothing happens in meditation to relieve the situation. We cry tears of frustration and fear, not realizing that God simply meets us where we are at in consciousness!

Sometimes, a miracle does occur. What happened is that in a moment of faith or grace, we bounced ourselves up higher like jumping on a trampoline. We bounced to a level where the spiritual energy radiates more and even though we come back down, sufficient light was assimilated to produce a positive change in our affairs.

To move to higher levels of consciousness and stay there, it is essential that we release the lower emotions of worry, anxiety, fear and distress. Here are some suggestions to help you release denser emotions and to focus your awareness on the truth of your being.

First, it is helpful to meditate on ALL that you are and have, and to absorb the fullness of Spirit like a sponge. Think of a sponge being saturated with water, and focus on the same sensation within as you ponder the energy of wholeness, the substance of infinite supply, and the love of joyful relationships flowing, pouring, and radiating into your personal energy field. Absorb, absorb, absorb, and keep working at it until you are in the realm of mastery and joy.

Then allow Divine energy to shine forth through this higher level of consciousness. Remember that attraction always follows radiation, the manifest good flowing back to you on the rays shining from within. Keep at it until everything comes together in harmony and peace.

When you do this exercise, you will notice the Divine presence meeting you above the quicksand of worry and anxiety. You will watch with awe and wonder as your life shifts dramatically to reveal the work, will, and way of Spirit.

A second way to overcome chronic worry is to meditate on an appropriate affirmation throughout the day. As spiritual beings we are truly subject only to what we hold in mind. Why would we limit the Divine Presence in us, then, by focusing on worry and anxious thoughts? Instead, here are some affirmations that may serve as a focal point for your thoughts throughout the day:

• I focus only on that which is pure, true, and beautiful in life.
• My true nature is Love, and I radiate love to everyone throughout this day.
• I align with the Divine purpose for my life, and every activity of my life is in Divine order.
• I have moved from self-centeredness to self-awareness; and my focus is on Truth.
• I am secure in Spirit; my courage is unshakable.
• I do not fear anything because I trust in Divine guidance; I am optimistic about life.
• I place my faith in God, and not in the material world.
• I face change creatively, and I eagerly look to reap what I have sown.
• The doors to my mind are open, and I am free to follow the highest Truth.

A third way to move beyond worry is to contemplate three aspects of Divinity which are also present in you: love, harmony and peace. The key here is to become immersed in the highest expression of each.

Draw a triangle with Love at the top point, Harmony at the lower left point, and Peace at the lower right. With intention, place yourself in the middle of this triangle and start absorbing the highest levels of Divine love, harmony and peace from the corners of the triangle. Let these energies cleanse and heal whatever worry and anxiety there may be in your life. Once you feel centered and at peace, you may also wish to radiate these energies into your life with a simple prayer:

Let Love flow forth from every heart.
Let Harmony reign in every soul.
Let Peace be the common bond for all.

Anxiety and worry do not have to ruin your life. As you expose your fears to the light; break the ego-connection by understanding there's really nothing to worry about; center your awareness on the Divine aspects of love, harmony and peace; your faith will be renewed to scatter the clouds of worry and anxiety.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Seeking Answers To WHY
by Ada Porat

Whenever good or bad fortune strikes, most of us spend some time pondering why it happened. We do this because the conditioned mind reasons there must be some meaning to it, just as it seeks to find meaning behind all of life’s events.

The mind always looks for meaning in everything. In fact, it is not the event itself, but the meaning that the mind attaches to an event, that brings either pleasure or suffering. The event may also be thought to reflect either God's favor or disfavor, which further divides our thinking into a sense of pride or of guilt.

However, the meaning that we attach to a situation is by no means an indication of its true content. We see this principle perhaps most clearly demonstrated at a sports event where the winning team’s fans respond to the score with loud cheers, while the supporters of the losing team respond to the same score with alarm, anger, or frustration. Same score, different responses based on the meaning attached to it by the spectators.

The meaning that we attach to events also brings a value judgment into the picture. No longer do we see the game score simply as a score; we now look for why it happened. Sports commentators spend hours discussing the game to determine who did what to whom. “Whose fault was it that the Lakers lost?,” we ask. “Is that good or bad?” By labeling what has happened, we think that we can deal with it better: it will justify our becoming defensive, or angry, or hurt, or victimized.

So it is the meaning that we attach to the passing parade of life’s events that pulls us into emotional turbulence. It drives us toward separation, from where we no longer respond to the event, but we react to the meaning we have attached to the event. No longer is it just another event; it now becomes personalized as a me and a you; a winner and a loser; a victimizer and a victim; my suffering because of your actions. And because we have attached a value judgment to the event, we now feel justified to react to it. This is the classic cycle of duality that leads to ever more suffering, anger and despair.

