Archive for India

India: The One Moment That Left the Biggest Impression

I’m getting butterflies in my belly as I order supplies and sort my stuff to pack before heading back to the United States of America soon!!!  I haven’t seen my family in a year.  This is the longest I’ve been away from my baby girl and I’m feeling a wave of emotions flow through me.  Living in a third-world country for the past year has really changed my entire perspective on everything.

There have been a lot of moments that have impressed upon me; moments of amazement at how folks here in India live on a daily basis.  I’ve seen houses literally made of mud with grass roofs.  I’ve seen people here washing clothes by hand and beating them on cement.  I’ve seen women here carrying loads on the top of their heads that most women in my country couldn’t carry with two hands.  Driving past fields in the early morning and watching the farmers honor their animal, giving it an early morning bath by hand.  But, aside from the many spiritual blessings I have received int his country, the moment that has left the biggest impression on me is when I was in Tirruvanamalia with my friend, Caz.

We had stopped at a shop to get some fruit and water for morning.  An elderly, emaciated woman approached us.  Most of her teeth were missing and her clothes were dull and tattered.  She motioned to ask for money.  My friend, not having any cash (or food) on her, handed this woman all she had to offer in that moment; a half-used bottle of warm water.  I was so shocked at what I saw next.  If some stranger came up to me in my home town asking for money and I handed him a half-used up bottle of warm water that I’d been carrying around and drinking from all day (and probably back-washed my lunch into), that stranger would look at me like I was from Pluto.  But this woman?  I’ve never seen anything like it.  Her face lit up like she was three years old on Christmas morning!  She graciously accepted the bottle and was visibly elated!

You see, to this woman, it wasn’t just a bottle of water.  That old, thin plastic bottle?  It was a prize in and of itself.  It was tool. She could use it to transport water or soap.  She could use it to bathe with.  She could use it to store things.  It was a prized possession, not a common house hold item.  Seeing someone so full of gratitude for a used up, warm bottle of water?  This one moment, it was just a few seconds; a flicker of a moment in time.. but it changed my life forever.  It made me realize all of the little things in every single day that I have to be grateful for in this life.  It made me think, what if I were so poor, that a used up, warm bottle of water was like gold to me?

Today, I get down on my knees and humbly bow down to my divine, filled with so much gratitude that tears trace tracks on my cheeks, and give thanks for this experience, and for the realization of all the things big and small, that I have to be grateful for every single hour of every single day that I am alive on this Earth.  Thank you, God.

If this post has inspired you or benefit you in any way, please give it a like and follow me on my Facebook Page.

Much love and many blessings to you!

Jodi

 7,969 total views

Sky Dude? Or An Over-Active Imagination?

This was taken in Tirruvanamalai, while sitting in front of Mount Arunachala.  Does this remind you of an angel or of any particular deity?  Is it a random entity?  Or just a highly active imagination?

What do YOU think?!

arunachala2

 

If you look closely you can even see the outline of… wings!

arunachala23-a

 

The face (although my drawing is far more handsome lol):

Arunachala1Arunachala11

 

Sky Dude:

arunachala2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 7,853 total views

Ending Panchakarma – The Final Front-Fear

Today is the final day of the 21 day Panchakarma treatment, and I am so glad.

I get to broaden my horizons on the food front and have bananas, apples, and avocado again.  I can even have eggs or yogurt if I want, woo hoo!!  Oh!  And I get to have Mysore dosa and Thali again!  Yeess!!!

Week two was smooth sailing, after the initial experience with the nose drops.  I did miss the deep-tissue massages, though.  Ayurvedic massage just isn’t my preference.  I was told that weeks one and two focused more on on stirring up and releasing toxins, while week three was more focused on replenishing nutrients.

In week three, I got to receive the deep tissue massage again, and the complimentary treatment this week was a technique called Basti.  It is the most powerful of the five main procedures of Panchakarma.  To all my friends with narcolepsy and neurological disorders, basti is supposed to be *the* treatment for those with neurological disorders.

Quite honestly, it’s been a long three weeks and, I can’t say I feel much different from when I started Panchakarma.  Many keep-going-2people say they have a lot of weight loss from Panchakarma and I haven’t noticed this ‘side benefit’ personally.  My roommate did say he thought I had lost weight.  I don’t know.  Maybe I can find a scale tomorrow.

