Every Choice...

Every choice...is important.

In the busy world, where so much is pulling on our energies, where the world wide web, media, advertising, news, and social networking are proliferating, it can be so easy to drift into competing views, and sentiments, and fall into patterns of mindlessness. Scatteredness. In all directions. A running commentary of chaotic, and feeding what can be an insidious unconsciousness.

And that's when I like to reinforce, and I love the term, Know Thyself.

Know Thyself.

From that place you can make choices. The right choices. That funnel through the noise competing for your attention. And listen. To the inner voice. Of reason.

Know Thyself.

Because every choice is important.

Each choice you make takes you on a trajectory of journeying that moulds you more certainly. Identifying your true voice, your song, your story, in the unfolding, with every action, you're taking, and attention, you're making.

It is in the pause, that you identify the voice, of your choice. The choice of conscious attention.

In Knowing Thyself, you gain clarity. Because the relationship with yourself is primary. And leads to right choices. And the clear road that is yours to travel, without distractions, and with confidence.

And that is why I practice and encourage meditation, and stillness. To be able to hear the truth from silence, and within'ness. Thyself. The present.

For those of you who would like to start with some guided meditation, practice quiet receptivity, and blend it into your daily routine comfortably, you may wish to open this link and register for a free 21 day meditation, Creating Peace from the Inside Out, with Deepak and Oprah. It's a lovely way to begin.



SaraSwati Shakti

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

Love, Where You Are

In the midst of change, life can be challenging. In the midst of unrest, life's dynamic may be confounding. In the journey of self, you are both founding, and unfounding...perhaps floundering.

And that's normal.

And that's ok.

Your life is a magnificent work in progress.

And it is unfolding day by day.

Be with it. Stay with it. And choose day by day. Choose you, and love where you are, as you take breaths, everyday.

Focus on what takes your breath away, and change the energetic attunement that creates each new day.

Admire, and attune to the beauty within you, and around you. In the Divine wonderplay.

Learn to Love, Where You Are...and select your magic along the way. 

Love, Where You Are...a poem for today.


Love, Where You Are

Love, Where You Are

Sometimes easier said than done.

Love, Who You Are

Tough, when you compare yourself to another one

Love, What is True

You!

That's true.

Love, You!

With all your complexities, and foibles.

You, is True.

Love, You!

With all your vulnerabilities, and difficulties.

It's all, You.

Unconditionally Love, You.

And all that is right, and whole, and true.

Will meet you, greet you, and love you, too.

Love, Who you are.

Love, Where you are.

Love

You.

Astonish yourself with the unfolding beauty that life brings you.


© SaraSwati Shakti poetry

www.lovingpsyche.com

Wild, For Life.

There are beautiful and wild forces within us.

I love these words by St Francis of Assisi. They totally encapsulate the power and mystery that lives within us. And how we live our lives.

And how pertinent that I came across it again recently. As it also connected me with two other themes. This year's World Environment Day theme 'Wild For Life'. And the contrasting news broadcasts of what could easily be themed 'Wild with Strife'.

Wildness, in it's completeness, enacting.

And isn't life truly wild! And are we not wild for life! Absolutely being challenged. To live more wholeheartedly. A life worth living, and fulfilling. As the climate around us is intensifying, and changing.

The weather we bring, and the experiences we are in, is calling each of us in, to choose. What we will soulfully bring to the whole scheme of things.

Nature, both human and climatic, is transforming, in the world dynamic, constantly. Like wild waves of mystery generating. It is creating an intimate inter-relationship between emotions, and external circumstances, playing out, regularly.

Any transition and transformation in our life impacts us. And calls us. To deconstruct and reconstruct what will better serve us. And the life we will live. And the legacy we will leave.

Compelling us toward re-building...and finding, new ways of thinking, being, acting, that better serves the future of our humanity.

Challenging us to leave old foundations behind, and start a process of building on the positive things that are working, and combining them with new visions and actions for where we may be heading, and consciously recreating.

And sometimes, emotionally, and tangibly, that can feel overwhelming. And yet, it presents, an opportunity. To create something more stunning. Something to be more positively wild about. In being. And in having.

