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Are we witnessing the end of the world approaching? What will happen next? Will we make it through 2012?

I believe that we are seeing the end of an era dominated by self-serving, egocentric living; an era that was mired in the duality of haves and have-nots. I also believe that in the perfect circle of life, new cycles are birthed from the ashes of the old, and we are currently right inside that wrinkle in time where two realities overlap: the dying former reality and the birth of a new era.

Things are changing so fast that many feel stuck, lost and afraid. But are you really?

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

Outside yourself, the whole world is going through a spin cycle. At the macroscopic level, systems and structures that formed an integral part of the old, dualistic Newtonian paradigm are crumbling. They are unable to hold the energy of higher consciousness that is sweeping the planet. On a microscopic level also, obsolete ways of being are falling away, affecting every individual.

None of us are exempt: relationships, employment, institutions and other external forms of security are subject to the scrutiny of a higher awareness that is emerging as individuals awaken from the grand illusion we have believed to be real.

The choice is no longer if we’ll let go of the old ways; it is simply how you will let go. Will you gently release the dense relationships with people, power and money that no longer serve your soul’s evolution so you can make space for a higher reality? Or will you fight to the bitter end, trying to hold on to some semblance of control until things are torn from your life with deep claw marks – your claw marks – all over them?

Resistance brings pain and suffering. Great spiritual teachers like Jesus and the Buddha taught their followers not to resist, but to surrender to the Higher law at work beyond the visible realm.

The truth is that, throughout this time of constraint and upheaval, there are unseen forces holding you steady while you learn to run this new kind of energy… the energy of Oneness with Divine purpose. It is your 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. It 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 goals by imposing our human, egoic wills onto 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, there are numerous obstacles constraining us.

To move past these constraints, we have to give up the drive to accomplish things by sheer force of will. Instead, we need to align with the power of All That Is. We need to surrender to trust: trust in the Divine, in Higher Guidance, in Spirit, God… whatever you choose to call the essential Life Force Energy.

When we choose to trust, the ego yields so we align to a Bigger Plan - the Higher picture of Divine perfection. From there, we are able to flow and co-create a higher reality than we could have ever conceived 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 old ways of doing need to be surrendered to embrace higher ways of being.

Spirit will 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 all the illusion of despair. All it takes is for you to let go of all attachment to the old forms of power, and to embrace the path of alignment, the way of trusting and allowing.

We are living in a very different reality now than even five years ago. The old life with its hopes and dreams is filed away in the archives of All That Is. To keep looking for it, merely deters our progress.

Instead, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there. Every change that you wish to see in society starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding.

Now is the time to embrace what shows 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 teaching 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 align to the Eternal Presence and be present, patient, and still.

 

As you consciously evolve in response to the Divine nature within you, you will embody the higher energies of the life force field wherein everyone’s consciousness can evolve.

From the Source of Truth at the microscopic core of you being, the energies of a new and higher way of being will ripple out to touch, change and heal the realities of life on a macroscopic level. In a world crying for hope and healing, there is no greater service you can offer!

©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

As we continue to evolve, many of us struggle with a sense of not quite fitting in with our traditional community or tribe: we may have expanded or changed beyond the borders of its tribal norms, and no longer find the same sense of belonging there. Other members may have tightened the tribal rules to foster a sense of security. As a result, we may feel a sense of disconnection or alienation.

In truth, each one of us belongs to many tribes simultaneously: there is your original tribe – the family you were born into - and then there are all the communities of choice you have joined: your work tribe, your social circles, your faith-based community, your neighborhood, and more. These communities are not static; they are in continuous flux because they consist of individuals who are in continuous states of change. When there is a lot of change happening either in the individual or in the community, a sense of dissonance results.

How are we to deal with this? First, it is important to recognize that tribal allegiances were historically forged for survival. They were adapted over the course of centuries to ensure the safety and survival of the group. Individuation was sacrificed for the trade-off of security as a member of the group. In other words, tribal survival was based on keeping every member in line with tribal rules and norms.

In modern society, the tables are flipped. Whether we enjoy it or not, change is essential for survival at every level of being. The pace of change is driven by technological advances that occur with increasing rapidity: sociologists estimate that more change has taken place in society over the course of the past 100 years, than in the totality of the previous 6,000 years! Individual adaptation is a requirement for survival, and the pace of individual change does not always match the pace at which our various tribal communities evolve. The resulting dissonance can cause intense friction and pain.

