SpiritualShow – Synchronicity

Woah! I had the strangest dream last night. I was in outer space. I don’t remember where I was before I went there, and it only lasted a moment, but it felt so REAL. It was kinda scary, but also really cool.

Somehow, I floated up into outer space (not sure if I was in a space ship or not…? You know how dreams are funny like that…) It almost felt like I had been PULLED or sucked up there somehow. It was a strange feeling.

So I’m floating in space and there are a number of planets all around me. It was almost like I was in the center of a solar system and all these planets were surrounding me. And they were all really big… like if you were standing on the moon and looking at Earth. Or if you were looking at a full moon. They were big. It was really wild. It wasn’t our solar system. I know this because there were two Saturn-like planets with rings and our solar system only has one planet like that. At first I said (in my dream) that I never realized there were two Saturn-type planets but later I realized that it was obviously some different solar system. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this moment in my dream.

I’m getting chills up my spine just writing about this and it probably sounds really strange because I just don’t have the writing skills to TAKE YOU THERE. It was just…wow. I’ve never had a dream quite like that. I’ve had surreal dreams, of course, but I don’t recall ever having had one about space like this.

I just had to write about it and share it with you. Have you ever had a dream like this?

Oh, and when I woke up, first thing this morning I turn on my computer and there’s an article about how scientists have discovered water on the moon, and a photograph of the view of Earth from the moon. It was like… Twilight Zone. lol.

Please leave your comments! Someone on Twitter suggested it might have been astral travel. What do you think? Significant or just a fun dream?

SpiritualShow.com

If you exercise regularly, you know how good it is for your mind and body. It feels good to have a good, heart pumping workout.

If you meditate, visualize or use affirmations, you know how powerfully your life can change and improve.

But have you ever combined the two? Try it sometime, you’ll be so glad you did!!

I typically work out on a stationary bike at home. I like to read or watch a really engaging show while doing my workout, to help the time pass more enjoyably. I used to work out at the gym and with music, I’d tend to daydream a bit and I always really loved that time. It felt so much like ME TIME. Not just for the fact that I was getting exercise, but because I was there on the elliptical or the treadmill for x amount of time and there was nothing else I had to do but feel good and get my heart pumping and body moving.

It was only the other day when I started to really notice how powerful it was to INTENTIONALLY visualize or daydream during a workout. Even without any music playing, I started out the other day with the intention of just visualizing/imagining something pleasant for a couple minutes. 45 minutes later I was STILL wrapped up in my visualization and my workout was over. I wanted more:)

We’re busy people these days. Not everyone has the discipline to set aside quiet time to bask in the great feelings of imagining and visualizing our dreams and desires. But a lot of us have time to sit in front of the tv and passively absorb the dreams of OTHER people! Why is that?

Give it a try once. Try it for a minimum of 5 minutes. I bet you’ll find your cardio workouts moving more quickly and you might even want to work out longer, since you’ll be having such a great experience, and not looking at the time:)

Tips:
You don’t have to be a “visual” person to do this. I’m not that visual in my mind, but what I do is really imagine the feelings, “see” as much as I’m able (with my eyes closed whenever possible), and I like to imagine the conversations going on, the things I’m saying or people are saying to me… since I workout at home, sometimes I even SAY the words out loud. If you work out at the gym you might want leave that part out, haha:)
The more feelings you can generate, the better. And because you’re already moving and your blood is pumping, you’ll likely find it much easier than you would if you were sitting in a quiet room as if in meditation. This is an ACTIVE process, a CREATIVE process. Feel the energy flowing through you, feel it surrounding you, feel it in an expansive way. And then daydream away… think of what you want… that perfect lover, that new job that you love, the book you’ve been wanting to write… paying off your credit cards… buying the home you desire… visualize your health improving (it helps to think of the activities you’ll do when you see yourself as healthy & well)… see that child you’ve been wanting… imagine yourself playing with him or her, even say or think of the conversations you’ll have with this wonderful new life…

Whatever it is that you desire, imagine yourself having it and living that life. Just try it for a few minutes the next time you workout. Then post your thoughts, feelings & experiences here!! Thanks:) I’m SO looking forward to reading your comments!!!

