My Spiritual Diary: Week 5

Day 1:

Smoking weed never really had an effect on me. It just made me want to climb to the top of trees -but that's quite normal in my world. However, I suspect that my "normal" reality might be a tad different. I love that sign in the picture above because I sort of feel like I'm exiting reality every morning when I wake up. No, I don't smoke weed for breakfast. It's as though real-life is the dream and at night, the dream-world is a place where I can be free, unbounded and whole again. When I come back to the density of the 3rd dimension, it sometimes feels like a play, or a movie. When you go through life reminding your Self that you are more than this limited, physical body; more than your random thoughts; more than these sometimes overwhelming emotions and perceptions, then "Reality" has to be redefined daily. That's where I live. Perhaps I should join Le Cirque du Soleil? ;) I'm sure many of you can relate perfectly. What's your reality like?

Day 2:

Today, I am reminded that it's all about JOY, my friends! When we feel joyful and at peace, we can be confident that we are aligned with our higher Self -we're on the right track! When we feel those negative emotions, it's a signal that tells us we're off track -we're not doing or thinking what serves our greatest good. Negative emotions are an opportunity, an invitation to change or heal something in our life. My measure of success used to be money, status, busy-ness...etc. Now, it's simply joy. What about you?

Day 3:

All this time, I've been rejecting you, wishing you would just go away. How cruel and heartless I have been! Now, I see how loving, giving, nurturing and wise you really are. Baby, we have truly come full-circle, because I think we may now have the hottest romance of 2017. I used to rip your guts right out and leave them to dry, but now I have seen the light. My dear, sweet weeds, please forgive me. I had no idea you were such delicious superfoods! All you ever wanted to do was to freely give us a plethora of vitamins and minerals that are superior to most supplements on the market! You have shown me a whole new universe of possibilities, filled with recipes, medicinal remedies, even beauty products all made from your sweet little leaves and roots! How I love you, dear weeds! Thank you for allowing me to notice the true abundance all around me. I was blind but now I see. Chickweed pesto, anyone?

 

(Charts taken from The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, by Katrina Blair) 

Day 4:

I am so unapologetically enthusiastic about weeds these days that I want to share this new, empowering knowledge with everyone! I made another wooden sign with 12 of the most beneficial and common weeds that can be found all over the world. Someone in Edmonton was just telling me how he literally survived by foraging plants in the forest for a full year. Unbelievable!

Day 5:

I could never go back to living a life where I don't have daily contact with the earth and the plants. Growing my own food has become a way of life that is so fulfilling and nurturing. It doesn't necessarily require a lot of space, either. You can get a lot of satisfaction simply by growing a few things in small pots. Living in harmony with nature is truly a spiritual experience. This quote from The Wild Wisdom of Weeds by Katrina Blair sums it up beautifully:

"All beings have a sacred purpose here on Earth, and we engage in a noble contract when we experience life's give and take as a dance of sacred interconnectedness. To participate fully requires us to humbly surrender to a larger dynamic exchange. When we surrender to each other we welcome another life force into our being to become us. In the same way, when we eat plants, they become integral to our being. The plant makes up our bones, skin, and cellular structure. The plant's essence infuses with our mind / heart. The plant's rooted intelligence from living outside in the weather; under the sun, moon, and starts; connected to the soil ecology; and tied intimately to the water of the land merges with our consciousness -creating an expansive sense of ourselves. By accepting that we need each other in respectful appreciation, the cycle of life sustains itself. This is the sacred act of reciprocal appropriation."

Wishing you a fabulous and wild week!

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com

My Spiritual Diary: Week 4

Day 1:

As I turn another year older, I  can say that the way I feel inside is increasingly similar to how I felt as a child. It feels wonderful! This journey of honouring and freeing the true Self is not an easy one. Pretenses and masks all get ripped off one by one -exposing a vulnerable, wounded inner-child that needs much healing.- I am more attuned to that child now, and life feels more joyful, colourful, even magical at times. This process has actually awakened childhood memories -pleasant ones- bringing back a familiar sense of wonder, flow, simplicity and inner-peace into the present. It's certainly reassuring to know that life can improve with age!