Dissonance also results from confusion between the concepts of ‘connectivity’ and ‘community.’ We tend to equate one with the other, when they really relate to different qualities. Connectivity relates to inanimate technology that offers us the infrastructure to build community, but which does not represent the quality of that community. Connectivity simply offers the opportunity to connect with others through the internet, texting, tweeting, or any other social networking options available.

Community is the result of building enduring relationships through meaningful interaction over time. There is no shortcut to community; it is a process that develops when bonds of trust and intimacy are nurtured and honored.

And here lies the caveat. When we confuse connectivity with community, we depersonalize the sacred nature of true community and start relating to people as objects instead. Instead of developing intimacy and respect over time, we may focus on collecting contacts on social network sites, mistakenly equating larger numbers with more community. Yet friending a contact is not the same a nurturing a friendship; it does not create intimacy.

In fact, social experiments indicate that technologically dominated connectivity tends to result in alienation and social collapse over time. In a groundbreaking social experiment conducted by Josh Harris, one of the founders of social networking on the internet, he found that the more people’s personal lives were exposed by 24/7 technology, the more their sense of intimacy and relationship deteriorated until the community collapsed in violence and self-destructive behavior. Harris’ chilling findings are documented in the 2009 movie, We Live In Public.

Perhaps it is time to revisit our concept of community in order to create tribes that offer a true sense of intimacy and belonging.

In his 1987 book, The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace,  psychologist M. Scott Peck described several core characteristics of true community. Beyond the obvious components of inclusivity, commitment and participatory consensus, Peck pointed out the quality of embracing diversity through realism. When each member contributes their unique viewpoint from a place of humility and goodwill, the community benefits from a broader perspective in which to better grasp the full context of a situation. In other words, mutual tolerance helps members to embrace one another’s different viewpoints as an integral part of the whole, instead of imposing a forced compliance to groupthink or cohesion.

In an environment like this, members experience and express compassion and respect for one another. They allow others to share their vulnerability, to learn and grow, and to express who they truly are. When conflict arises, they learn to resolve it with wisdom and grace. Members listen to and respect each others' gifts, accept each others' limitations, celebrate their differences, and commit to find solutions together rather than to fight against each other. Indeed, the true spirit of community is the spirit of peace, love, wisdom and power. The source of this spirit may be seen as an outgrowth of the collective self or as the manifestation of a Higher Will.

Does this description of community sound spiritual to you? It is indeed, because Spirit is the common denominator among all of us, regardless of how separate we feel from others.

As human beings, we often experience a socio-economic sense of separation from others because of different opinions, beliefs, expectations, language, culture, or interests, since each one of us expresses these in a way uniquely different from anyone else. And we continue to differentiate! We are always evolving or devolving in response to life. The tribal community that felt like a good fit last year may no longer work for us; the places where we felt embraced, now may suffocate us. Over the course of a lifetime, we can expect to outgrow and change allegiances to many of the tribal communities we once belonged to.

How can we maintain relationships in such a changing world? We need to find the common denominator between us and others. When we transcend the layers of physical appearance, mental beliefs and socio-economic conditioning, we discover the presence of Divinity as a common denominator in everyone around us. Perhaps it is time to expand our tribal definitions to embrace a spiritual community that includes all of mankind as children of God.

Mother Teresa admonished her nuns to see Jesus in every leper they encountered, to find His presence as they looked into the eyes of the homeless. When we can look past the issues that divide us to find omnipresent Divinity in each other, we will find the foundations of true community there.

This type of spiritual community transcends all socio-economic borders, beliefs and backgrounds. It is inclusive because it operates on voluntary self-responsibility and mutual compassion, and its doors are open to everyone.

Building this type of community takes time: time to listen, to hear, to respond and to participate. As we approach the ending of one year and the start of another, resolve to make time in your life to a sense of true community with the people that matter to you. You are one of the architects of community in your life, and you can participate in building a tribe where you truly belong.

©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.

Surviving Change
By Ada Porat

Changes are occurring around us at a rate that sometimes feels alarming. There are shifts and changes at every level of life: for some, it takes the form of deep inner shifts in perspective and meaning, while for others it appears as major external upheaval. For all of us, the process is marked by a shaking up of our foundation at every level. It is a time of cleansing and clearing in order to make way for the new, but even so, it’s terrifying!

Earth is approaching the end of a Grand Galactic Cycle wherein many cycles complete. For centuries, tribal elders and wisdom keepers have foretold the great Shift of the Ages that will culminate in 2012 on our earth calendar.