Perhaps it is because I already had a pretty clean diet to begin with, that I haven’t seen major results from this cleansing procedure/technique.  Perhaps it is because I had a few cheat days.  I will never know.  I do wish I had gone to a facility to have this treatment done, as opposed to an ‘outpatient’ type clinic.  Next time I will go to a facility.  In the facility they provide meals for you, do your laundry, give you a gentle yoga practice daily, practice pranayama, and keep you on schedule.  It would have been good for me to have that structure and to not have to worry about cooking my own meals, sourcing ingredients, doing dishes, traveling, and figuring everything out.

During the Panchakarma I was not allowed to do morning yoga practice.  The theory is that the body needs the energy to support the cleanse.  I was allowed to do an evening practice, but I didn’t.  Aside from taking care of daily duties, like cooking, cleaning and laundry, I just took this time to focus on allowing my body to detox and heal.  Some days I was simply tired from the process itself.

Now, I must rebuild my body’s strength so that I can start practicing yoga again and get strong enough to take Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training.  I’ve got my work cut out for me.  I am nowhere near having the strength I need for Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training right now.  It’s time to re-build my strength and my body.  Can I do it?!???  Time will tell.

My ego is having a heyday with this one.  It can be so intimidating walking into a yoga class with a bunch of hard-core, seasoned ashtangees, when you don’t even know the series and haven’t got the strength to complete it.  It can be twice as intimidating, having the memory challenges that I have.  I just have to keep telling myself that putting myself out there is better than being the gal sitting on the couch at home, and to hell with what anybody else thinks!

The only way to truly get over my fear is to bask in it until it dissolves, and that means to thrust myself, full-force, in the midst of my fear so that I can experience it fully.  Deep breath, “I can do this”.

So, after I get myself to the point that I can do the Sun Salutations five times each, I will be seeking a studio to practice at again.  And yes, I will be asking my divine to give me strength and the courage to once again step outside of my comfort zone and do this.  Wish me luck!

What have you been putting of lately, out of fear?  Are you letting fear of failure keep you from trying something new?  You know, often times, when we allow ourselves to fully experience our fear, it will simply disappear.  What fear have you been running from?  What fear can you thrust yourself into and experience fully?

Courage_is_contagiousYou were born with divine potential.  How can you reach this divine potential if you do not gather the strength and courage to face your fears?  Truth is, when you exhibit courage, you inspire others to do the same, and others will follow your lead.

Aristotle, he was a pretty smart dude, and he said, “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others”.

♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
Do one thing today that scares you.  If you don’t feel you have the courage, ask your divine to give you the strength and to carry you through it.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -♥

If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.

Love to you!

Jodi

 

 10,542 total views,  2 views today

Experiencing God

IMG_6302 Previously, I shared my experience with you about the phenomenon of the divine holding the coin to the wall… and I’m sure this was really hard for most of you to believe, having not experienced it yourself.  I was actually able to get some videos of this phenomenon at a different site; the Nandi bull in Mysore.

I’m sure it may still be hard for some to believe.  I showed one of these videos to a friend here in Mysore, and even seeing a video, she refused to believe there wasn’t some trick behind it.  She was just certain that there was tar on the bull, or that it was magnetized.  It’s unfortunate that her mind wouldn’t let her believe… because it’s such a beautiful, sacred experience.

If you ever get the chance to come to India, bring coins with you.. because this is one experience you must have before you leave; especially if you lack in faith.

Here’s a video of me, channeling my divine to accept my offering.  It’s one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  Notice, in the second video, you can see the coin sliding beneath my finger-tips, so it’s evident that the bull is not magnetized or tarred:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tgQZlFcP_c&feature=youtu.be]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkfwfYE9zRc&feature=youtu.be]

 

Here is my friend, Bala, during his first experience of this phenomenon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWnrc3R1fNQ&feature=youtu.be

 

And my friend, Raphaela:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ds2LguSJA&feature=youtu.be]

One person said they felt electricity come through their arm.  I don’t remember what the other said.  Personally, I felt heat come through my arm.  Thank you to my beautiful friends for being a testimony to the divine for the world to see.  Thank you to Spirit for allowing the recording and flowing through on this day <3

♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
If you lack in fath, see how you lack in faith.  Ask your divine to reveal itself to you; to give you an experience that you can’t deny; an experience that you can carry with you for a lifetime and never doubt again.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.

Love to you!

Jodi

Picture:  Nandi Bull, Mysore

 8,011 total views,  2 views today

One Man’s Trash Is… Worth A Beating?