Meaning is a product of dualistic existence. The human ego does not like feeling that it has no control and will look for anything to give it a sense of power. When something happens, then, our minds attempt to attach some meaning to it in order to feel some sense of control. In fact, the entire self-help industry is fueled by that desire for personal power and our aversion to suffering.

To summarize, we suffer because not everything goes our way. We suffer because we dread doing the things we don’t want to do but have to do. And we suffer because we can’t have or do the things we want to have or do. We see ourselves as individual personalities with desires that conflict with our circumstances and responsibilities, causing untold pain and suffering.

How do we turn this around?

If we want this suffering to end, we need to move our perspective out of identification with our human personality with its ego-based thinking mind and toward identification with our true nature as souls. For emotional suffering to end, we need to turn inward toward the Source of our being, where happiness is independent of external things.

Indian teacher Ramesh Balsekar stated this process eloquently in A Net of Jewels, where he says,

“Essentially, what the average person wants out of life is just one thing: happiness. It is in this quest that he goes through life day after day, believing that he will somehow, someday find final satisfaction through the things and circumstances of his world. There comes a time, however, when man gets utterly tired, physically and mentally, of this constant search because he finds that it never ends. He comes to the startling discovery that every kind of satisfaction has within itself the roots of pain and torment. At this stage his search cannot but take the turn inwards toward that happiness which is independent of external things.”

The essence of manifest existence is continuous change from birth to death. With physical existence comes the will to live, to survive, to resist threat - and this will resides in the ego. The human ego drives the thinking mind and all our misery in the ensuing attempts to avoid the inevitable.

Life presents problems because our ego nature resists the process of life; we don't accept what is there in the present moment. We want to become something other than what we now are, have something other than what we now have and so on.

Suffering, then, is a consequence of identification with the ego self and its physical domain. If we feel that we are limited bodies of protoplasma, we will feel a need to have control over what happens to us.

When we shift our perspective back to our true nature as eternal souls, we realize that we are limitless. We do not need to control or resist what is happening because what is happening out there, cannot threaten our true nature within. As a result, we also don’t need to label, react or judge anything that happens out there any longer.

Birth, life, good fortune, misfortune, and death simply happen, and have no meaning of their own. Any thought about their meaning is just a thought that has no more meaning than any other thought. The Course in Miracles teaches this principle early on because if we want to find inner peace, it is important to learn to distinguish between what happens out there, and the meaning we attach to it. When we can detach from the meaning we have allocated to any given event, we are able to find a place of neutrality.

In the world of spirituality or non-duality, life no longer requires labels to give it meaning. In non-duality, the essence shows forth its truth and requires no meaning or labels. What it is, is self-evident. It makes no sense to ask what the meaning is of Love, Being, Presence, or Awareness. The very essence of non-duality is Love, Being, Presence and Awareness, so the notion of meaning is superfluous.

Spiritual practice is the discipline of undoing the conditioning of the ego and the thinking mind, and learning to align with higher Truth, the principles that guide our souls. A healthy spiritual practice will consist of learning, devotion (prayer, meditation or contemplation), practice (ways in which you implement what you are learning to integrate it) and interaction with like-minded individuals. You may find a fulfilling spiritual practice within a specific religion, order or teaching; or your practice may be more eclectic and ecumenical. Your practice may look different than that of another; and it is not important. What is vitally important, however, is that you commit to some form of spiritual practice consistently over time.

Effective spiritual practice relieves suffering by quieting the thinking mind. This is necessary for the efficient functioning of the working mind. A quiet mind is also an end in itself since it is always accompanied by the peace of pure Awareness. In fact, this can be a guide to distinguish between effective and ineffective practices. If suffering is relieved by a practice, it is worth continuing. If it does not, and especially if suffering increases, it is better to discontinue it.

Effective practices further help us detach from all forms of conditioning. A quieter thinking mind allows unconscious conditioning to rise to the awareness of the conscious mind from where it can be cleared. The thinking mind ordinarily represses unwanted thoughts, urges, and desires, which are the dark side of the ego (the shadow). When repression ceases, the shadow emerges into awareness.

The Indian sage Papaji described this process by saying that, when you begin to awaken, all the gods and demons of your past come to reclaim you. The potential of these forms of unconscious conditioning to destroy one’s peace is minimized by the deepening realization that their release represents the dissolution of the ego-based thinking mind. It is also helpful to keep in mind that these emerging forms are finite in number, even when it feels as if the stack of emotions that arises is endless.