And that process of transition, and the wild intentions and emotions it brings, offers soulful presence, consciousness, and attentiveness.

The wonderful Mary Oliver once said, and I wholeheartedly agree,

This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing I know, that the soul exists and that it is built entirely out of attentiveness.

Because attentiveness is life. Noticing. Feeling. Experiencing. The Soul within. Such a wonderful opportunity to connect to what speaks audibly to the Spirit, of humanity. Vibrantly. And Peacefully.

And that is why I believe that wholistic self-awareness, self-knowledge, and self-exploration, that can be gained from therapeutic coaching, is a good thing. It calls for attentiveness. Soul presence. Wisdom. And actions that are relevant, in a deeper sense. So that choices call forth consciousness. And a time to define and align the wildness for life that is brightest. And one that keeps bringing you home, to your Soul. Whole.

And as Carl Jung's words so aptly add to it

...life presupposes a conscious connection of the inner and outer worlds and it requires constant, meticulous attention to all circumstances to the best of our knowlege and conscience. We must watch what the gods ordain for us in the outer world, but as well as waiting for developments in the outer world we must listen to the inner world: both worlds are expressions of God.

May your expressions of wildness, and life, be beautiful, attentive, conscious and Goddessence creative. A Wild, For Life.

Much love


SaraSwati Shakti

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

Coaching Camino

Change changes you. Isn't it true.

And that's what I observed in some beautiful tales of journeying in the stunning documentary Walking the Camino, Six Ways to Santiago, that I watched last week.

It helped me to ponder on the Coaching Camino's I witness with my coachees while on their coaching journey with me. An opportunity, for change, changing them, authentically.

The Camino de Santiago. Described as 500 miles. A Journey of faith. A journey to self.

Just like therapeutic coaching. Through Change. A Coaching Camino beckoning. For transforming.

Many years ago a colleague said something to me, and it has remained with me. He said that we live like ghosts...essentially going to work, going through the motions, unconsciously accepting societal notions, and commotions. Living in auto-mode. Dying.

And for many it is true.

Something is missing. A hole in the soul deepening. Devoid of a richness, of life experience. And the sensations it brings. Of the joy of learning, and challenging where we have been, and making the changes, that are needed, to come alive within.

For 1200 years the Camino de Santiago has been walked. And I marvelled at the descriptions of the process...it's not easy, it's not always sunshine, it can be rain, there are parts of the road that are difficult, it's not a stroll, it's not just about arriving at a place. It's living, it's feeling. It is indeed like transitional therapeutic coaching can be, if taken seriously. It is real. In the moment true, to the person, as they peel away what seems gruesome.

And as everyone is trying to be somebody. I like to remind them that they already are somebody. And to seek and find that somebody that they are already. And may have forgotten. Those parts that have laid dormant. That deeper edge that has gone missing along the way. That wants to come out to play again. The bigger Self that's already there. That wishes to come alive.

To me Life itself is a Camino. A marvellous opportunity to live deeply and appreciatively along the travelling no matter how hard or easy. And I wrote about it previously in my blog Pilgrimage Begin. You can read it here.

And as the film reiterated so beautifully...

'It's an internal Camino. It's a process toward the heart, towards what's inside, and we discover the expanded universe'.

'Transcending corporeal concerns and celebrating the hero within'.

That's where it begins.

And that's why I love what I do, helping people come to see that it's true. Being their witness. Seeing them do extraordinary things, both small and big, in their dreams and schemes. Awakening to the possibilities that has, and can present for them. In the trials and tribulations they surmount, the roadblocks they encounter, and the combination of action and surrender, that come about for them. Working through to their next world view.

Profound moments often present as people travel their unique Coaching Camino's. The transformation it brings, the opportunity to change...and to live again. When their Pilgrimage Begins.



SaraSwati Shakti
Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

www.lovingpsyche.com

Sprints, And Marathons

Dealing with the emotional elements of change is like running Sprints, and Marathons, in the psyches of people adjusting.