Day 2:

I feel so peaceful these days, and I naturally want to extend these good vibes to my neighbourhood. So... I decided to paint a sign that says "Deep Breath" and I put it out where passersby can see it. Everyone benefits from taking a deep breath, right? I enjoyed painting it, so I created another sign with 3 mandalas, as well as the words gratitude, joy, love and harmony. These words hold a very high vibration, therefore they will benefit whoever reads them (like you!). The law of attraction will determine who notices and appreciates the signs -or not! Only the people who's frequency matches the frequency of the signs will be able to experience them as a "pleasant occurrence." Those who are not a match may never even see the signs, or they might feel repelled by them because of the energetic dissonance they feel. Should be interesting to see what happens!

Day 3:

I am so content to just be here at home this summer! Each day is lazy and delicious. I am enjoying the here and now like never before!

Day 4:

Lately I have been applying the principles from this book written by Thich Nhat Hanh. I think I'm a model student :)

Day 5:

I am learning that when the mind is still -when there is no neurotic commentary going on that usually has something do to with the past, the future, shoulds, musts, regrets, or just random mental noise- life becomes peaceful and effortless, nomatter what external circumstances I might find myself in. I think that when we say we need a vacation, what we are really looking for is the switch to turn off the mental noise, so that we can fully, truly RELAX into just Being. The distractions we occupy ourselves with are certainly entertaining and they have their place, but they don't quench that thirst for true, lasting inner-peace. Do you agree? What do you hope to get from a vacation?

And on that note, I am now turning the switch to "off". I wish you a wonderfully lazy week! Thanks for reading!

Kind regards,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com

My Spiritual Diary: Week 3

Day 1:

To be honest, I find that relationships are the biggest challenge on the path towards self-realization. In many ways, becoming a hermit, a monk or a nun is easier than swimming daily in the unconscious currents of the world. However, it's through these sometimes difficult interactions with the people who are closest to us that our illusions become shattered. This is a good thing, because shattered illusions mean we are getting closer to the ultimate Reality. I am learning that every kind of relationship -whether it's with a lover, a parent, a child, a friend or a co-worker- is defined through the perspective and expectations of the egos involved. By default, a relationship implies separation: two people, different views, differents needs, different wants. Relationships between individuals are constantly changing and evolving, therefore they must continually be redefined and renegociated. This is all part of the great illusion -the game we're in. As our illusions shatter one by one, we begin to see that there is only truly One relationship. There is only unconditional Love. But the ego is already disagreeing with me!

Day 2:

I am sitting in the garden with my bare feet touching the ground. I am physically and mentally grounding myself. After only about 10 minutes of doing this, I already feel more relaxed. I think my cat Mitsy knows this too, as she's rolling on the ground next to me, purring. Touching trees also does wonders for grounding. Reconnecting to Mother Earth daily is important for our health, and it just feels soooo good!

Day 3:

There is so much mental noise exchanged in conversations. Silence allows the being-ness and the fundamental Love to shine through to Other. Most of the content exchanged verbally generally has to do with labelling, defining the perceived separation, justifying positionalities, planning the future or dwelling on the past. Sometimes important, valuable information is being shared or exchanged, but very often, if we are very honest with ourselves, we can notice how much of what we say originates from the ego's deep insecurities and need for validation. Most of the time, my prefence is to stay quiet, but that can be pretty boring or even awkward, because we, "socialized beings" have been taught that there is something fundamentally wrong with silence during a conversation. Would you agree?

Day 4:

It's easy to feel blissful these days, with such beauty all around me! I am in Love with the fragrant flowers, the tranquil trees and the varicoloured vegetables growing everywhere. I even welcome weeds these days because I am learning all about how to use them as food and medicine. Each morning, I am surprised by the new bloom of the day. Today, I was pleased to see how this gorgeous Delphinium plant just popped up without having been officially planted. Mother Nature, you are truly amazing!