My day is full of love and light!!  It rained all day.  Rain is a blessing.  A kind man offered me a free ride home on the back of his scooter so I didn’t have to walk in the rain.  On the way, it started to rain really hard so we had to pull over and wait under a tree until the rain let up.IMG_6901

Across the street I saw two men fighting.. over trash.  That was a sobering experience.  To think that trash can be so valuable that it’s worth fighting over.  As I watched from the other side of the road, I began to give both men distance Diksha. They were getting physical, slapping and shoving one another, and then one of them picked up a big rock and raised it as if he was going to bash the other guy in the head with it.  I turned my head, I couldn’t look.

As I drew down even stronger forces of energy, channeling it toward these two men, I could feel my hands heat up while the energy emanated from them.  “Good”, I thought, “Something is making it’s way over there”.  While I continued to send energy their way, I prayed for their peace and prosperity; then I prayed for Spirit to break up the fight and resolve it fairly.  I urged for the bag to be broken up and divided fairly.

Suddenly, a bigger man from my side of the street started hollering at them, then he crossed the street, stepped in and broke up the fight.

I gave thanks, and about that time, it also stopped raining, so the driver took off.  As we passed the three men, the large bag was being opened and one of the me was taking items out of it.  Perhaps they were making a fair division?  Who knows.

As I climbed the stairs to my apartment, showing gratitude to my divine, I realized… it wasn’t just the man that broke up the fight that Spirit was expressing through… Spirit was expressing through all four of us… Interacting with itself…

It kinda blew my mind a little bit lol.

Was this timing divinely orchestrated so that the energy work and prayer would take place?  Or would the man have intervened anyway?  Nobody knows, but it sure leaves one to wonder at the magical possibilities of life!

Later, I got notice that a package arrived, then another kind man gave me a ride to the mail place.  I was elated to receive a box with my favorite chocolate and an awesome water bottle and baggies.  Ziplock baggies!!  What a luxury item to have in this country!!  Great for keeping the ants out of my chocolate, ha ha ha!!

Love and Blessings to you!

Jodi

 5,868 total views

Breaking the Illusion…

In India, an owner ropes his cow to an object (a tree, a post, a fence) while its young. As the calf grows older, he doesn’t realize his own strength to break free and his mind is conditioned to believe he can only go as far as the rope will reach.

20130917-181637.jpg

When the cow is grown, the rope is removed, but the cow has been conditioned by his experiences. As such, he will not wander from his post. He does not realize his own freedom and he can not see past the illusion in which he lives.

Like the cow, you, too, have been conditioned by your own experiences. Perhaps you’ve been bound with ropes like, “how could you be so stupid?”, “You idiot!”, “you’ll never amount to anything”, or “sometimes I wish you were never born”.

Maybe you’re bound by your own self judgements of feeling like you’re ‘not good enough’. Perhaps the relentless teasing by the other children are bound so tightly around you that you don’t dare take a chance or try something new today, for fear of failure, rejection, or ridicule.

20130917-181730.jpgNow that you’re older, the situations are no longer there… the rope is no longer there… so what’s stopping you?

What would become available to you if you were able to see your own strength and act on it; if you were able to realize your own freedom?

If you want something you’ve never had then you’ve gotta do something you’ve never done.

Realize your own strength and break out of the illusion!

♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
Ask your divine to show you how the ropes that bind you are not even real, to show you your own strengths, and to open your eyes to the freedom that you have, to be you.  If you’re inspired, come back and share your experience so others can benefit; I’d love to hear about it!
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.

Blessings and love to you!

Jodi

 

 6,465 total views

Home Sweet Home..

Here is my apartment for the time being. I live with others. I have my own room and bathroom, but I share the commons area (kitchen, dining room, and living room) with others:

Living Room:

IMG_7111

 

Dining Room:
IMG_7112

 

Alter Room:

IMG_7113

 

Kitchen:

IMG_7115

 

IMG_7117

 

Laundry:

IMG_7116

 

Bedroom:

IMG_7118

 

IMG_7119

 

Bathroom:

IMG_7120

 

There you have it! That’s where I live! Although I must admit, most places in Mysore are nothing like this. The down side is that it’s right on the busy street and the constant honking and traffic noise can get to you. Also, there’s a cell phone tower on top of the building. Lucky thing I have custom-fitted ear plugs and my invisible super sonic EMF reflector, ha!

Love and Blessings to you!

Jodi

 7,792 total views,  2 views today

Money Talks

RupeeHello beautiful people!  Yesterday as I walked to my panchakarma appointment, I found four coins on the ground amongst a bunch of motorcycles.  I knew immediately upon picking them up that they were meant for someone else, so I tucked them away in a separate compartment in my wallet; knowing the divine would reveal this person to me later in the day and that I would recognize that person when s/he showed up.