And assisting coachees to manage change and transition has a number of very important elements.

When people are dealing with personal and professional events, such as a redundancy, leaving work to have a new baby, entering the workforce initially, returning to work after maternity leave, dealing with a death in the family, finding themselves in corporate restructuring, managing a challenging divorce, dealing with an illness, any number of things, there is an adjustment necessary.

And a beautiful emotional component of loving that is important to be incorporating. Because we are human beings.

Each adjustment can require subtle manouvering around emotions and decision-making. And there can be a need for dealing with a number of concurrent events that can be triggering.

Anyone who has ever dealt with, or supported someone with, the intricacies of planning a funeral after a death in the family, knows how taxing it can be, and exhausting emotionally.

Anyone who has returned to the workforce after having a baby, understands the tugs of loyalty between work and family, and finding the balance that is so necessary, particularly if there have been birthing and growing difficulties.

Anyone who has experienced an unexpected redundancy knows the importance of acquiring skills, and stamina, for applying for new things. And the managing of rejections, perseverence, and persistence it often brings.

Change entails decision-making, and action taking. Sprints, and Marathons regularly.

Managing the pressure to continue, adequately dealing with the processes of feeling, accepting the tasks of preparing, repairing, and self motivating, is a fine human art, of the mind, and heart.

And working co-operatively with coachees, for emotional resilience, and brilliance, becomes an important process.

As human beings, emotional resilience, is important. And self-compassion, to get through the many aspects and challenges of changing, and adjusting, to new conditions, needs pacing. Because emotional, and physical Sprints, And Marathons are usually racing. And need managing.

It often surprises me that people need permission, to take it easier, to seek help, to care for themselves, to manage their anxieties, and to calm themselves in storms of emotionality. Perhaps it is a function of a perfectionist, driven, society that doesn't recognise the importance of feeling, and loving, in adjusting.

Taking time to self-care, and to live more beautifully and self-appreciatively through changes, is a human necessity. Self-compassion an ideal, and essential, reality.

Therapuetic coaching can assist with this. It gives the space to help manage the pace, and keep moving forward through the highs and lows, optimally, and gently.

I help people learn to take care of themselves through the Sprints, and Marathons, of change, and adjustments, in which they find themselves. And taking adequate steps to re-create their optimum, in new circumstances, again.


SaraSwati Shakti
Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

Joy on every page

It is not often you find yourself mentioned in someone else's story. Someone else's book. Yet that was what I found after the release of a book titled Whole Wild World. A book launched recently, and written by my cousin, Tom Dusevic. It tells the story of a boy growing up in suburban Sydney in the 1970's.

I had only recently written a blog titled Tell me your story, and here I was finding myself immersed in the story that was Tom's. It is a delightful book. And it reminded me how much we each influence others' stories. And how little we really know of the power that we have in the weaving of another.

It is a wonderful book, of individual growth, and the relationships that form major developmental creations in a human being.

I loved it.

And it has taken me down memory lane again, with my own family, and their dynamics.

When coaching people in the process of their own storytelling I sometimes touch on family dynamics. Family dynamics can so obviously, and subtley, play out in adulthood, and in families, relationships, and workplaces consciously, and unconsciously. It's a wonderful way to identify with people how their behaviours are impacting the world around them today. And what they wish to enhance, or release, in the process along the way. What actions we choose to take, as we evolve and create, always evolves our identity in our growing process, no matter how old we may be.

Tom's book is a beautiful read. Of the intricacies of identity, and the tug-o-war familiar to how many of us somehow perceive our own lives to be, each uniquely. It is a joy on every page, so well described on the cover sleeve.

Tom spoke about our pastimes, in childhood. My attention was drawn to my own appearance in it. Of playtime bliss. Of families, schools and colouring. And in the reading, it was lovely for me personally, to contemplate, how my inner child is still alive and well in my own big wild world today. My family, continuous learning, and colouring, a key feature of my adulting. My life work and pastimes, as blissful soul food, in my continually inspirational evolving adulthood neighbourhood. A delightful surprise in the re-reading of story from someone else's perspective.