Earth has moved into the photon belt, a band of very high energy that surrounds our solar system. As a planet moves into this band of higher frequencies, it must lighten its own frequency in order to stay intact through that shift. The earth changes we are experiencing are part of that process. Mother Earth is sloughing off and forcing change in her inhabitants so that she and those of us inhabiting her, can survive.

Universal law holds that whatever happens on a macroscopic level is also reflected in the microscopic field of awareness held in our bodies. During times of cataclysmic change, you may be experiencing a sense of dread, fear, loss or emptiness. Some experience the energies of the shift as a profound sense of being in the Void, not understanding what is going on and unable to move out of it.

Change always triggers our deepest fears about life. When faced with the overwhelming nature of change flung at us by forces outside our control, we may feel lost, terrified and helpless. And yet, within the eye of chaos resides its gift: the gift of transformation. It is our response to the forces of change, that determines the outcome – whether devastation or transformation.

As humans, we may not have the ability to control what happens to us, but we always have free choice in how we will respond to it. During times of external crisis, the bravery and dedication of rescue workers touch hearts and restore a sense of comfort and hope to many. Internally, we can also make choices to emerge from the storms in our lives with gems of growth and transformation.

When faced with inner turmoil, the mind starts working overtime to makes sense of things. In an effort to create a sense of inner security, the ego tries to find something or someone external to hold responsible for the situation we find ourselves in. The mind will ruminate endlessly over issues, creating a negative vortex that sucks us into the lower frequencies of anger, blame, judgment and despair.

Yet we do not have to go there!

It is the egoic mind’s attempts to make sense of things from a limited perspective that sucks us into the vortex. We can recognize instead that our perspective on the situation reflects only our limited understanding of the situation. We do not know all the facts, neither are we privy to the thoughts, desires and intentions of others – including the higher perspective of the Divine. From this limited position, any judgment would be based on limited information and therefore prone to error.

As long as we resist circumstances, our resistance will in fact cause the situation to persist and even escalate. It is only by surrendering to a Higher Power, that we are able to find peace. How about trying to surrender the pain, the confusion, the anger, the fears? By surrendering these to the Divine, we are surrendering to the Life Force of the Universe instead of resisting it.

Surrendering does not mean passivity. It is a change of perspective that says instead, “I do not understand all the aspects of this situation, but I trust in the ultimate benevolence of a Higher Power. I therefore surrender this emotion, situation or event to the Divine Power underlying all things, and thereby place my trust in all things to work out for the highest good of all concerned.”

The act of surrender frees us from the trap of judgment and blame. It enables us to integrate the shadow emotions of fear, anxiety and more into the light of compassion. When we surrender these, the realization arises that it is not our responsibility to judge ourselves or others. Our responsibility is a much more joyous one – being kind to all life.

It is a simple responsibility, even if not always an easy one. When we shift our perspective to that of kindness, we find compassion for ourselves and others. We are able to trust in the perfect unfoldment of all that is needed for our growth and well-being amid the turbulence of change, and this realization brings about a profound sense of peace.

©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

Coping with the rapid pace of change is a subject I’ve written and spoken about frequently in recent years. And it’s coming up more and more in my client conversations.

It would appear as if the only constant in life is change and our need to adapt. At the same time, I am seeing more clients presenting with disturbances in the throat and thyroid than ever before. What is happening here?

In probing deeper during client sessions, I usually find that beneath the presenting issues (feeling off-balance, feeling stuck, or having physical symptoms of hypothyroidism or anxiety attacks), most everyone feels squeezed by the rapid pace of change in their lives. They feel that their old way of life no longer supports them, and they often feel at the mercy of the changes, instead of empowering themselves through the shift.

Conditions in the throat and thyroid areas invariably relate to our alignment (or lack thereof) to our Higher Truth. When we find it difficult to stand up for what we believe or to align our outer world with our inner reality, the energetic constriction will present as a blockage in the Life Force energy of the throat or thyroid. It is as if the Life Force energy is literally being choked in our lives. Left unaddressed, the condition can escalate to present symptoms of high blood pressure, cardiac abnormalities or other imbalances in the body.

We are all feeling the pressure, recognizing that non-alignment to our soul’s purpose is wasting our life energy and it is no longer OK with us. We understand, intuitively, that we are in a time of great change sweeping the planet right now. More than ever before, we are faced with the need to become proactive; aligning with the necessary shifts to realize our true identity and purpose here.