Bear in mind that in some parts of India, people in the streets will often ask for money, but that’s not been a common experience for me in Mysore.  Children have asked for American coins or quarters, but they do not generally ask for money.

As I was leaving the treatment place a boy was standing outside the fence.  I was in the process of calling a friend when he said hello.  I quickly said hi before dialing the last number.  The boy patiently stood there during the entire phone conversation, which was odd (this is not typical behavior in my experience).  Before I ever hung up the phone, I already knew he was the one to whom I was to give the money.

When I got off the phone I looked at the boy and, with his limited English, he said, “Please.  Money.”  He didn’t look poor, but it’s really not for me to judge; I knew he was to be the recipient of the coins.  I asked him if he speaks English.  He gave me a confused look, almost with a brief expression of fear behind it, and remained wordless.  I smiled, open my wallet, fetched the coins and gave them to him.  His face lit up, he smiled back, then we both went our separate ways.

A beautiful example of the divine working through one person to help another.  Who knows what the boy needed the money for.  Maybe he was taking it to help his grandmother.  Maybe he needed something for school.  Maybe he said a prayer and this experience was to deepen his faith, or, maybe the experience was to deepen mine (or yours, through my sharing).  Perhaps he simply had a strong desire for a sweet, or something, and he put that out to the Universe and it was returned through me.

Who knows?  It’s really not up to me to figure out.  I can only speak for my own experience, and for me, it was an honor to allow Spirit to flow through me to another.  It literally made my day.  I left that encounter with a hop and a skip in my step, in awe of how the divine had orchestrated this entire process to fulfill this boy’s need or desire.  I marveled at how perfectly orchestrated everything had to be in order for Spirit to flow through me; from the timing of when I left the house to the timing of when the person got off the motorcycle and dropped the coins, to the precise timing that I was leaving my appointment – even right down to the fact that the divine knew that I would save the coins and give them to the right person instead of keeping them for myself.

How magical is THAT?!!

♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

Ask your divine to flow through you today and to show you how you can help another in need <3
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

If this blog has helped or inspired you in any way, please share with others, subscribe, and like my Facebook Page!

Blessings and Love to you!

Jodi

 8,986 total views,  2 views today

Panchakarma: My Initial Experiences

The word panchakarma literally means “five actions”, and in panchakarma there are five different procedures used as a therapeutic way of eliminating toxins from the body.  I started panchakarma last week.  Each day I go to the clinic, check in with the doc, then go for my treatment.  At first, I felt like I was in heaven!  But then?  Shit got real lol.

In week one, I was given internal ‘medicine’ to take daily.  Each day I would awaken, take the internal meds, then go to the clinic for my check-in.  After check-in, I would receive a head massage and a full body deep-tissue massage, then I would go into the steam box.  The steam box is typically a big wooden box that encompasses your body, with a slot for your head to poke through the top. It releases hot steam inside, which opens your pores and assists in the elimination of toxins (see pictures below).

I also got some funky, dukey-lookin’ stPanchakarmaHeaduff put on my head, that I had to leave in for two hours. That put a damper in my daily plans lol.  Walking home with this mess on my head every day was fun!  No.  Seriously!  The looks I got were priceless!

I loved the beginning of week one!  Even though I was on a limited diet, I still had a host of foods to choose from that were quite delicious – including my ‘Health Idli’s’ (if you’re subscribed to my Facebook page you know what these are).  The massages were to live for, and I left feeling so relaxed.  However, toward the end of the week, everything changed.

During the fourth and fifth day I was really, really tired.  I came home after each treatment and fell asleep.  Also, on the fifth day, I was very emotional.  I went for my check-in and the next thing I know I’m bawling at the doctor’s desk!  For those of you who aren’t familiar with detoxing the body, crying is a symptom – it always gets worse before it gets better!  The doctor and I talked for about an hour and I cried most of the time.  Then I went in for my treatment and cried during the head massage.  After that I went home and, yes, cried some more.

PanchaSteam2      PanchaSteam1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEAM BOX

The next day I wasn’t supposed to take any internal meds and man I felt a total difference!  For that one day I had energy for a change!  On this day I also was on a liquid diet, as a preparation for the following day’s ‘purgation’.  I drank fresh coconut water most of the day, and had one bowl of soup.

I was excited to start week two, because I knew I would no longer be walking around with dukey-head lol.  That meant I could actually go somewhere after treatment and get some things accomplished.  Instead of the head massage and treatment, I was going to get a face massage and some nose drops.  COOL!

