The Elephant In The Moon

We know, where have we been? There were some major happenings in our emotional and spiritual journey that required our attention, and now we return from a long break to find all of us in the growing phase of the lunar cycle and love portion of the LEAP program. We had a bit of a lapse in our writing skills from the heart, and didn’t feel it would be right to give you something that was not from a direct loving light. Life choices and our spiritual progress can feel like a lot of work at this stage, and we have to find ways to push through. We found our home filled with an elephant or two and they were dying to be let out and talked about. So as we reminded ourselves this past week, we remind you to keep a forward motion towards growth, even when you feel the heavy burdens are slowing you down. Reward for your efforts will show and it will all come together in time.

We do not practice any religion but we respect and admire vast elements of many beliefs. There is a Hindu God – Ganesh, which many people refer to as the “remover of obstacles”, which is true, but he also carries out the task of placing obstacles in your way when you need it. You can find his familiar multi-armed, elephant-headed figure all throughout India and Nepal.

Constantly creating, we’re sometimes so distracted by our latest positive endeavor that we ignore the elephant in the room lingering from the past. Since most of us have not found complete stillness of our minds yet, our mind is firing multiple times per second. We fill our minds with new ideas, judgments, fears and thoughts all at once. We can be extremely talented at making new things happen and pushing towards new goals and conveniently forget to deal with the lessons of the most recent negative experience. Growth is not about deflection or avoidance of the negative, but the acceptance of bad situations and the strength gained from the depths of the despair involved in them. For us, we moved into our new life with divine intention towards our soul’s work and giving back to the spiritual community. We created this new life with less bills and let go of old luxuries and settled into a simpler, more planet-loving life. However, we still have commitments and requirements for this life. We still have some bills and lifestyle requirements that can create stressful moments for us when faith should prevail. But in our shadowy bliss of the new, we found ourselves creating distractions away from the stressful, negative attributes our new life had to offer. We love what we are doing far more than anything else we have ever done, but nothing is without its challenges.

This past week was a slow-growing one for us with a few things looming heavily. We have been trying to open things up for our retreats and for Souls Converge to really take off and be our main focus. We took a job for a local winery to make ends meet, and it was hard work. It did provide for us to pay our bills so that we have internet, our website, gas, food and our home. We were exhausted after this work and couldn’t get a post out, or we didn’t want to is more like it. Our low energy and lack of motivation to do anything but sleep, was not a place in which we wanted to write from. We were tired, imbalanced, and not in a place of great faith in our hearts. LEAP is such a huge commitment that we chose, and we knew we had to push through. Any form of a Ganesh would have been well received to assist in loading case after case of wine onto pallets or just sort out thoughts and emotions. Perhaps Ganesh was there, watching us struggle and placing this obstacle of money and work in our path as divine intervention. There are many things we cannot control, but in a constant process of creation, you are an active architect. Our mistake was continuing to draw up plans before we had a clear view of the land on which to build on.

Buildings are only as strong as their foundations. Plants and trees only as strong as their roots. So it only makes sense that our quality of growth and strength comes from how grounded and balanced we are. What have we done to make ourselves healthy and not brittle, susceptible to breaking? What do we eat to contribute to the imbalance? What is not grounded that we engage in – tv shows, fast food, venomous people, and hurtful thoughts. When you begin to really look at what you are including in your daily process of living, you find the weak parts of your structure and it can open your eyes to how YOU are contributing to the weakness of your overall being. The judgements placed upon our society, and spiritual choices are disappointing at times. A simple notion towards a vegetarian diet can make others judge the power of the person choosing it. When you think of an elephant don’t you think powerful and strong? And yet we find another thing Ganesh is a symbol of – the first chakra. According to Kundalini yoga, Ganesh also resides in us as the “base, or foundation” of support.

We encourage you to find a stillness in your heart for a moment and feel this time of growth. Address any lingering issues you may have. Release them from you and you from them. Send out loving light with compassion as you watch them float away. It takes courage to face these things head on, and it will probably hurt. Just like those pesky leg pains in the middle of the night – when you get them, you know you’re growing. Find a strength in that and you will become a more balanced person from it. We are working with you and alongside our grand moon and her effects on us. Just a tip: the next time you feel an elephant in your spiritual “room”, (pink, white, Ganesh or otherwise), walk right up to it with a full heart and introduce yourself. You may even find yourself thanking it for the assistance in supporting your foundation of growth.