But why the rush, why the sense of urgency?

As we approach the end date of the Mayan calendar in 2012, time seems to be moving faster and faster.

More is happening in every second than ever before. In his book “The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness,” Carl Johann Calleman explains that the rate of change between levels of consciousness has been accelerating gradually over millennia.

Billions of years ago, a shift of consciousness happened every 1.26 billion years. Millions of years ago, a shift of consciousness took 63.4 million years. Beginning in 1755 AD, the Age of Enlightenment, a shift of consciousness occurred every 20 years. Up until 1999, we lived in that cycle.

Then, on January 4, 1999, we entered a new cycle of consciousness called the Galactic Cycle. Since 1999, a shift of consciousness happens in only 360 days, rather than the 20 years it used to take.

By February 10, 2011 - less than 3 years from today - a shift in consciousness will take only 20 days. So, what used to take 20 years to shift prior to 1999 will take only 20 days to shift by 2011!

What does all that mean? With each shift, change (for better or for worse) becomes more rapid to the point of being almost instantaneous.

We are no longer able to live with the leftovers of old energy in our lives. This is a time to stay focused on our purpose, and to release any energies that no longer serve us. The debris from obsolete belief systems and behaviors need to be released or else it starts feeling like a millstone around our necks.

Individuals everywhere are realizing that there is a Divine plan and purpose for each one of us in this lifetime, a plan we agreed to before we entered this life. We may not remember exactly what that purpose is, yet we can feel it when our lives are somehow not aligned with what we are here to do.

If your life is out of alignment in a significant way with your Higher Self, you will usually recognize it by one or more of the following symptoms:

1) My relationships are not satisfying.
2) I’m living less than abundantly.
3) My work is feeling meaningless or my life is feeling blah.
4) I have little or no energy.
5) Everything is going wrong.
6) I am not living authentically. I feel I have to be someone other than who I really am.
7) I am unable to express my truth freely out of fear about how others will respond.
8) I feel ambivalent about my own deservingness, power or abilities – do I really have what it takes to move to the next level?
9) I have consistent low-level anxiety.
10) I am afraid of losing my job, relationship, home or some other form of security.

If you recognize one or more of the above symptoms in you life, you are receiving a clear message that something needs to change. And it needs to happen soon.

I’m not saying this to alarm you but when we ignore the subtle messages that life brings us, they continue to gather in intensity until we receive a whack on the side of the head, so to speak. It may come in the form of a life crisis, a health issue or some other form of upheaval that ultimately forces us to pay attention.

The good news is that once you become aware of being out of alignment in some area, you have already taken the first step toward change. By recognizing where you are and what you need to address, you already have a starting point for shifting into alignment.

Now all you need is the intention to release what is not working in your life so you can make space for what does work. Remember, you don’t have make all the changes at once - you can begin with small steps, as long as you do begin.

After you make the commitment to start, you will discover that there are many people, places, and tools that can support you in the process. You just need to reach out.

Pick an area of your life that needs to change or feels like a challenge to you. Then ask yourself what it is that is holding your back from making the change: is it fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of making a mistake? Fear is simply false evidence appearing real, so release that fear to the Divine. Invite the Presence of Divine Truth and Guidance instead to assist you with moving forward.

Once you start to focus on creating shifts instead of being at the mercy of change, you will notice how the energy of that shift carries you forward toward much greater empowerment and fulfillment.

©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 Call To Higher Ground

By Ada Porat

Feeling stuck in life at this time?  Frustrated?

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

Outside yourself, the whole world is going through a spin cycle.  Deep wounds in the collective psyche of mankind are surfacing, releasing both great horror and amazing opportunity.  Societies hunger not for war or peace, but for Truth to cut through illusion and bring about spiritual healing at the deepest levels of being.

Never before in the history of the planet has there been such a clarion call for healing to avert global destruction. The time for dilly-dallying and empty promises is over. It is time to heal our world – starting with ourselves!

The truth is that, throughout this time of constraint and upheaval, there are unseen forces holding you steady while you learn to run this new kind of energy… the energy of oneness with Divine purpose.  It is your 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.  It 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 learned to accomplish goals by asserting our human, egoic wills in the 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, there are numerous obstacles constraining us.

To move past these constraints, we have to give up the drive to accomplish things by sheer force of will.  Instead, we need to align with the power of All That Is.  We need to surrender to trust: trust in the Divine, in Higher Guidance, in Spirit, God… whatever you choose to call the essential life force energy.