Day 5:

I picked up a little book at the Edmonton library and finished it in an evening. It's called I Knew Their Hearts, by Jeff Olsen. Wow! It's a heart-breaking, eye-opening, inspiring true story. Here is a quote from the book:

"I felt the hustle and unrest of the hallway of a hospital. I watched the doctors and nurses as they went about their duties. I moved with ease all around them. I realized none of them were aware of me. They could not see me, but -wow-could I see them! My perceptions were expanded. I knew each person I saw perfectly. I knew their joys and their sorrows. I knew their love, their hate, their pain, and their secrets. I knew everything about them, every detail, every motivation, and every outcome. I knew every emotion they were feeling, and I knew intuitively why they were feeling it. In an instant, with no contemplation, I knew them as well as I knew myself. I knew their hearts."

What a beautiful description and manifestation of Oneness! If only each one of us could experience this for one hour, all our illusions of separation would be shattered! The world as we know it would change in an instant.

All the best,

Lise Villeneuve
www.lisevilleneuve.com

My Spiritual Diary: Week 2

Day 1:

Accompanying my teenager for a shopping hangout at the mall today was certainly fun and entertaining, but at the same time, my spirit felt engulfed in a material, disconnected world of individuality and consumerism. I often feel like I'm living in two very different and opposing realities. For me, the mall is a little bit like a candy shop for the ego. Everwhere I looked, the message seemed to be "Shop, so that you may acquire things that will make you feel better and increase your self-worth!" Of course, I kept these thoughts to myself and just enjoyed the experience as much as I could, because I realise that my bonding opportunities with Emma are conditional to me not acting like a crazy, uncool, moralizing mom in public. I think the Art of being a good parent is sometimes about dropping subtle hints here and there. NEVER let them figure out you're trying to teach them something! :) I hope that Emma eventually sees that most of us are walking through life in a trance-like state, unable to separate our own true desires from those that were imposed upon us by a consumerist society. What we're really after can't be bought at the mall.

Day 2:

Some people love social media. I'm not one of those people. I question my motives for every facebook post I write. I even struggled with the idea of writing this spiritual diary. Am I seeking validation for something? Do I have a need for creative expression? Do I want to be seen, or heard? Do I need an outlet for an overwhelming emotion? Are there any benefits to sharing my thoughts and experiences in public? Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. I am challenging myself to be more open and transparent about my spiritual journey, and that includes these sometimes neurotic thoughts. If my ego is at the root of this diary, at least I plan on exposing it. There it is again, self versus Self. I can only laugh!

Day 3:

How easily I forget that the external world cannot possibly give me what I crave the most: inner-peace. It is already here, buried under layers and layers of illusions. It is what I am.

Day 4:

As I watch people go about their day doing various activities -mowing their lawns, walking their dogs, shopping for groceries - I can see by their facial expressions when they are deeply engaged and lost in their thoughts. I smile, because I too, know this condition all too well. I am reminded to ask myself "will my mind be the servant, or the master today?"

Day 5:

I was chatting outside with a very spiritually aware neighbour when another neighbour walked by with her dog. Somehow, after just a few seconds, the conversation arrived at a point where she said "we were all born with sin, unfortunately we can't change that." My spiritually aware neighbour's reaction was priceless! He just responded with a loud "OK!" of complete disbelief as if he was saying "alright, I guess that's what you believe, not me!" Then he looked at me and we had a good chuckle. What a moment that was for me. In that second, he showed me how to completely disagree with someone while at the same time remaining polite, respectful and lighthearted. A few minutes later, he told me "I just wasn't going to go there with her." If he hadn't had that quick reaction, I probably would have just politely listened to her without voicing my personal perspective. That's just what I've learned to do to "blend in" over the years. Most of the time it's just not worth it. Today, that reaction was perfect. It inspired me.

Sincerely,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com