With full hearts and wishes for growth,

Lonny & Kristen

Click here for meditations and exercises for this phase.

LEAP into April!

Welcome to a whole new cycle of LEAP! The Love, Enjoy, Appreciate, Play program from Souls Converge. New here? Welcome! You may want to read our beginning launch of the program back in our initial post (The Moon And You), but you don’t need to in order to follow us now, here in this moment of presence. Subscribe to our blog to get the program as soon as we post it directly to your inbox or mobile device. Also, we will be sending occasional reminders and helpful tips throughout the program to assist you in your daily growth if you are a subscriber.

And just like that, a new beginning is upon us once again…

For these next few days we find ourselves welcoming the New Moon in a sprouting phase. For our LEAP program, we are in the “Love” portion, primarily focusing on the love for ourselves. We can sometimes allow our minds to control our emotional heart. Yes, we mean “allow”, as everything is up to you when it comes to your mind. At this moment in time, the mass idea or signal being sent out over the consciousness grid through governments and internet reporting is fear: “Fear what has happened in Japan, it is going to affect you, and/or it could happen to you where ever you live. ” Or “The government shut down for 2011 is coming!” This was one of the most searched subjects on Google today. Just like you choose what you put in your car to drive, choose what you feed yourself when you absorb the negativity on the news, television shows, and people in social situations. Be more aware of the negative show premise or the “friend” who feeds off the drama of others. You wouldn’t expect your car to run well off soda would you? The fact is; there are horrible occurrences all over the world, in your country and in your neighborhood happening everyday. If it were our soul’s purpose to walk in fear and be paralyzed by happenings, we would be a very weak civilization. And in many respects we are. In our attraction of the worst of things to occur we are weak, but as individuals seeking a higher purpose and better existence in the here and now, we are strong and not ruled by fear, but love. For that we must rejoice! The positive light love gives to all things is, in fact, our main purpose. The moment you can steer your direction of thinking to this, is the moment you will move towards awakening.

The bible says, “I am the Lord thy God. Fear not, for I am with you.” The Spirit of God dwells in the heart of everyone and everything that IS. Man is the measure of the universe.  You are the Heavens and the Earth. You were created and can create from that same place from which you were spoken into loving existence – the heart. You are one with the existence of this moment, not as the worker/mother/boyfriend/34 year old, but the soul that has purpose and love to reflect into this physical realm of consciousness. You are a physical being that is capable of great things and great mistakes, but you have to move on from them. Love and forgive yourself for past indiscretions and move forward to the One you wish to be.

MAKE TIME for yourself right now. This means real time, stillness, not just another distraction. Find a quiet place, sit and try to let yourself be wrapped in calmness and let all of your worries go. Use our “Breathe the Light” meditation and listen to our favorite sounds meditation “Holy Harmony” by Jonathan Goldman and say, write or repeat in your thoughts “Ho’oponopono.”   If you find your mind is just too busy at the moment to enjoy stillness, find something that inspires you to be positive, like an upbeat music list, inspirational movie, or heartfelt book.

While you are in this place, ask yourself what you want, if money, time, and you, were no object or obstacle. If you could just lovingly become and grow into anything, what would it be? Even if right now you can only see as far as tomorrow, focus on what you will be a better version of tomorrow. Write this down in a journal, or on post-its to place in your workspace or car, type notes for yourself in your phone, or place them into your calendar to go off during the day as reminders. These are the seeds that are sprouting through this cycle of LEAP. Let go of how much you didn’t grow or follow through with any previous things. Forgive yourself for small and large situations. It’s done, (although you may have lingering issues attached to these incidents), the actual moment and time of their negative light you are holding onto is in the past. The Now is upon us and you must move on, completely letting go of your attachment to your past mistakes.

This is a great time to cleanse. We like the Master Cleanse, but you can choose to cleanse or detox anyway you feel healthiest. Even if that means just cutting out fast food for now, it’s a start, and we guarantee you will feel the difference. The more you can assist yourself in a higher vibration the more you will feel alive and energized to grow during the LEAP phases.