The doc warned me that, after the drops, I would need to spit and clear my nose, so to go to the bathroom after the face massage take care of it.  She also warned me to not snort the drops.  So the man put the drops in my nose and I had to let it drip towards my brain for a couple minutes.  I didn’t fully snort it.. but.. I did inhale a little harder than normal. I figured, I’m paying good money for this cleanse and I want it to be effective, right?  What was I thinking?!

After my face massage, I felt fine, so I went straight into the steam box.  Suddenly, just after I’m closed into the steam box, my throat starts to burn and I can’t breath without coughing.  I expected throat symptoms, no biggy.  Next, my eyes start burning.  Now I’m confused, because doctor never mentioned anything about eyes burning.  “Why are my eyes burning?!”, I wonder.  I ask the man if my eyes are supposed to burn.  “No”, he says.

Okay, honestly?  I may as well have snorted habanero sauce; I’m pretty sure it would have given similar effects.  “Holy heck!!”, I think, “What IS that stuff?!”  I feel like someone placed a torch behind my eyeballs and they were burning from the inside out, like an inferno is inside my head.  Tears were streaming down my face, unprovoked by me.  I am now choking on, what seems like fumes in the back of my throat.  A steady burning sensation hurled through my nose, and it began to run.. I’m pretty sure it eventually just went completely numb at some point.

Walking home I probably looked like a drunkard on crack whose best friend just died; walking all cock-eyed with my eyes all bloodshot, tears steady streaming down my face.  My throat was sore, my nose was still burning, and I’m pretty sure at this point that I no longer have nose hairs.  As soon as I got home a roommate asked if I was okay; he thought I was really upset and had been crying.  Later, a different roommate asked me if I was sick with a cold or something.  A good hour to hour and a half passed before it finally settled down and I’m not going to lie, it sucked.

So much for shopping and sight-seeing after treatment!  Let’s hope tomorrow is more gentle lol.  There you have it, folks.  That’s my adventure for the day and my initial experiences with panchakarma.  Okay, okay.  It wasn’t THAT bad, of course I’ve exaggerated for sheer entertainment purposes lol.  I can’t give an honest review of panchakarma until I’m through the entire treatment, but don’t let this post scare you away from it; I hear that many celebrities swear by it and come to India to have it done annually.

What’s the weirdest or funniest experience you’ve had with a cleanse?

 8,799 total views

A Dog With A Heart!

IMG_6220 I was walking down the street the other day and this dog came up to me with the most unusual behavior (for an Indian dog).  Dogs in India are not overly friendly like dogs in the United States.  They are typically left to their own devices for survival, are quite self-reliant, and not usually interested in people.

This dog, however, was different.  He came up to me with the biggest grin on his face – like he’d just found his long-lost friend!  He was anxious and panting, wagging his tail, going in circles and doing the light-footed happy-doggy-dance.  He was also talking to me.

Yes, he was talking to me.  He wasn’t talking to me with words like you and I talk, IMG_6223though.  He was talking to me with consciousness.  Sort of like… communicating to me with thought.  He told me he wanted me to do energy work on him and to give him a blessing (a form of energy work where I act as a channel for the divine to flow through me into the recipient – much like what is described here – just with a little different energy).  He told me he was diseased and needed help.  All the while he is telling me this, he is actively jumping up and down, pawing at my thighs; rolling on the ground; running in circles, etc.

I told him I will gladly grant his wish, but I would please like to have a picture of the heart on his forehead first.  He suddenly stopped pawing at me, stopped jumping up and down, and posed for the picture.  First he sat, then he laid.

I took his picture, then I brought divine energy down through me and into him.  Aware of the peopleIMG_6575 nearby watching me intently, I extended my hands out above his head, and gave him a blessing.  As soon as he received the blessing, he thanked me and calmly walked away.

I was honored to allow the divine to express through me this day, but this dog was an expression of the divine for me, just as much as I was a channel of the divine for him.  You see, it was a test for me.  A test of my courage; of my faith; of my self acceptance and of my willingness to be a testimony for the divine by my actions.  I’ve struggled with self-acceptance most of my life.  Particularly in the area of my divine gifts.  I’ve denied these parts of myself most of my life.  So this truly was a test for me.

I was placed in a situation where I could deny my divine gifts, for fear of judgment or I could accept the task and let go of the attachment to what other people think of me.  I was quite aware of the people on the street staring at the entire process.  It would have been really easy to let my ego destroy this moment; to succumb to fear that people would judge me for being weird or different. Yet, had I taken that route, I wouldn’t be living for my divine. So what’s more important?  God placed me in that situation at that precise moment so that I could be a channel for Him.  Who am I to say no to this task?