When we choose to trust, the energy of the ego yields and aligns to a bigger plan - the higher picture of Divine perfection.  From that place of alignment, we are able to flow with creative energies to create a higher reality than we could have ever conceived 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 old ways of doing need to be surrendered to embrace higher ways of being.

Spirit will get you through the 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 all illusions of despair.  All it takes is for you to let go of the old way of using power, and to embrace the path of alignment, the pathway of trust and allowing.

We are living in a very different reality now than we were in even five years ago.  The old life with its hopes and dreams, has been filed away in the archives of All That Is.  To keep looking for it, merely deters our progress.

Instead, now is the time to embrace what shows 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 teaching 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 align to the Eternal Presence and be present, be patient, and be still.

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.

Powerful new healing modalities and tools for personal growth are emerging at this time to support our transformation.   We are indeed blessed to live at this pivotal time in history – and this blessing carries with it the clarion call to learn, to grow, to heal and to transform our world.  Do you hear it?

For many centuries, mystics lived on the fringe of society.  They did not mix with the masses or participate in affairs of the world.  This has all changed.  Today, the level of consciousness on the planet has tipped the scales to offer potential for unprecedented growth and change.

Spiritually awakened beings are called to participate in this worldwide shift by becoming mystics in the marketplace - not on the mountain or in the monastery.  We are called to be the change we desire to see in the world, as Gandhi said.

To answer the call, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there.  Every change that you wish to see in society starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding.

You are called to be the very change you desire to see in the world, and you change the world around you through the power of your evolving consciousness. As you consciously evolve in response to the Divine nature within, you hold the higher energies of the life force field wherein everyone’s consciousness can evolve.  In a world crying for healing, there is no greater service you can offer!

©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. Ada Porat is a kinesiologist and life balance coach who uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients stand in their truth.  For more information, visit www.AdaPorat.com

Choosing Higher Consciousness

by Ada Porat

Mother Earth has been going through violent birthing pains in recent months as she is cleansing herself, shaking off energies that are no longer needed, and integrating higher frequencies of light on her ascension path.

Things are shifting and changing around us, at times in ways that can seem terrifying.   Nothing seems safe or secure any longer:  natural disasters are striking at unprecedented rates, terrorist actions are flaring up around the world, and even on personal levels, the support of friends and family may be falling away. 

And yet, this time of tumult and upheaval, is the very event we have been waiting for!  It is show time for humanity!  It is the time of greatest opportunity in the history of this planet, the time that was prophesied about for millennia.  It is the time of the great shift as earth embarks on her ascension journey, and we are called upon to become active participants in the process.  

This process of earth’s ascension started with the Harmonic Convergence in 1987.  We are now 18 years into that process with about seven years to go to 2012, and there is no longer any way of denying the reality of what is happening on the planet.  It is not a matter of whether things are shifting, but of how to navigate the shifts that are occurring with ever increasing speed as we approach the end of a 26,000 year cycle on this planet.

Because all of creation is interrelated, everything that happens at the macroscopic level on the planet, ripples out to affect every other life form also.  Dr. Rupert Sheldrake’s research at Cambridge University has shown that in any given three-week period, every life form in our universe exchanges information with every other life form in it.  We are constantly affected by the ripples of events within our solar system, on our planet, and in our lives!

While the magnitude of changes facing us may seem daunting, mankind has been well prepared for this time.  We were endowed with the gift of free choice to decide how things will unfold.  Humanity is standing at the crossroads of unprecedented change and there is a need to choose which way we’ll go. 

The fear of leaving the known behind, of stepping into the unknown, may be tugging at your heart.  Staying put is no longer an option.  Which way will you choose? 

There are three major choices facing us at this cross-roads, yet only one choice embodies viability:

The Pathway of Greed

This is the pathway that lures when we feel desperate; backed into a corner where pure survival instinct takes over.  It is the way of animal instinct, operating on the urge to fight or flee.  In each of us, this instinct is ever present. 

When conditions turn desperate, individuals who feel that they have nothing left to lose, often act in ways that reflect this instinct.  To a bystander, it may appear as sadistic, cruel, primitive or harsh – yet to the perpetrator it is simply a desperate act of survival driven by fear. 

