I am sitting at a breakfast cafe in Mexico enjoying my last day of warm weather before heading back to a 6 degree snow covered landscape in Minnesota. I have been divinely inspired this morning to create the outline for my New Year program.
Last night, I had an amazing experience with a Mayan Shaman. It is a rebirthing ceremony called Temazcal. The ceremony is held in a sweat lodge with Shaman leading us through the four doors of the East, West, North, and South. This ceremony is not new to me, but the complete willingness to surrender all that I know and all that I am capable of being was new. We were asked to state our intention at the beginning of the ceremony. This is always such a vulnerable moment to share something so personal with not only the others in the group, but with the healer as well. My intention for the sacred ceremony was to drop the armor and stop keeping the world at arms length. I simply stated “I am opening my heart and releasing fear.”
Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. ~ Brian Tracy
After two and a half hours of being guided, singing, drumming, and moving my body to a visceral rhythm that only my soul understood, the Shaman asked each of us in the group to share what we are grateful for. I was so in gratitude for the Shaman’s insight, my own ability to surrender, and to the fact that that there was a reason that the participants were all together that very time in that very place. The Shaman left me with the words that “Joy is fierce warrior passion, and that the essence of Woman is nurturing, gentle, and creative. To use my intuition and creativity to help others find and express their own joy. Continue to be peace and to guide others with gentle steadiness.”
Three and a half years ago on the day I left corporate America to live on purpose, a butterfly landed on my foot. A promise of the change that was to come. I had a lot of shadows to face and many blocks to release. Today at my sidewalk seat, I saw the most brilliant blue butterfly float by on the breeze, shimmering and free. Interestingly, it is the first butterfly I have seen since arriving 7 days ago. A true message.
What messages do you receive that tell you when you are on the right path?