That would kind of be like saying no to my best friend with a 104 degree temperature, calling me for a ride to the emergency room, because I’m afraid people will laugh at my driving on the way – absurd!  So why should I let fear get in the way of serving my divine?

Trust me, several times a week a local native stops me and asks me why I am doing what I’m doing.  In fact, it happened just today.  The conversation usually ends with him walking away, shaking his head.  I know I’m different.  I know people don’t understand me or my actions.. but I Am That I Am.  At times, I just grin and know what I know and remain in my happy little state of bliss at the magical wonderland that I traverse!  At other times, my ego gets a grip and it gets me down (but not for long, ha!).  I’m learning to accept my gifts, to no longer succumb to the fear, to live for my divine knowing that it’s not my problem that others don’t understand me.

Some people say that dog is man’s best friend.  I say man’s best friend is the divine.  Without God, we are nothing.  Without God, we have nothing.  God is what MansBestFriendmakes life worth living.  A lot of people are still figuring this out.  How many of you feel lonely?  Or have a sense of longing for a life partner?  How many times have you gotten that life partner only to have the sense of longing or loneliness return after a few months into the relationship?  Maybe you think marriage will solve your problem, so you get married and everything feels great for a while but then the longing returns.  Then you convince yourself that this new truck you want if you could just have it, you would truly be happy so you buy it and everything feels great!  For a while… until the longing returns again.  So then you decide to ‘become someone’ and get a career (after all, you have this nice new truck to pay for, ha ha) so you go to college and get a degree, find a great job and THEN, finally, you feel completely fulfilled… for a while… until the longing returns.  So you get a dog… something that can’t talk back to you, or criticize you, a being that will always give you love.. yes!  This is right.  And everything is great!!  For a while… until the longing returns.  Again.  How long have you been seeking?  How many years have you been moving on to the next step, and the next, and the next, trying to fill this void within you?  What you are longing for, is a deep, connected relationship with the divine.

Maybe not in the way you’ve been taught… I’m not talking about a forged relationship where you simply believe there is a God because you’re told there is a God and you should have blind faith.  No.  I’m talking about EXPERIENCING the Divine Presence in your life… where you FEEL the divine’s Presence every single day and you experience the divine’s Presence in all throughout the day.  It’s the most beautiful, magical existence!  This can be your reality… but it requires effort on your behalf.

Let me ask you this:  How long would your best friend (or girlfriend or spouse) be your best friend (or girlfriend or spouse) if you gave him or her the same amount of attention that you give God?  How often would your best friend come around TalkToGodif you talked to him/her the same way that you talk to God?  Well then… why would you expect any less of God?  The divine is the most important relationship in your life, dedicate time to that relationship and bask in the miracles that infiltrate your life as a result!

Let your divine be your best friend.  Talk to God!  Talk to your divine in everything you say and do.  Consult Him like you would consult your best friend in everything you say or do!  Your divine is right there with you all the time… you live in Him and He lives in  you… but He is just as dependent on you as you are on Him, when it comes to connecting.  How can the divine possibly show you He is there, if you’re not talking to the Him? How can the divine show you s/he is active in your life if you don’t have a line of communication established and are listening for a reply?

If you had no eye-sight, and you were sitting across the room from your best friend, how would you know your best friend was in the room unless you spoke to him and listened for a response?  It’s the same with God.  Talk to God and listen for a response.  Open your spiritual ears!

No… dog is not man’s best friend.  Man’s best friend is the divine.

Take a moment to talk to God right now.  Tell your divine that you want to strengthen your relationship with him/her, and ask your divine to show you how to do this.  When you get a response, be sure to show gratitude to your divine; then come back and share your experience!

Love to you <3!

Jodi

 6,402 total views,  2 views today

Apartments & Miracles!

I just finished a 45 minute concentration at the Matrimandir. Now I’m heading out to Tirruvanamalai. Thirruvanamalai is the spiritual center of India!! Mount Arunachala is there. “The scriptures tell us, and the sages and saints have testified that this Holy Hill is the form of Lord Siva Himself” (1).

Here is my driver, Paleni. He will be taking me the rest of the way. Through Tirruvanamalai for a couple days, then on to a waterfall, then on to Mysore, India. Yeah!

I prayed for a driver that is inexpensive and can get me there safely without troubles. A friend of a friend was kind enough to hook me up with a devotee here and I saved a significant amount of money.