As you move through these next couple days, find a moment or two to retreat into nature.  For you, maybe this is a city park, or perhaps an entire coastline or forest, whichever the case, you will find your seeds beginning to grow and time out in the sunshine will nurture these positive thoughts.

5 Things to Focus on:

1. Let go and forgive – yourself! Use “Breathe the Light” meditation to assist you in finding the things you are holding onto and they will release from you. You can also use “Ho’oponopono” during this.

2. Allow for more love than fear. Surround yourself with good choices and heartfelt decisions of what you listen to, read, watch and say.

3. Take time to focus on you and communicate your intentions to the Universe.

4. A time for Cleansing: Epsom salt baths, cutting out fast food, participating in a green drink or master cleanse system, and sun bathing, all while drinking plenty of water and finding time for nature.

5. Above all else – LOVE. Be a shining example of it to everyone, but most importantly – you. Love yourself and in turn that love will shine and feed others.

Additional Recommendations:

This indigo blue color, (to the right), represents self realization, inner senses, intuition, deep connections to the moon, spirit, magic, mystery, and clearing your mind. Perhaps try wearing it this phase or place candles or tea-lights of this color around where you’re meditating. Set the wallpaper on your phone to it or at work, set your desktop background to something like it from a simple search for “indigo blue” through google images .

For scents and smells: Lavender to release tensions, and promote calm. Citrus choices like Tangerine and earthy ones like patchouli provide clarity and tranquility. We are addicted to the Young Living Oils and their blends. A great one for this phase of LEAP is their Peace & Calming Oil containing a therapeutic grade essential oil blend of Tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, patchouli, and blue tansy.

As always, we welcome your feedback and encourage your loving insights. This is a program, but in no way, a rigid one. We bring you this with loving intentions and open hearts to share these truths, in hopes that they speak to you specifically in any way they are meant to. We hope you are blessed by our LEAP posts, and look forward to building our community, Souls Converge. Feel free to share this online through social media, or forward it onto someone you think may benefit.

Wishing you great abundance and growth!

~Lonny & Kristen Carr

Almost There! The Last Quarter Moon…

Just joining us? LEAP, is a program provided to you by Souls Converge to work towards our mission of body, mind and soulful living. LEAP works in conjunction with the moon’s phases each 28 day cycle and stands for, “Love, Enjoy, Appreciate, Play”. We are now in the Last Quarter Moon phase and the “Play” portion of our offerings to you. If you have been following along, please give us any feedback you may have, and subscribe to this blog for special upcoming events and retreats. LEAP is intended to assist in your spiritual growth and love for yourself.

On the left – a beautiful card from one of our many Doreen Virtue guidance card decks. You can find them here.

We choose to follow the moon and it’s cycles not only for it’s effects on us, but also for the ease in the effort of working with the program; you work on what you can as we go along and then when the new cycle emerges, you can start all over fresh and better prepared for things to come.

As we begin this phase, visualize yourself digging up the ground and prepare yourself to plant new seeds for a new moon cycle in just a few days. Reflect back on your actions and emotions this past month. We all have felt the effects of Japan’s devastating events. It’s easy to allow the emotions to sweep over you and get you really worked up, however, that doesn’t help the people in Japan or you. If you have an urge to “do something” donate to the relief fund here, or find ways to help closer to home. There are tons of families hurting out there and a great need for general assistance every disaster-less “normal” day.

Now, lovingly look upon the exercises you have participated in, your notes, journals, meditations, physical and nutritional activities. From a constructive view-point, sort out the things that didn’t work and why, but most importantly – accept them and who you are today, right now this present moment.

Really feel your heart and the amazing job it does to love others and love you in it’s pumping of blood to your entire body without you even asking. In this state of simple gratitude, think about what you want to change moving forward and appropriate manifestation ideas for this upcoming month.

Its time to consciously live what you have created, and if that is currently just a whole lot of stress, then embrace it and all the chaos it brings. It may not be conscious, but it is what’s real for you at this point. Find what you are capable of changing and surrender to what you cannot. Find a peace among it all and find true growth. And it’s ok to say “In this particular moment, I’m not fine and I need a hug.”

We were really going through some tough stuff as a family and a great friend of ours was so sweet, and sent us a book called “Everything is going to be OK”. Because, in reality we were healthy, very in love, and in a good spiritual place, and everything was “OK”, not great, and not terrible, (although our minds were driving us to believe it was.)