My home page: SpiritualShow.com

I’ve said this before and I think I’m going to start saying it more often, again and again: Trust what feels right FOR YOU, no matter what any guru or spiritual leader or anyone else says. Unless you are completely mentally unstable to the point where you are not able to think clearly for yourself, ALWAYS trust your own inner guidance above what anyone else says.

You know what is best for you, you are the one living in your body and you alone have the perspective that is YOU.

I have to confess that I have been thinking of wrapping up the show for a number of months now. I am waffling and undecided, because there are so many things that I love about hosting a spirituality show. The wonderful people I’ve connected with, the amazing listeners. It is such a joy to get a phone call or email or tweet from someone who says, “What you said or what your guest said today was EXACTLY what I needed to hear.” I love knowing that, even on a small level, I’m making some kind of positive impact in the world.

However, through my spiritual journey and through all the requests of people who want to be on the show, or people whom I approach as potential guests, and in my own studies and spiritual interests, I keep coming across this inconsistencies & hypocrisies.
Then I hear about the James Ray incident, where 3 people have died so far from their participation in a sweat lodge. I don’t know all the details, as I wasn’t there, but being a person who can read the warning signs you see on any commercial sauna you step into, I know that there are very obvious risks involved with a sweat-lodge scenario.
Personally, I’d never participate in a sweat ceremony because I prefer a cool climate and get sick from the heat. But a bunch of people paid James Ray thousands in order to participate in this event. I think it’s a little harsh that the media is calling him a murderer. I’m sure it wasn’t his intention to harm anyone, he just screwed up– big time. This post isn’t directed at James and whatever mistakes he has made. It’s simply that this situation has made it even more obvious how important it is for us all to understand that we need to take responsibility for our own lives and the decisions we make. No amount of criminal action against James Ray is going to bring those people back. Ultimately, whether those people made the decision for themselves or if they were blindly following what they were being told to do, they are the ones who are dealing with the consequences of those actions. (I don’t want to discount the pain of the families in this situation and it’s not my place to judge, I wasn’t even there)

But people also need to understand that we can’t put our faith into another person and expect them to lead us to greatness, nirvana, whatever your goal in life is. It is up to US to do that for ourselves, and while it can be helpful to have people motivating us and guiding us along the way, the only person we can really depend on to make a decision on our behalf, is US.

I don’t care WHO this spiritual guru is. I don’t care how famous they are, how many times they’ve been on Oprah, how many dozens of books they have, how many millions of dollars they bring in ever year, and how many celebrities they hang out with. None of them know enough about YOU to tell you how to live your life.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t study and learn from the people you admire. There is so much to learn out there, and there are so many wonderful and inspirational teachers who have helped many, many people. But they are human. Each one of them is fallible. Each one of them has days when they say things they didn’t mean to say. If you look closely at the personal lives of many people who we all look up to, you will see that even they are not everything they claim to be.

I keep wanting to say, that doesn’t mean you need to discount everything they say. It just means, THINK FOR YOURSELF. If something doesn’t sit well with you, don’t do it! If you disagree with something a teacher has said or written, it doesn’t automatically mean you’re not enlightened enough to understand. Seriously. Anyone who says that, notice it as a BIG RED FLAG.

It’s true, sometimes there’s information that we might not be aligned with at one point in our lives and at another time it will make perfect sense. But that doesn’t mean you were wrong to disagree from wherever you were at the time.

Yesterday, I had an altercation with a popular guru that left me in absolute tears. I was so upset, as I was shocked at the behavior of this person who I have admired and respected. This is the second such incident I’ve experienced, with two different very popular, very well-respected spiritual leaders. I will not mention names as this is in no way meant to tarnish their reputations. It’s just meant to show you that even the most respected, the most powerful, the most intelligent, well-connected, “spiritual” people have bad days and make mistakes.