20130727-142051.jpg

This friend sent his driver and is also setting me up with a room on the cheap. Nice!!

Then my phone ran out of Internet. There’s no place to charge it where I’m at & I can’t charge it on my own because I’m not a local. I contacted a man in Mahabalipuram that I’d met four weeks ago. He was very kind and showed me the town and didn’t ask for one penny. He also gave me some pointers on dealing with the locals.

He told me to never show my money and don’t carry much on me. He said if I see something I want then I can go back & get cash. He gave me an amount to counter offer anytime someone tries to sell me something. He told me I paid too much for a pamphlet at a tourist attraction. He was there but he said he couldn’t tell me in front if them or they would make trouble for him later.

He also walked me down to the post office to get prices and he shipped my belongings to me in the USA so I don’t have to bother traveling with them. A very kind, honest man.

Anyway, I still had his business card, so I phoned him and asked if he still has my credit card info. He said no, but he would charge it to his credit card and I can wire him money when I get to Mysore. How cool is that?! I don’t even know this guy!! It’s the divine flowing through him!

I love the way my divine provides for me before I even realize I need it! How perfectly everything had to align for me to meet this very man who is helping me along my journey now <3 Life is so magical!! Thank you, Spirit, for all the grace you give me <3 <3 <3. God ROCKS!! I am totally being carried through and provided for every single moment of every single day. What more could anyone ever ask for? Honestly? So, my apartment! The friend of a friend put us up in a really nice place with very reasonable prices. Its a lodge, but its really more like an apartment! Here is the bedroom: 20130728-083017.jpg

The living room:

20130728-083349.jpg

The foyer:

20130728-083458.jpg

And the kitchen:

20130728-083552.jpg

When I looked out the back door, I was greeted with this great big smiley face. See it?!

20130728-093411.jpg

The friend that connected me to the helper in Thirruvanamalai? I just met him in November of last year. Who would’ve thunk he’d be helping me on my trip to India?

I am so incredibly grateful for these people’s help. The man even showed us three different places in different price ranges so we could choose. He made sure we were close to the ashram and had A/C of we wanted it. We opted to go without; it’s less expensive.

Suggestion: Pray and ask your divine to show you how He is aligning you with the right people to bring about miracles in your life daily.

Blessings and Love,
Jodi

Sources:
(1) A guide to Giripradakshina

 7,829 total views,  2 views today

Do You See What I See?

Yet another beautiful miracle in my life!! I’m a total rock hound, and I generally collect a rock from where ever I travel. Why not? It’s a unique gift from God. It produces no waste. It will not take up a land-fill, it connects me to Mother Earth, and it’s all natural lol. In fact, I can even make Stone Soup out of them if I ever need to (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/043933909X/ref=aw_1st_sims_2?pi=SL500_SS115).

Today I went to the Matrimandir in Auroville, India.

20130726-160329.jpg

While I was on the trail to the viewpoint of the Matrimandir in Auroville…

20130726-154342.jpg

20130726-154152.jpg

20130726-154303.jpg

… I kept praying for a heart-shaped rock. I saw so many rocks, leaves and nature-bits that were heart-shaped.. The song, “All You Need Is Love” kept coming into my consciousness.

20130726-154419.jpg

20130726-155640.jpg

When I got to the end of the path, look what waiting for me! How amazing is that?!!

20130726-152506.jpg

I found this right at the viewpoint, directly in front if the Matrimandir; to the right in this picture:

20130726-155828.jpg

I am just feeling so blessed!! Thank you, God, for all the beautiful miracles you bring into my life; for the grace that flows through and around me! <3

It doesn’t stop there, though. The entire experience has changed my consciousness. When I got back to my hotel room, the messages of love just continued. Do you see what I see?

20130726-160523.jpg

Ask your divine to give you the ability to see the beauty, magic and wonder in the simple things in life. Ask your divine to bring about a simple miracle in your life with the next few days, and to make you aware of this miracle. Thank the divine for all the beautiful miracles you’ve had thus far.

God is right there, waiting for us to dial His number. Once you dial, why hang up the line? Why not stay connected all day long? Talk to God about everything you see, do and feel!

You know that feeling you get when something happens great in your life and you’re all excited and you can’t to wait to run and tell your total best friend?! Yeah, that feeling. Let that be your passion toward God.

And you know how, when something icky happens and you’re down in the dumps and just want your total best friend to comfort you (be it your spouse or mom or your best buddy)? In these moments, talk to God.

Turn to God the same way you would rush to your best friend with exciting news, or to your mom/spouse for comfort. Then be amazed at the relationship that builds between the two of you!