As we do the work of consistently becoming aware of and clearing all limited patterns of conditioning, we grow in understanding of our true nature. The journey of spiritual awareness requires us to be vigilant and earnest in our commitment to Truth, and to trust the flow of life wherever it takes us; not to enjoy or to suffer, but to gain deeper understanding so we can learn. It is this process of learning that provides favorable conditions in which the soul can realize its highest potential. That realization is the highest purpose your soul could strive for – it is the sole purpose for being in the body.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Seven Aspects Of Effective Prayer
By Ada Porat

If prayer is so powerful, then why does it seem like the more we pray for peace, the worse things seem to get?

Perhaps what we see as a world of chaos is simply the Field, mirroring our belief that peace is missing — our ‘please, let there be peace’ echoes back to us as chaos! If so, then this understanding of how the mirror works can encourage us to change what we say to the Field.

Effective prayer is based on this understanding that the energy underlying all of creation is a malleable essence that accurately reflects what we put out.

For many centuries, indigenous shamans have taught that we need to pray the results and not the problem. They exhorted people to focus on the outcome as if it is already a reality: to pray healing instead of praying for healing; to pray rain instead of praying for rain. Praying for something reinforces our perceived lack; praying the desired outcome visualizes it from a place of inner faith as if it is already there.

Our abundant universe always contains sufficient peace, health and happiness in some form. Effective prayer is hones in on these positive qualities, viewing the world as if the perfect outcome already exists, with appreciation and gratitude. By doing so, we open the door to greater possibilities and more of the outcomes we hold in mind.

When millions of people pray for world peace, for instance, their collective focus on the desired outcome has a profound effect. In 1972, 24 cities in the United States with populations over 10,000 experienced meaningful drops in crime rates when as few as 1% (100 people) in each city participated in prayer.

During the Israeli-Lebanese war of the early 1980s, researchers with the International Peace Project in the Middle East trained a group of people to "feel" peace in their bodies rather than to simply pray "for" peace.

At specific times and days, participants throughout the war-torn areas of the Middle East focused on feeling peace in the midst of conflict. During each such time period, terrorist activities stopped, crime declined, emergency room visits dropped off, and traffic accidents decreased. When participants stopped their experiment, the statistics reversed.

From the findings of these studies, researchers extrapolated how many people are needed to share the experience of peace before peace is mirrored in their world: the square root of 1% of the population. In a city of one million people, this is about 100 people. In a world of 6 billion people, it requires only about 8,000!

Collective prayer can be a powerful force to change the Field to that which is collectively held in mind: the more people focus collectively on a desired outcome, the faster such an effect is created. Here are seven keys to effective prayer:

1. Clear Focus

Clarity of focus serves as a coherent organizing principle to align the energy fields we focus on. In quantum physics, this is referred to as the Heisenberg principle, where random particles behave in orderly fashion when observed. The more clarity we bring to this act of observation, the more effectively the Field responds. Before prayer, decide exactly what it is you desire to accomplish and keep your focus on that intended outcome.

2. Intention

Ask yourself why you desire the specified outcome? What is your deepest intention or desire? Why? Keep drilling down until you get to the core of it; then address that core need instead of the superficial symptoms. Instead of desiring a new relationship because of the need to feel loved, would it perhaps be more effective to pray about learning how to love yourself?

3. Silence

In any conversation, silence is a valuable component that allows for comprehension and processing to facilitate meaningful feedback. Prayer is no different: It is your conversation with the Divine or the Field. Valuable insight can arise during those times of silence.

4. Listening

There is also a need for listening when we pray. So often, we blurt out all our requests, grievances and fears; thinking that such a one-way conversation constitutes prayer. In the quiet listening of effective prayer, you may find solutions arise as inner guidance and a subtle inner re-contextualization of circumstances.

5. Surrender

When a child brings a broken toy to their parent, they have ultimate confidence and faith in the parent’s ability to fix the problem. Well, prayer is no different! In this Divine conversation, you are simply aligning yourself to the Field to facilitate the desired outcome. With childlike trust, we can surrender the situation, detach from it and leave it there. That means no obsessing over the situation after you have let it go!

6. Gratitude

The power of gratitude is enormous. It helps us focus on the desired outcome rather than the perceived problem. As earlier scientific studies proved, focusing on the desired outcome has a powerful effect on aligning circumstances with what is held in mind. Since we are subject only to that which we hold in mind, why not give thanks for the solution rather than focusing on the problem? Your body will thank you with lower blood pressure, reduced stress and a greater sense of peace!

7. Be flexible

My grandfather used to say that we often pray wrong, but the Divine always hears right. We may be convinced that the solution to a financial shortfall, for instance, should come in the form of a raise. However, it may show up as a new job offer or an opportunity to refinance the mortgage. After you have prayed, keep your eyes open because answers may arrive in a way quite different from what you expected!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.