That is why it is SO, SO, SO incredibly important that we take what they say and use what feels good and let go of the rest. When we put our faith in another human being (even if that human claims to be channeling a spiritual entity, talking to angels, God, or anyone else), we need to understand that we are ALL human. NO HUMAN IS BETTER THAN YOU ARE. We are all equal. Some people may have made better life decisions or be in a better place of influence, but that does not elevate them to the point where their teachings are what you should base your life on.

I send this message to you with love and respect. It is just so important to me that we all are able to experience the love and light that is available to us all. Just, please, follow your instincts and do what feels right to you. If your spidy senses start tingling and your BS detectors start ringing, take notice. Don’t ignore those indicators.

If God or the Universe or evolution or chance or whatever you believe is responsible for you being here… if that force wanted you to blindly follow what other people tell you to do, it wouldn’t have supplied you with your own instincts and intuition. That indicator system is within you for a reason. So use it:) (even if you think what I’ve written is complete crap, good, think for yourself and use your own judgment!)

Love & hugs! Thanks for reading, I’m so looking forward to your comments!!

My home page: SpiritualShow.com

I was raised within a few difference facets of Christianity, as I lived in foster care and moved to a number of different families growing up. My mother was a very strict Roman Catholic and taught me that most of the fun things in life are bad.

For a few years, I even lived with a pastor and his wife. They talked a lot about God and Jesus Christ and what was “right” and “wrong” and “good” and “evil” but I noticed a lot of talk without walking the walk.

Consequently, I rebelled against the Church. It seems that so many of us have confused feelings around the WORD “god.” I always had a belief in some sort of Higher Power/Universal Intelligence/Cosmic Force but even as a young kid, I didn’t buy the idea of a white dude with a beard sitting on a cloud casting judgment upon us all. It just didn’t make much sense to me.

I also never understood why so much of the world was fighting about religion, when most of the major religions of the world have the same underlying themes. One religion might say preachers can’t marry and another one is fine with it, but the root intention, love and respect for others, seems to be pretty universal.

So what is God to me? I talk about God quite a bit, but every time that word comes out of my mouth or onto my computer screen, I’m unsure if it’s the right thing to say. I know what “God” means to me. But the meaning of God is so personal to each individual. Is there a better word to use in order to get my points across? What is “God” to you?

Some people are offended by the word “God.” Others see me write or hear me say the word “God” and they assume I’m Christian and follow the teachings of a Church.
So how do I talk about MY God without having all those underlying assumptions tarnishing the meaning?

What are some synonyms you use to describe God? Please comment with your ideas! (and I mean NO offense to anyone’s personal interpretation of God. God is unique to each of us and I completely respect whatever form he/she/they/it is for you. )

Thanks for your comments!

Some words I believe are closely synonymous with “God” are:
Universe
Universal Energy
Source
Love
Cosmic Oneness
All-That-Is

what are some of yours?

Synchronicity: the Spiritual Show

P.S.
Someone just asked me what is my religion. My religion is love. And apparently there’s a song about that very thing! Here it is:

I love to post inspirational quotes on Twitter so I look in books & search around the internet for them. It can take a lot of time to adjust them so they’re short enough to tweet and give credit to the author. So I’ve compiled a list and I’ll be sharing a few quotes each week from now on. They’re all formatted to fit into your Twitter posts.

Feel free to share them and remember to credit the author. Quotes tagged with #spiritualshow were written by me. Thanks:)

You can find these and more quotes here http://www.spiritualshow.com/quotes.html

Oprah Winfrey #quote “Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.”

Proverb – “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”

#quote “A vision w/o a task is but a dream, a task w/o a vision is drudgery, a vision & a task is the hope of the world.”

Marilyn Monroe #quote “Dreaming about being an actress, is more exciting than being one.”