Love to you <3
Jodi

 9,876 total views,  2 views today

Coins & Miracles & Faith, Oh My!

20130723-140146.jpg

A true miracle!! Look at these coins!
The idea is to place the coin on the wall & the divine will hold the coin on the wall. I admit, I was a total non-believer… But my divine changed all that!

I walked up & placed my coin on the wall slanted part of the wall (top) & my coin kept sliding off. “There’s no way it’s gonna stick”, I thought. Then this man walked up & placed a coin on the verticle wall. It is straight up & down!!

It is physically impossible & against the law of gravity for a coin to be able to stick there!! Right before my eyes, though, I saw two people do it!! They walked up, prayed, and the coin stuck & they walked away!!

So, naturally, my mind is convinced that there’s some trick to this. I put my coin back up for the tenth time, again, it slips & falls (MAN, reflexes are fast when you’re awakened!). Feeling helpless and hopeless and about to give up, I decided to try one more time. As I’m holding my coin, a man walks up and tells me to pray and say a mantra.

He puts his coin vertical, it sticks, and then he walks away.  I’m in amazement, but I am still convinced there is a trick to this.  I think to myself, “He’s gotta be licking the coin or something to give it moisture to stick”.  So, with a sideways glance to ensure nobody is watching, I lick my coin, and then try to stick it to the wall.  Again, it falls.

“Okay”, I think, “Maybe it needs something thicker, like sweat, in order to stick?”.  Again, I look both directions to ensure nobody is watching, then I press the coin against my chest, to pick up some sweat and again, I press it against the wall with a prayer.  Again, the coin falls to the ground.  I begin to feel discouraged.

The man walks up again, and again he prays and places a coin on the wall.  I turn to him, “What’s the trick? Do you have to press hard?”, I ask as I press the coin as hard as I can with two fingers.  He chuckles at my question, watching my coin fall to the ground once more. “Faith”, he says with a smile as he walks away.

20130723-140210.jpg

“Ah”, I thought to myself. Faith.  I lack in faith.  I know this.  I had tried so many times, to no avail.  I sang the moola mantra and tried; the coin fell.  I prayed and tried; the coin fell.  I pressed hard and tried; the coin fell.  I licked the coin and tried; it fell.  I used sweat and tried; it fell.  Yet faith never crossed my mind.  Suddenly, I felt like I was trying to hard.

After the man walked off, I took a deep, steady breath. I relaxed my grip on the coin.  I realized that this is not something that *I* can do.  It is something the divine will do.  What I had to do, was to get out of the way and allow the divine to come through me.  So, I gently held the coin to the wall with two fingers, with as little pressure as possible. I prayed to my divine, “God, I know I lack in faith. If you’re really there, please accept my offering and deepen my faith.”

As soon as I said this prayer, I felt heat come through my arm, then through my hand and finger tips.. and then I felt, like.. I felt the coin stick to the wall… Like the wall was grabbing the coin from me… and I knew it was safe to let go.

I moved my hand away, and the coin stuck to the wall. That coin is in this picture:

20130723-140229.jpg

My jaw dropped, and then I got the hugest grin on my face that I think I’ve ever had… like a child at Christmas who just got the biggest thing she’s ever wished for.  This… it defies all laws of gravity.. it defies all laws of physics!!  There is no other explanation for this, except that it’s the divine.

It wasn’t sweat, humidity, or spit that made the coin stick.  There was a trick, though. The trick, was to ask my divine for what I wanted, to have faith, and then to just let go of the outcome; get out of the way; surrender to my divine with faith, and allow my divine to come through.  I had to stop trying to control the outcome and surrender completely to my divine.

GOD IS REAL.

GOD CAN DEFY THE LAW OF GRAVITY.

GOD CAN DO MIRACLES.

FAITH CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS.

Thank you, Spirit, for the miracles you bring about in my life, for teaching me how to let go, and for deepening my faith.  I am forever and truly grateful.  I can never deny the existence of God again.  I am a changed woman.

How are you trying to control the outcome in your own life?

♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

Today, you can make an ‘offering’ to your divine by doing one kind thing for somebody. If you feel you lack faith, perhaps you can acknowledge these feelings and then pray and ask your divine to deepen your faith and reveal itself (himself, herself) to you in some way today.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

Still not a believer?  Check out the videos of this phenomenon.  I can’t make this stuff up, folks!

If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.

Love to you!

Jodi

Pics: Amma’s Temple, Nemam, India

 15,584 total views