For a bit of perspective, there are millionaires out there who are miserable with their lives and material collections, but have all the money we could not even imagine. Then, there are the factory workers barely scraping by with their loving families at home that are much happier than most members of our family. It’s all in how you live and what you appreciate most in every day. Just be as present as you can, it will get easier. Relax in all the moments you can throughout your day. When you find yourself focused on something really negative – smile, think of a sunny, bright day doing your favorite thing and move on with more positive thoughts. But our bottom line – have fun and connect with your inner child:

• Watch something silly
• Find and read funny jokes
• Search for funny animal videos online
• Laugh along with your children to their favorite movie
• Get out and play – Do something fun with the family or have a get together with friends, (like we are!)
• Let loose!
• Hold onto your belly and make yourself laugh for no reason at all
• Get a big ice cream cone piled high, (or our favorite – a tub of Ben & Jerry’s)
• Listen to upbeat music that makes you wanna move!
• Go out dancing with friends no matter what kind of music

As we relax and surrender into who we are at this point in time, we encourage you to do what feels right in your pursuit for the highest version of yourself.

Pick your favorite yoga exercises to do with a smile. Sit or lie in your most comfortable meditative position and just smile and be still – not a whole lot of work there.

Surround yourself with all of the colors of the rainbow, (mentally and physically). Find your heart’s favorite color, (the one that is most pleasing to look at for you), and add it more into your truck ‘s interior with seat covers or by way of your bathroom towels.

Do the same with smells and scents. Go to your local place to get incense and buy the 10 for $1 ones in your favorite scent, or go to a store and get an air freshener to bathe your home in the next couple days.

Overall, take this time to cultivate your growth. Be proud of even the small steps you’ve taken in this process. You are doing so well, and you deserve to be happy. Repeat that, “I deserve to be happy”, because you do. Drop all the guilt and pressures you and others have had on you in the past years and this past cycle. Moving on! This next cycle is what you make it, and we know you’ll do exactly what your capable of.

With love for growth and abundance,

Lonny and Kristen

Balance For The Quarter Moon

During this First Quarter Moon we find ourselves in the flowering portion of the balancing cycle. We are moving along into the “Enjoy” step of LEAP (Love, Enjoy, Appreciate, Play). If you are just now joining us, you may look back at previous posts to try and catch up or just move forward with us today and when the next cycle comes around you will find yourself learning the beginning you missed. It’s time to take action and expect success but first realign with your chosen goals and get focused.

Active focus towards your goals can be difficult for us with lack of time in our busy lives, but if you steer your thoughts and attention where it matters, you will find your goals readily available to you. For example, if you find yourself reading useless negative stories about celebrities online or sports teams and their athlete’s poor off-field behavior, stop yourself. Actively take your mind somewhere else. Find an online site, (there are tons of them), that provides great positive quotes everyday and sign up, or find a daily devotional book with a collection of insights from a wide range of spiritual teachers. Or a great exercise – track your time. You can use this here to clock how long you spend throughout one day reading negative news stories that do nothing for your soul. This will probably leave you in disbelief, “Did I really just spend an hour and 45 minutes reading that crap?!” We’ve been there, and it can be quite the eye opener. Forgive yourself and take that time to do something positive or the activities we list here today.

Eckhart Tolle speaks about the flowering of human consciousness in his book, A New Earth, “Earth 114 million years ago, one morning just after sunrise: the first flower ever to appear on the planet opens up to receive the rays of the sun.” This is a simple and yet complex picture to imagine for us – an Earth without us or animals or plants. The image can also motivate, as we see how amazing this planet and our loved ones are in their basic existence here today. At one point all of us were a version of a desolate Earth; dry, lifeless, and longing for something to change. But now we can take action with the seeds of knowledge and with some sun (attention) and water (nurture) we can begin to expect that our flowers will grow to cover our entire surface with expansive loving gardens.