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

in every religion there r universal truths -it is up 2 us 2 connect w/those & follow our intuition regarding the rest –#SpiritualShow

Learn what u can from teachers but always remember 2 think 4 urself. Nobody but U knows what is best & true for u #SpiritualShow

If ur heart is not full from within, no outside source can fill it. #spiritualshow

Often, a smile is the most precious gift u can give #spiritualshow

It’s scientific #fact that we’re all connected. Every molecule in the universe is connected at a quantum level. #spiritualshow

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama #quote

Friedrich Engels #quote “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.”

T Edwards: Piety is religion w/its face 2ward God; morality is religion w/its face toward the world.”

Saint Augustine #quote – “Love is the beauty of the soul.”

Gary Zukav #quote – “Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.”

Anne M. Lindbergh #quote – “Only love can be divided endlessly and still not diminish.”
#Proverb – “The heart that loves is always young.”

You can find these and more quotes here http://www.spiritualshow.com/quotes.html

I tried the 10 minute workout video last night and it went fine. Then I started the 40-minute “Rock It” video today and ended up turning it off in tears. I guess I’ll be re-selling the Wave on Craigslist.

If you’re used to the super fast-paced, complicated moves of a step aerobics class, you’ll do well with the Firm Wave. If you’re like me and you do not enjoy those classes and have difficulty keeping up, I doubt you’ll be satisfied if you buy this product. Maybe if they had a beginner video or something it could be good. But the moves are SUPER fast, complicated with arms waving, feet moving, kicks, step kicks, cross-overs, etc. It requires a fair amount of space for all the moves and it’s FAST. I can keep up cardio-wise, but the complicated movements are too much for me

I’m super disappointed. But, at least I can share my experience with others to help them make an informed decision about this product.

Let me reiterate: If you LIKE fast-paced, complicated step aerobics classes, you’ll probably like the Wave. If not, save your money and get on that treadmill.

So I decided to check Craigslist before I ordered the Wave off the internet (since there is duty and extra taxes to pay when you ship things to Canada). Someone was moving and getting rid of hers so I picked it up and had my first workout last night.

It was a 10-minute introductory workout to show how to use the wave and the basic steps they use in the workout dvds. I was sweating by the end, just a little bit, but I could definitely feel it in my thighs. I need more practice at keeping my abs and buns tight (I can do one or the other, but both at the same time just feels really strange…).

I noticed it was a tiny bit hard on my knees and I think that’s just because I have knee injuries. I’m guessing (and hoping) that the more workouts I do, the stronger my knees will get (I have a tendency not only to lock my knees, but to turn them inward so they’re touching when I stand straight.) This problem is especially pronounced when standing on the wave, because your legs naturally want to turn inwards. When you watch the DVD, they tell you to keep your knees facing forward and to push your ankles outward (you’ll see what I mean when you’re trying yours for the first time). It’s not a bad thing, I think it will help to build those small muscles and will help your posture and your knee & ankle strength the more you use it.

The extra effort of keeping my knees facing forward is sure to build up those muscles and tendons. Another thing I noticed is that the stretching at the end of the DVD wasn’t nearly enough. She held each stretch for less than 5 seconds, which goes against EVERYTHING I’ve ever learned about stretching. To get a good stretch, you should be holding each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds. Maybe they’ll do better in the next DVD, since this was just the into/training one.

So, one workout down do far. Tonight I’ll do the all-over workout that includes body sculpting and cardio. They “guarantee” a noticeable difference after 10 workouts so I’ll be reporting back soon.

The mat that comes with the Wave is pretty basic. It’s tiny and thin, I would recommend putting it on a yoga mat if you have an extra one kicking around the house if you have hard wood floors. My apartment is carpeted so the Wave mat was plenty.

The first Sparkle Friday on Twitter was a success! If you want to participate in Sparkle Friday on Twitter or on Facebook, just nominate your friends by using the hashtage #sparklefriday on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook. I’ve also created a Facebook page that needs major re-modeling right now. I’ll be looking for trustworthy & sparkling people to help admin the page. Contact me if you’re interested in getting involved. Facebook.com/sparklefriday It turns out there is ANOTHER Sparkle Friday page on Facebook already. So funny!! I don’t know how they found out about Sparkle Friday but I guess great minds think alike:)

What is Sparkle Friday? It’s a fun little club I started when I was in broadcasting school to brighten my day and to brighten the world.