The survival instinct governing this pathway, may justify our actions by telling us that the game of life requires survival of the fittest; that desperate circumstances require desperate measures; that forceful action offers the only solution; that the end justifies the means, that if I don’t grab this opportunity, someone else surely will.  It operates on fear and desperation, and it leads to the loss of integrity and life.

The Pathway of Glamour

This path holds a magical attraction when we want to escape the ugliness of what is happening around us.  When it becomes too painful to see what is happening in our lives and in the world, we may choose to detach.  The stark reality feels so overwhelming that we may turn away to look for comfort and a sense of security elsewhere.  We may go into denial and decide that the world’s problems are not ours to solve; that we can’t make a difference anyway; or that we don’t want to ‘go there.’ 

This act of disconnecting from life outside ourselves also causes a disconnection from our inner knowing.  We may focus on external ways to distract ourselves with things that offer instant gratification.  We may think that a new home, car or lifestyle will heal our sadness and fill the emptiness within.  When the initial rush of excitement wears off, we need another fix to keep going and to distract us from the inner pain. 

This pathway beckons strongly when we are in emotional pain, mental confusion and denial. If followed to the end, it leads to disconnection from our inner knowing, disillusionment, apathy and loss of life.

The Pathway of Growth

This is the pathway of truth and it is not for sissies.  To follow this road, we need to be prepared to face and surmount all obstacles. This is also the pathway of power on the journey home.

To follow this road, we need to stay connected to our hearts, to our inner knowing so that we remain honest with our emotions.  On this pathway we don’t look outside ourselves to blame anyone for the situation we find ourselves in.   We accept that we have participated in creating our current reality, and we are also able to create an alternative. Instead of running from fear or hiding from pain, we choose to face our inner demons.  In the process, we discover that what we were really the most afraid of, was our own power.  We learn that it is when using our power unconsciously, that we create the nightmares of life. 

On the pathway of growth, we find grace to forgive ourselves for our moments of blindness and commit to reclaiming our true identity.  We recognize that we came into this world not to live in slavery to fear but to be emissaries of love, hope and joy. 

We start integrating shadow aspects of ourselves and reclaim our missing fragments to become whole.  Instead of judging ourselves and others, compassion moves us to lend a loving hand to others who may be tired or unsure.  We turn our backs on fear, choosing love and compassion as companions.  We see the love of our Creator in the eyes of everyone – especially those who are in hatred, fear, denial, or pain.  Along the way, we find our own burdens lifted, our own wounds healed, our own joy restored.  We are choosing life. 

The pathway of growth is beckoning us at this time in history.  Never before have we had access to as much support from other realms.  Yet before anything can happen, we need to choose which pathway to follow.  If we don’t choose, the tidal wave of prevailing consciousness around will choose for us and carry us along. 

By choosing growth, we are setting into motion the forces of heaven and earth to generate a powerful attractor field, drawing us inexorably closer to our inner knowing, truth and destiny.  This is the time for deep healing at all levels.  It is time to reclaim our true identity and power to support ourselves and others.  Together, we can bring about profound shifts in consciousness on the planet at this time.

At some level of our being, we chose to be on the planet at this time.  Let’s step up to the plate with faith and conviction, knowing that we are not alone.  There are vast hosts of heavenly beings keenly watching our every step at this time, for the future depends on us.  The choices we make at these crossroads will reverberate throughout the cosmos to create the future our children will inhabit.

Let’s choose to follow the path of love, the path of growth.  Aligned with this creative power, we can create a glorious future for everyone:  a future where there will be no need for violence or war, where humans will learn to live in harmony with all of creation.  It all starts with a single choice!

 

©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 approach to body-mind-spirit healing may be found at http://www.adaporat.com or by dialing US 602-283-4628 (MST). 

By Ada Porat

The activities of our solar system can have far-reaching effects on earth and its inhabitants. In recent years, scientists have discovered that solar flares and coronal mass ejections that are fired off by the sun, can have a severe impact on weather patterns and all life forms on earth.

When charged emissions from the sun hit earth’s protective magnetic field, the magnetic field moves and causes a shift in the jet stream, often causing it to drop down low enough to disturb weather patterns. And when this occurs, all life forms on earth are affected by the chaos of severe weather and the upheaval in the electromagnetic field surrounding the body.

The study of magnetic influence on animal behavior has been well documented and is believed to be the cause of hundreds of dolphins and whales beaching themselves, or migrant birds flying off their regular courses.

