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Spiritual Awakening

Grief and LossLiving FullySpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Releasing Anger Inviting Aliveness

(Navigating the Decline of My Mom - Story #2) I wake up this morning and am lucid dreaming. In the dream, I feel frustrated and angry, similar to how I feel about my mom’s health decline and impending death. I had wanted to have a temper tantrum at dance church a couple of weeks ago, but held back because I didn’t want to disturb the other dancers. During a phone healing session later in the day, I share about my dream. The healer and I work through issues related to me feeling safe using my voice to express myself. At the end of the session, she suggests I get support to express my rage. She also recommends that I go into nature to do this anger release work. I am staying at a friend’s house where I am surrounded by two acres of trees, water, flowers, bushes. It’s like a…
Karen
April 21, 2020
AcceptanceGrief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Grounding Meditation for Uncertain Times

If you are like me, you have likely experienced a variety of emotions upon hearing news about the pandemic and directly experiencing the effects of closures, empty grocery store shelves, social isolation, etc. My emotions have run the gamut from shock, fear, grief, depression, to hope for the possibility of a radical awakening and the benefits of slowing down and orienting more fully to what is most important in my life. As an antidote to the roller coaster ride, here is an audio recording of a grounding guided visualization that I frequently do with my clients. I hope that it helps you find your ground and center in the midst of the chaos. I hope that it helps you remember that you are a Being of love and light who has the power to create positive change in your life and in the world. Click here to listen. If you need extra…
Karen
March 18, 2020
Grief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Learning to Value Myself

Happy New Year! I love this time of year. The days are getting longer. The busyness of the holidays is behind us. I feel alive with new possibilities and am inspired to create anew. As part of my process in getting clear about what I intend to create in 2018, I took time out to review my growth over the past year. What did I learn in 2017? What did I appreciate about myself? How did I heal and transform? Instead of focusing on my outward accomplishments, I decided to focus on my inner journey. I feel inspired to share the highlights with you as this review process was fortifying and empowering. It helped me to anchor in the changes, and set intentions for continued growth. One of the greatest areas of growth for me this year was learning to value myself more. My nature is to be a peace…
Karen
January 12, 2018
Grief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Coming Alive After Loss

After eating breakfast at the Aquarius restaurant at the Dream Inn, which overlooks the ocean, boardwalk and Wharf in Santa Cruz, my boyfriend Mark and I decided to stroll on the Wharf where “Woodies on the Wharf” was taking place, a car convention featuring more than 200 stylish, pre-1952 “wood-bodied” cars, known as “Woodies”. Walking hand-in-hand we admired these classic cars which have been restored by their caring passionate owners. Each car was unique with varying colors, designs, interior upholsteries and decorative ornaments. A few had the doll "Woody" from the movie Toy Story sitting on the dash or the hood of the car. Some had surf boards on roof racks. The varnished wood was gorgeous and the paint jobs exquisite.  The cars appeared shiny, polished impeccably. I wanted to rub my hands all over them to feel their smoothness on my skin. I barely touched them, though, so as…
Karen
June 30, 2015
Grief and LossSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Loss: Fertile Ground for Transformation and Awakening

Two days after New Years, I had an appointment with my massage therapist, Gypsy. Walking into his studio was like emerging into a safe cozy cocoon; candles were lit, the lights were turned down, and there was a warm glow emanating from the gas fireplace. In this quiet space, I began to relax. “What are we working on today?” Gypsy asked. “My heart…it needs healing,” I responded. On New Years day, I had found myself feeling depressed. Usually this holiday is my favorite, because I love celebrating my accomplishments from the previous year, and I look forward to all of the possibilities for the upcoming year. But instead, I felt sad and angry. I had invested a lot of time, energy and money into growing my business, and here I was, in the same financial place with my income, but now also further in debt. Weighing even more heavily on…
Karen
January 31, 2013
Grief and LossSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Embrace Grief as an Ally

There are many prophecies about this year, 2012, as it relates to the end of the Mayan calendar. Some believe this is a time of great spiritual awakening and the expansion of human consciousness. Others believe we are coming to the end of the world. My experience so far is that of intensity. All that has gone unresolved in my life has surfaced to be healed and transformed during these past six months. In the process, I have opened more fully to embody more of my light. More of me has awakened to the truth of who I am as an infinite spiritual being of love and light. During this time of intensity, many feel an urgency to find and live their purpose. They want to feel that their losses have meaning. Some are choosing to transition and leave the planet. My 97-year-old Grammie died two weeks ago. I just…
Karen
August 14, 2012
Grief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Grieving: A Catalyst for Spiritual Awakening

The grieving process can be a powerful catalyst for our spiritual awakening. When we experience loss, such as the death of a loved one, we long for the connection we once had. We long for what was that isn’t anymore. In our longing, we are invited to surrender and let go of control of how we think life should have turned out. We are invited into a deeper relationship with the Divine as we let go and trust the great mystery of life. Over the past ten years, I have desired to have a baby but have experienced one early miscarriage after another, with no medical explanation. Each month I become pregnant, I get excited and think, maybe this time! Then, my period comes and I experience grief and despair only to ride the cycle again the following month. The more I allow myself to express my grief and anger,…
Karen
August 3, 2012
Grief and LossSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Allowing Grief; Awakening New Possibilities

Where two rivers joined, I spotted a large dead Ponderosa pine which had fallen down a steep ravine on its side, half of its trunk submerged in the water. Carefully navigating my way down the ravine, I felt excited….This was the first day of my vacation and the tree was the perfect place for me to relax and meditate. As I lay down with my back fully supported by the trunk of the tree and my body soaking up the warmth of the sun, I dangled my feet in the water. The snow melt from the mountains was fresh and the water was freezing. I promptly removed them! Surrounded by tall pine trees, their needles glistened in the sun, the sound of rushing water soothed my soul. Taking in the beauty all around me, my heart opened and tears welled up in my eyes. I witnessed the abundance, perfection, and…
Karen
May 24, 2012
Spiritual AwakeningTransformation

The Cosmic Shakeup

Have you ever had a day when everything went “wrong”? Perhaps your computer crashed or you locked your keys in the car. You feel like things are “off” but you can’t quite put your finger on it.  You wrinkle your brow, shrug your shoulders and say, “That’s strange? I wonder what it could mean. Is the Universe trying to tell me something?” Recently, I came down with the flu…fever, cough, sore throat. The fever subsided but this nasty cough and sore throat have persisted. I finally took the time to be still and ask, “Is there a message in this for me?” The obvious answer was…YES! Since the throat chakra has to do with creative expression and communication, I suspected the Universe was trying to tell me that I needed to focus more on my writing and to express more from my heart and soul. The words I hear now…
Karen
May 9, 2012
Spiritual Awakening

Practice Seeing the Truth

By Karen Mehringer   “Enlightenment is but a recognition, not a change at all.” – A Course in Miracles   Many wisdom traditions teach that to be enlightened, we must recognize our own true nature as Divine and see it in our brothers and sisters. Therefore, enlightenment is not something to be attained, but a state of remembering who we already are as Divine love and light, as one with God and each other. The most direct path to enlightenment is to see all beings, including our selves, as pure and innocent. When we see the God essence in another, it reinforces it within ourselves and the love and light within us expands. Many of us have had moments of such revelation…seeing the Divine beauty in another and in the perfection of life. These moments are blissful, but often fleeting because the ego is strong. It does not want us to remember…
Karen
September 13, 2010
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Karen Mehringer, MA, MFT - Grief support, counseling and life coaching in Santa Cruz area.