For those of you interested in reading Tom's book Whole Wild World, details can be found here

I hope you each get a chance to continue to tap into the joy and wealth of your own memory lane as you too are living and telling your own story. In it's intricate unfolding. And wonderful weaving. Turning the page, daily, in a joyful offering.

Much love

SaraSwati Shakti

The Gift of Wonder

The school holidays have been upon us. And with it a dramatic change in the neighbourhood scenery. So many more children are mixing and mingling in the parks and walkways of surrounding greenery. Out for fresh air, in the open, playing freely, and venturing in pleasures with friends and family.

Today I met two of them. Two little girls filled with childlike wonder in a park during my lunchtime break. Sisters. Twins. Keen to meet me face to face, as I was about to make my way by them. They said hello, they shared their stories, they glowed with happiness under the large umbrella they held big enough for both of them. They were delighting in the wonder of their own joyousness. It was infectious.

And their joy turned to what I was holding. Two feathers. Small ones. Identical. And perfect for each of them.

One of the girls held out her hand to hold one. And the other did the same. They gasped, and giggled, in delightedness, and ran to show their mother the treasures that they now held.

The beauty of child like wonder, a gift of existence. The gift it engendours in our daily presence is unmistakebly brilliant. The innocent nature of children in the natural environment is so incredibly sacred. A richness it brings in spirit.

And acknowledging the richness that the world around us freely gives, like those two girls so ably did, is also a prize, worth treasuring, and cultivating, in a world that can be challenging.

Feathers in themselves have such a lovely meaning. I collect them often, and have a selection. They remind me of many things, and particularly, of the headresses that native Americans created as marks of earned wisdom, and honourable acts of Spirit. Acknowledging the meaning that each feather brings to the entire piece is a mark of leadership.

It didn't escape me that perhaps that is why the girls innately knew that they had earned their feathers today. Keeping their Spirits buoyant, and spreading the joy in the world around them, in a wondrous interplay.

Blessed be the children.

Much love

SaraSwati Shakti

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

Tell me your story

I had an opportunity to visit the National Portrait Gallery recently. They have an exhibition of photos as part of the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2016. Each of the photos captures striking moments.

And each striking moment is wonderful, serious, and resplendent, in the way each person's world is snapped in an instant. And the explanation and meaning the photographer puts in it.

It is full of story. In image, and glory.

We each uniquely see stories differently, from our own perspectives. And we learn from the stories and perspectives that others bring. In the relating.

Each moment is a story in the living. And it is only understood richly as a whole life story in hindsight...when the various snapshots are pondered with insight.

As you live your days, from holy moment to moment, in awareness, or daze, it creates a tapestry that can truly amaze.

Tell me your story. A powerful opening in therapy, relationship, and coaching. So much can be learned from that process. The meaning, the dialogue, the perspective, the monologue.

It is personal. And it is private. And it is selective. In the telling.

It provides a process for bringing out the truth, of the person, as they see it, at that moment.

It is beautiful. And it is glorious.

It is serious. And wondrous.

How you weave your stories to your liking, and disliking, and observing, is poetic and majestic. And changing.

And understanding the process of self-knowledge and courage that life's makings and breakings, can bring to the story, is captivating. It is poetic. And it provides a great perspective to build new moments of clarity and reality.

All of the arts...therapeutic, creative, generative, for art makers and observers, has an amazing ability to help tune in to what is true within us. A beautiful dialogue between the storyteller and receiver.

Tell me your story. What is your poetry? What is your art piece? And the unique and precious glory that it brings. Such a lovely place to begin.


SaraSwati Shakti

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

Sit, And Admire

When my son was very little, we had a ritual.

He was always busy, curious, and keen to move from activity to activity, regularly. Projects were moved through, quickly. From one to next, without a breath.

So I taught him something worth doing. To Sit, And Admire, before moving on, to the next thing.

To Sit, and Admire. A ritual. Celebrating.

To give thanks for what he had done. To appreciate what he had achieved. To pat himself on the back, and honestly critique.

To Sit, and Admire.