The electromagnetic field of the human body is often referred to in oriental medicine as the Prana, Chi or Ki. Imbalance in this delicate system is most often experienced as emotional and physical turbulence which may range from a vague sense of discomfort to depression, sleep disorders, anxiety and physical disease. Upheaval caused by atmospheric changes also commonly causes headache symptoms in people when the barometric pressure drops.

In order to restore balance to the energy field of the body, an energy practitioner can determine the cause and location of the disturbance in the energy field of the body or along the meridians – a network of bio-magnetic grids that run through the body. Once imbalances are brought into alignment, the optimal flow of life force energy is restored throughout the body.

If you are feeling out of sorts as a result of changing weather patterns, there are some basic steps you can take to realign your energy field. Here are a few suggestions:

Spend time in nature.

Go for a walk or take off your shoes and walk on the grass. This simple activity enables the electromagnetic energy field of the body to ground and connect to the electromagnetic grid of earth, alleviating symptoms of lightheadedness or feeling drained.

Add coarse sea salt or Epsom salts to your bath water and soak a while.

The salt helps to chelate toxicity that may collect along the meridians, interfering with energy flow. It also restores balance to the electromagnetic field of the body.

Drink extra amounts of water.

Your body consists of 70 to 80 percent water. Dehydration is very prevalent in our society because we don’t take the time to nurture our bodies. Water supports all bodily functions and assists the lymphatic system with flushing out waste products that may cause sluggishness and headaches.

©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.

Awakening To The Eternal Now

By Ada Porat

Every year-end, prognostications about the future proliferate. Forecasts and forebodings are offered to support any point of view, most of it feeding into the human fear of the unknown.

At one time or another each one of us has thought about what is awaiting around the corner or a few years down the road, and how it will affect us. But if we're going to live joyfully in the present moment, we must recognize that the future is not yet created; it is an illusion beyond our grasp. In the process of worrying anxiously over anticipated outcomes, we actually lose the opportunities of this present moment.

In reality, there is no need to be concerned about what is waiting for us around the corner or a few years down the road because we are sustained by the Presence of the Divine right now. The choices we make now are indeed the only choices that matter, for in the realm of Spirit there exists only the Eternal Now. And so the very sustenance of this moment is available to us every present moment, throughout Eternity.

Advanced spiritual teachers have always taught the folly of worrying over the future. Christ said, “Do not be anxious about what you will eat or what you will drink… but seek the kingdom of God, and all of these things shall be added to you.”

To find freedom from fear, it is of critical importance to realize that we are not victims of time and space. The Course in Miracles teaches that we are limitless spiritual beings, subject only to that which we hold in mind. In other words, whatever we believe in, becomes our destiny! The very belief in the outcome we hold in mind, sets up a powerful attractor field. This field draws resonating outcomes and brings about the creation of what is held in mind, whether we focused on it out of fear or out of faith.

As we let go of the belief that the future is fraught with danger, that the end of the world is looming, or that we are powerless over the destiny of our souls, the manifestation of these outcomes are also averted. Instead, we can choose to embrace the belief that we live in a perfect, harmonious, loving world!

Perception becomes reality. That means we can live in a perfect world by releasing all beliefs or perceptions to the contrary. As we let go of the limiting beliefs about our world, we can move into the higher spiritual awareness that embraces all with peace, abundance, harmony, and right action.

Around the planet, a large segment of the population is already moving into this higher frequency and living there. Their collective act of holding in mind a world unfolding from perfection to perfection, is slowly transforming the dense energies of the physical world to align with that higher spiritual vision.

Spiritual consciousness teaches us that it is God's will for us to live in perfect peace with overflowing joy and happiness. If we truly believe this, it then follows that all things good, true, and beautiful have already been given to us - including the answer to every question and the supply for every need we could possibly ever have. When we live in this consciousness of having everything we need in this present moment, we are able to also see everyone else in this world as having the fullness of Divine provision now.

In the third-dimensional density of life on earth, individuals often get divided or split into the illusion of duality: our language clearly provides this clue in the term in-divid-dual. However, the true basis of our origin is Spirit and not the physical ego. The nature of Spirit is indivisible, always One, always connected to All That Is. I am a part of you, you are part of me, and we are eternally part of the One.

This is why we should never see each other as poor, sick, unfulfilled, fearful, or burdened with guilt. As I see and behold you, I see myself as well. When I see you through the worldly eyes of ego as someone less than perfect, I call forth into manifestation that which is not desired for either of us individually.