My mom was dying in the hospital through the first few months of broadcasting school, and she passed on when I was still in school. It was a tough time for me, and in order to focus on completing school despite losing the only family I’d ever known, I needed to find ways to stay positive.

I’ve always loved sparkling, shiny things (who doesn’t?!) and I started wearing some of the sparkles I had in my makeup kit that I usually only wore when I went out clubbing.
Then my friend Tracey was wearing some sparkly mascara and we started talking about how great sparkles are, and out of that conversation came Sparkle Fridays! It was a lot of fun and we started wearing as much sparkles as we could on Fridays, without going to the extent of looking like a disco ball (though if you look like a disco ball, good on ya!).

Sparkle Friday disappeared when school was finished and I’d pretty much forgotten about it. But today I decided to wear a pair of shoes with some rhinestones on them, and that spark for Sparkle Friday was re-ignited:)

Now I want to share Sparkle Friday with the world. So take part in Sparkle Friday by glamming up in whatever kind of sparkles you desire. Body shimmer, sparkle nail polish, even sparkles in your hair, rings, shiny buttons (I like to wear a rhinestone on my face like a beauty mark) are just some examples. Whatever tickles your fancy, show the world your sparkle on Sparkle Friday! It’s a lot of fun:) Let’s see how many people we can get to participate in the Sparkle Friday club:)

Love, hugs & sparkles!!

I was up late watching a show the other night and saw this ad on tv (it wasn’t an infomerical but it was one of those long 2-3 minute ads they play late at night sometimes). I’m a total sucker for infomercial junk. Not a sucker, actually, because I’m quite aware that most of the stuff on the infomercial market it junk, but I am someone who likes to try the things and usually ends up sending them back because they aren’t as good as they’re hyped up to be.

Shipping and handling starts to add up, even if you get a refund for the product price. So I’ve started researching these products online. It usually nips my curiosity in the bud before I shell out for the gimmick that promises to give me washboard abs, clear skin, thicker hair or to be able to speed-read Moby Dick in an hour… so when I saw this product advertised I rushed to the computer to see what reviews I could find.

The product seems like it could work, since I’ve seen and used similar pieces of exercise equipment at the gym. It’s a big piece of plastic, really simple. It basically has two uses. On one side, it’s stable and you can use it like a step (like the plastic steps they have at the aerobics studio). Then, if you flip it over, it becomes this balancing thing, which in theory should automatically engage your core muscles as soon as you step on it. I’ve tried the balance boards at the gym and they are effective, but where I work out they’re reserved for people who hire the $100-an-hour personal trainers and the only time you get a chance to use them if someone has forgotten to put the thing away.

So, after reading some great reviews and based on my own experience with equipment of a similar nature, I’ve decided to give it a try. I think the deal below m(if you click the banner) offers you free shipping in the US and $6 shipping in Canada, plus they add some extra workout DVDs that you normally have to buy separately. It comes with the workout DVDs, a recipe book and other stuff and it’s put out by The Firm, which is a reputable fitness company.

If you’ve tried this piece of equipment let me know what you think of it. I’ll be posting my results when I’ve had a chance to try it.

So you might be wondering why I’d post this on a spiritual blog. There are a few reasons.
1.) Treating your body with love & care IS a spiritual practice
2.) When you feel good & have energy, it’s a heck of a lot easier to feel spiritual & connect with spiritual things
3.) On the show, I talk openly about my depression. One of the absolutely most effective ways for me to keep my depression at bay is to stay active.

So post your comments. Oh, and on August 14th the awesome & inspirational Susan Powter (who is like the QUEEN of fitness infomercials) will be on the show. I’ll bet she’ll be able to give us some amazing insights into fitness and how it relates to spirituality.
Synchronicity: Talk Radio for Your Mind, Body & Soul