And to learn from each achievement. To take in the aroma of the wonderment of each project.

The conclusion, and the pause. The ending, for a new beginning.

Easter is a great symbolic reminder of end, and renewal. A chance to pause over the weekend. Honouring the process of closing an old chapter, for beginning anew. A timely opportunity to partake in a life review.

Considering what you have learned, where you have grown, what you have achieved, and gratefully taken on.

A conscious pause. To savour. Before moving on. Before going beyond, where you have been. To say goodbye to what was. And to welcome a new life chapter in.

As the end of the first quarter of 2016 is nearing, you may wish to consider where your footsteps have been.

Sit, and Admire. How far you've come.

1. What are you most proud of? In outer achievements, and inner dialogue.

2. What have you learned? In lessons, and blessings, and views.

3. Where will you next head? For more satisfaction, and happiness.

Sit, and Admire. And Celebrate. And have a lovely Easter weekend.


SaraSwati Shakti

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

Upon Reflection

At dawn this morning, by a river that runs alongside my neighbourhood, I noticed something new. Something irregular.

The river, was absolutely still.

So still that the water was a perfect mirror of the scene above her.

A complete, unadulterated, reflection. No exception.

And it didn't escape me, that my inner river, was similar. Still. And present. In the moment. Of contentment.

A mirror.

Stillness, within, and without, everywhere, about.

A clean slate, for a new day, as I sat, to contemplate.

A lovely observation. And a grateful contemplation.

And as I proceeded to walk along that lovely, still river, it changed. As I too had changed.

My mind was becaming busier. Passing by, I spoke briefly to people familiar. I made plans in my head for the day, and my week ahead. I noticed old ruminations, entering the field of stillness, coming into play.

And I noticed the river, had begun to ripple, as my mind had too.

A mirror.

Energy reflecting.

Reinforcing an awareness, that cultivating stillness, has an impact. And that what we bring as energy affects the world around us, and vice versa.

Watching how energy moves, as a reflection.

Knowing that it can be difficult to maintain stillness, with the movement through an ordinary day. And being aware that the ripples inside us, and those surrounding us, in leading a contemporary life, can contribute, or get in the way.

Learning to cultivate stillness, in the moment, can create a peaceful richness. And a self-awareness that is valuable for wellness.

Creating the time, to refine the mind, and emotions, has a marvellous affect on the world around us.

Through meditation, mindfulness, and creative immersion, or whatever practice satisfies it, in a personal way, can instill a peacefulness for blissfulness, as part of the day.

A lovely lesson, upon reflection.

And a beautiful motivation, for creating a peaceful projection, into the world today.

Much love


SaraSwati Shakti

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

For a new beginning

There is a poem I dearly love. It is by the late John O'Donohue. 

It is from his book To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. And it is called For a New Beginning.

And every beginning, which naturally follows some form of ending, offers uncertainties, and blessings.

It touches a place that I have visited frequently. A place of deep soul. Sensing that something is beckoning, to take hold. The place of fresh new beginnings. The restlessness, and the wrestling with in-betweens, and the uncertainties that brings, before the Sunrise sets in.

I dedicate it to each of you starting newness. And greater trueness, of your soulful existence, as you move more deeply into the year.

And as the last winds of the past season bellow, and the colours start to mellow, toward a new rhythm quickening, may it help you launch into new measures, of heartfelt treasures, as your soul continues to grin.

Begin.

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire

Feeling the emptiness grow inside you,

Noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the grey promises that sameness whispered

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent

Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream

A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is one with your life's desire

Awaken your spirit to adventure

Holding nothing back, learn to find ease in risk

Soon you will be home in a new rhythm

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

Yes, the world awaits you. Begin.

SaraSwati Shakti

www.lovingpsyche.com.au
Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

Centred, and Whole

An invitation resulted in a lovely occasion over the last week. A visit to the Masonic Centre in Sydney. And while I have visited there regularly for conferences and meetings, this one was different, satiating a long held curiosity.