However, a single flower or even a few does not make a sweeping landscape of gardens.  As Mr. Tolle continues, “The first flower probably did not survive for long, and flowers must have remained rare and isolated phenomena, since conditions were likely not yet favorable for a widespread flowering to occur.” Just as you are beginning to find yourself in this process of flowering towards your goals, it is in fact, a process. You will not have a garden in a day. The conditions of your soul and your heart’s desires are more than likely not yet favorable for a widespread flowering to occur. You have to allow for TIME in working towards these goals.  Ahh, time. It’s that annoying reminder that you are not where you should be, nor where you once were, or where you could be in the future. These are everyday, normal thought patterns that come into all of our minds. However, like Eckhart Tolle teaches and lives, take control of your thoughts and be in present the moment. Find ways to be grateful for where you are and what you have right this second. It can be difficult some days, but It IS possible, even in the worst of circumstances there is always something to be grateful for.  A lesson of patience, as all the motivation and time in the world may not make you a different person overnight, but you can find your soul feeling new and different as you grow and move along in line with your goals.

Let’s focus on your enjoyment. Dictionary.com defines “Enjoy: as to experience with joy, take pleasure in, undergo an improvement”. If you find yourself laughing about something silly with a co-worker you are at that moment experiencing joy. If you take a break and just listen to the water, birds, wind, or people around you, weather you are in the city, at the beach, or on your lunch at a fast food restaurant you are at that moment taking pleasure in it all. And as we move forward with exercise, activities, and implementing our goals we slowly undergo self-improvement. As we move forward in this, you are like a young flower just beginning to open itself up to the world. You will be noticed in this change, sometimes in great ways and some in bad. Keep your focus on the good and keep the bad attention you may get in perspective. A newly open flower is vulnerable to being picked by the next small child who passes it, or admired by an old woman who sees the true beauty and lovely evolution the flower symbolizes. Unhappy people do not enjoy the act of happiness in others. This is obvious as we grow a more and more unhappy culture indulging in the great mishaps and tragic life occurrences of others at the “impulse” section magazine stands next to the checkout. A terrible news story will run far more times than an uplifting one. This can, and we believe, IS changing with the overall flowering of human consciousness. The earthquake in Japan left most people, even the unhappy ones, sending thoughts of love and prayers through their social media outlets in support of all those affected by the event. If you find someone making fun of your silliness, it is more than likely because of a fear they have of expressing their own enjoyment. Feel for them and continue in your joy. Eventually, your personal choices of enjoyment may assist in that person letting go a bit around you and then growing into that act of letting go for themselves.

For the next few days, choose activities to partake in that you are passionate about and can enjoy while participating in them.  We do not advocate a “no pain/no gain” attitude.  In our belief, pain is a red light telling you to stop and evaluate why you are feeling it.  Are you pushing too hard, are you in poor form? Walking, jogging, hiking, swimming, bike riding, kayaking, surfing, skiing, dancing, martial arts, Tai Chi, gymnastics are all good examples of exercises that you can choose to enjoy during this time. Many exercises you can find at your local community center, gym, and even at home online or by purchasing fun videos.

Enjoy a good book, a nice meal, a relaxing bath, sporting event, shopping, leisure activities, even a silly kid’s movie!

Try the following yoga poses that will encourage movement – they primarily focus on opening and strengthening your legs, hips, lower back and abs. Make sure to repeat each pose for the other side of the body as some of the examples only show you how to do one side.  If you do not feel comfortable doing any of the exercises simply skip and go to the next.  We remind you to please not push too hard.  If you feel a pain or strain somewhere stop immediately.

1. Hero
2. Sun salutation
3. Triangle
4. Wide legged forward
5. Half moon
6. Dog
7. Wind relieving pose
8. Double leg raise
9. Bridge
10. Full boat
11. Locust

This movement meditation exercise is an excellent way to connect with the earth while opening yourself like a flower.

Sit in lotus position and do the breath and navel meditation found here.  If you cannot sit in full lotus you can try half lotus or simply just sit cross-legged.  Use the hand mudra “Om” with the index finger touching the thumb with the back of your wrists resting on the inside of your knees.

Try the color yellow during this time. It represents happiness, sunshine, focus. With it you will feel cheerful, empowered, self confident and a boost in your ability to believe in and follow your goals and dreams. Lemons are yellow and their scent does the same for you as the color. Burn a lemon verbena candle or cut a few lemons in half and place them around you home for the day.

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Wishing you great abundance & growth!

Lonny & Kristen