Yet when I look at you through the eyes of spirit or love, I see you as perfection continuously unfolding, moment by moment. And by seeing the perfection underlying all, I bring that into reality. This is how miracles happen: when someone focuses on the perfection beneath the illusion of disease, that eternal truth dispels all illusion and becomes their observable reality.

Our reality is God, and we are spiritual beings who exist as aspects of that Divinity. Divine abundance created us rich; divine perfection created us in an eternal state of well-being; divine love created us loved and loving; divine power created us as totally triumphant in every activity of life.

It is the denial of this truth that ensnares us into the trap of lack and worthlessness. There is no need for us to sink into the quagmire of lack and fear! Knowledge of our sacred Self eliminates the illusion of need, for the perfection of Self is the very principle of fulfillment.

Whatever we focus on within, we become. Remember that joy and sadness cannot exist simultaneously. When we choose one, the other cannot be. When we choose joy, we leave the other emotion in the wake.

As you choose your reality in each moment, may you choose:

happiness with no strings attached;

peace of mind that can't be compromised;

relationships without resentments or fear;

an unshakable sense of security;

confidence to accept any challenge life brings;

and a love that leaves no-one out of its embrace.

©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.

Opportunities For Ascension Abound

by Ada Porat

Given the rapid changes happening on our planet, maintaining inner balance is an accomplishment that eludes many. 

Over recent weeks, I have heard many people complain about feeling off-balance or overwhelmed.  They feel a sense of impending change, have difficulty sleeping, or may experience disturbing physical symptoms.  Changes in the natural world around us can only account for some of the anxiety.  To understand what is really going on, we need to look at the energetic changes taking place on the planet.

The good news first:  during times of upheaval, opportunities for ascension abound!

In recent months, Earth has been undergoing amazing transformations – in short, the planet has embarked on her own journey of ascension, buoyed and led by the critical mass of souls living on her who have reached levels of consciousness high enough to support the process. 

This is a breakthrough of unprecedented proportions – twice before in the ancient history of life in this galaxy, we had attempted to do this and both times, we failed.  The failed experiments resulted in annihilation of all life on the planet.   This time, the souls who are incarnated on the planet at this time have managed to collectively raise the critical level of consciousness on the planet to levels sufficiently elevated to balance the destructive forces of negativity.  In doing so, we are facilitating not only our own ascension process, but that of the planet as well!

While these exciting developments are not readily visible to eyes that are limited to third-dimensional vision, the effects are readily observable to those who look beyond.  Instead of destroying ourselves and the planet, many of the potential timelines and outcomes foreseen by earlier seers such as Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce and the Mayan elders, among others, have been completely changed.  Others have been hugely minimized – we are no longer looking at mass destruction, tearing apart of continents, or loss of major landmasses underwater.  Instead, Earth is accomplishing her highest purpose – ascension and healing – through adjustments that are happening on a much smaller scale. 

While the potential for loss of life and suffering has not been fully averted, it has been greatly reduced.  More than at any other time in history, the future is in our hands.  The potential for ascension or the potential of destruction – both these futures are potentialities along the timelines of life, and the final outcome will be attracted into reality as the accumulative result of choices made on this planet.  These choices are made from moment to moment by each one of us – every thought and every action in our lives activate the potential timelines out there, both on microscopic and on macroscopic levels.  Are we choosing that which sustains and affirms life or are we choosing that which limits and feeds fear?

We are members of the pinnacle generation who chose to live on Earth during this time to facilitate the ultimate ascension journey of the ages.  What an incredible opportunity!  

Like any fine-tuned instrument, our sensitivity is heightened in direct proportion to the level of awareness we are capable of.  This makes us more sensitive to changes in the energy fields around us, whether we’re consciously aware of the shifts or not.

Let’s seize each blip on our radar screens as an opportunity to clear the static, both within us and in our environment.  In doing so, we are facilitating not only our own ascension, but that of the Earth as well.  Dr. David R. Hawkins has found that when one individual reaches the consciousness level of love, that powerful force field offsets the destructive energies of 750,000 individuals who are still lost in the dualistic world of victimization and blame.

When we look at imbalances and upheavals in our lives from this perspective, they become marvelous opportunities for growth and healing.  And indeed, they are!  It is in healing the imbalances in ourselves, that we facilitate the process of healing and ascension for everyone around us, including our Earth. 

The compassion engendered by doing so, continues to radiate out from us, bringing hope, life and healing to countless others we may never know in this lifetime.

 

©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.