The Freemasons, the Masonic Lodge, it's symbolism and it's history. A museum, and active community, passed through many generations, in the heart of the city of Sydney. Demystifying, and enlightening this most interesting fraternity, that built so much structure, with spirit, globally.

I have always been excited about experiencing and learning about different traditions, and the rituals that surround them. Their living history, in the present. It is part of what helps me to understand the diversity of the world I appreciate, and it's impact on the world we live in.

And the symbols, emblems and allegorical meanings, unique to the tradition, of freemasonary, yet linked to so many other traditions universally, is fascinating. The quest for Masonic light, or knowledge, is explained as a journey. Just like any we take in finding the value we create, in whatever group, organisation, or community, to which we belong and participate.

Being birthed, initiated, serving, resting, and transforming, as our lives generate.

I have so many favourite components of what I learned, it would be too much here to elaborate. Instead I will focus on the one most meaningful element that stood out for me. The place of ceremony and initiation of a candidate, or lodge member, and their representative reality.

On a floor of chequered black and white squares representing light and shadow, which we each must traverse in our changing worlds, an important spot, in the centre. A Star emblem. Or what I saw as a five pointed pentacle, in a circle. A central, protective, whole, mandala symbol.

And directly above, hanging from the ceiling, the capital letter G.

G. For God.

And in between, stands the person, individually, singularly, and wholly, signifying so eloquently the connection between the Higher Mind, and their Earthly Being.

Solidifying the importance of the link each individual has to the higher dimensions, while grounded on sacred Earth reality.

What rich symbology, of the power we each weave! To impact, and impart, our centredness, directly.

As Above, So Below, reflectively.

Our vertical, upright, upstanding bodies, and beings, linking to the higher Self, with our worldly work and worth, connecting.

Embracing that knowledge, and the responsibility it brings, in the evolution of humanity.

Linking the wonders of Earth, with Heavenly beauty, and connecting centredly, and wholly.

The privilege and responsibility we hold, as human beings.

The Higher Purpose, on Earth, as we each evolve. How wonderfully extraordinary. Reinforcing, for every body the practice of vertical connection, with reverence, as important. Centredness and Wholly holy.

Much Love


SaraSwati Shakti

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com

Dreamtime Present

I have been away. On a Walkabout. Into the centre. Of Australia. The spiritual centre. Of Dreamtime Present. Kata Tjuta and Uluru. A beautiful view.

It has been on my list for many years. A dream that has come true.

And of my being, connecting, to the inner space projecting. My heart touched unfathomably by experiencing indigenous sacred space, and surrounding community.

January...taking the Pace of Peace with me that my pre-Christmas spirit intentions brought with me.

Have you noticed? A Pace of Peace helps you deal with the shadowy things. So you can focus on the beauty.

Going to Uluru in January is hot. There are flies to swat. The weather is intense. My regular activities are curbed for a different intent. Slow, Slow, Slowing down, walking my body around. Feeling the intensity, with loving propensity.

And, oh what joys the bright side brought. Stormy, rainy weather springs. Sensationally dramatic. Waterfalls and rainbows, rich red soil. And aliveness. In the heat, and the heart, of the semi-desert.

A Dreamtime Present.

There is something so magical about listening to the stories of an ancient land. The Dreamtime. As it's called in Australia. Many layers revealed of traditional values, morals, and virtues that are perpetual to honouring people.

Allowing for the beauty of navigating inner and outer landscapes, relating.

And how are you relating? How is your dreamtime story transpiring? Has your own January soul walkabout been inspiring, as you lean deeper into the new year. Readying for the Year of The Fire Monkey, actioning your purpose, and why you're here?

Take the time to jot down what has inspired you, values, pastimes, and passions too. Acknowledge what was great about January. What you learned about yourself, and others too. And take it with you into the love month of February. Add any desires and actions that prompt you to continue to unfold your life story : with friends, family, community, and the work that you do. Loving you and those around you.

And keep it flowing as your dreamtime bliss list, in your heart, mind and body, as your evolving year continues, with each precious present that it gifts you.

Much love

SaraSwati Shakti

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.
www.lovingpsyche.com.