Respecting Traditions while Embracing the Future

What is tradition? It is a belief, ritual or behavior passed down within a culture or civilization with symbolic meaning that connects with our origins in the past.

Traditions often persist and evolve for thousands of years. They lay the foundations and structures of how we live, express and experience this reality. One theory of social science is that tradition is often contrasted with innovation of entire societies. This contrast in thinking can be confusing. We are currently experiencing the expansion  of social change, one where societies progress from being traditional to being more current or progressive.

Unifying traditional  beliefs, objects or customs implemented or believed in the past, with enlightened and accelerated views and information in the present assist us to change paradigms,  breaking the bonds that confine us.

The problem for many is that while they are attempting to create new paradigms they have become somewhat flippant of past traditions. Some individuals are saying that the Master of the past are set in their ways, that the information is out dated.

As a teacher and spiritual coach I believe in setting up strong basic structures and foundations to build on. For instance, A basic structure such as the 7 major energy centers in the chakra system, will always remain a foundation. The traditional colours and the new energies they bring, will change and new ones will open.  The Blue Ray will always carry the energy of The Will of God, although the expression of that Ray and how it activates us may change.  Archetypes will always be created by the mass consciousness, however those archetypes will change and evolve into new ones as we begin to change our paradigms.  DNA will always be contained in the human form, although it’s components, form and expression will evolve to match our consciousness.

I believe that there are many of us who strive to change our current paradigms and be the “Oneness and Love” that the spiritual realm offers us. In order for us to change our paradigms and those of society we must first begin to change the neuro pathways in our brains that dictate behaviour and emotional response. Anyone who channels knows  the fasted way to change those pathways in not by creating  new ones, because creating a totally new neuro pathway can take years. However re-routing the old neuro pathway patterns, creates new realities. This is the reason we see paradigm shifts taking so long on a mass consciousness level.

If we respect and honour tradition, while embracing newness we begin to re-route our pathways. After all the foundations of our bodies and energy systems have supported us for eons. I like to think of it as doing a renovation. We often keep the foundation and upgrade or build onto it with innovative technologies and/or modern decor.

For those out there saying, “the Masters are set in their ways and the information is old”, I say, “interesting, that’s not my experience.” The information and teachings I receive from the Masters has changed and evolved considerably over the years. It was Kwan Yin and her disciple Beishu who provided me with the information and techniques to chakra colours over 14 years ago which I called The Beishu Method ™. Then St. Germain who taught me how to do paradigm shifts and create the new technology in Magic Max XL. It is St. Germain and another Master (who will remain nameless for now) who is teaching me a new technique that moves the double helix DNA encoding to a triple helix and instills new neuro pathways by re-routing the old ones through evolving archetypal patterns…cutting age stuff and new information needed for our conscious evolution!

The Masters continue assist us to adapt and evolve to new energies, they have after all made their ascension and as such have an advanced perspective which is not egocentric. In other words, “been here, done that.” Lived on the earth plane and acquired complete knowledge, skill, techniques and disciplines that benefited them in the ascension process. Are they the only ways? No, they are simply foundations of truth that can be built upon.

Remember the words, “I am that I am”?  You can call it your God-Self, Creator-Self, Divine-Self or I Am Presence whatever you choose, the concept and foundation is still the same it is only the words and or view of that aspect of self that has changed. It seems to me that, old concepts are simply being re-labeling and presented in a new way, then passed on as “current” while discrediting our foundations and traditions.

In my humble opinion, if we want to receive information from those who have come before us, and laboured to assist humanity in not only finding by simply choosing enlightenment, dissing them is not the best approach. By showing honour and respect to the Masters and the fundamentals they have strived to initiate, we open ourselves to becoming vessels on new knowledge, information  and up dated tools that assist our evolution in a broader way than our egos can see.

As one of my precious clients said to me this morning, you wouldn’t re-invent the wheel would you? So my question to you is, has the wheel been re-invented or simply modernized and remodeled to be more efficient for the changing times?

 

Respectfully Yours,

Rev. Carol Lefevre

Same God…different values?

Three nights ago I watched the news. Within 5 minutes I was crying and sobbing uncontrollably. The things that we do to each other in the name of religion blows me away!

For years now, a growing number of people in North America, have come to believe that regardless of which religion a person accepts as true, it will lead to some sort of salvation…provided that they lead a moral and honourable life. Of course this is based on the premise that God is just and could not have reserved a place in heaven for only those of one particular religion.

The doctrines of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Spiritualists all basically agree on the same definition of God. Each believes that God is a Supreme Being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the principal object of faith and worship. And…all the great Masters, Teachers, Guru’s from every religion say to honour one another!

So what is the PROBLEM? Why are we fighting wars in the name of God?

Personally, I believe that there is only one God and the only thing that really separates one religion from another is our personal values and or view points. So all this war, hatred and ignorance is really about value systems, which often stem from our cultural backgrounds.

This issue is the when we feel very strongly or emotional about something, we begin to gather information and evidence to support these emotions. Most of us can usually find some evidence to support and justify our emotional responses. Now add your personal value system and cultural beliefs to the mix and we have the recipe for WAR.

What if we were to take the emotion out of the equation and focus on being helpful whenever the opportunity presented itself. What if, we became conscious and responsible for our actions. What if we tried harder to develop the qualities of awareness, love, kindness, and wisdom. What if, we could forgive, trust and believe that we are all trying to do the best we can…is it possible that we could  co-create the space that would allow us to agree to disagree and live together peacefully regardless of our in-differences?

According to a Pew Research values survey, about three-quarters of the public (76%) say prayer is an important part of their daily life, while an identical percentage agrees that “we will all be called before God at the Judgment Day to answer for our sins.” And eight-in-ten say they never doubt the existence of God.

If this is the case, shouldn’t we all be making a greater effort? What if, everyone woke up one day and said, “Today I am going to be 10% kinder and more loving to everyone I come in contact with.” Could something so simple change our minds about our neighbours, friends, family or world citizens?

I believe that if each of us were to commit to being 10% more kind-hearted and open, we would collectively create a positive influence that could snowball and begin to return dignity and healing to all regardless of background and culture.

Buddha used to say, “Provide the cause, and the effect will be there.” This is the world of cause and effect in which everything is determined.”

So…in conclusion I challenge you all to be 10% kinder today…next time you look at someone who is different than you, instead of judging, try being open and curious. Instead of turning away or scowling, try smiling, the biggest brightest smile you can muster. And above all remember that we are all mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, fathers, sons, husbands, wives, partners or friends to someone who loves us.

Rev. Carol Lefevre

Happy Christmas and World Holiday Harmony

I believe in a spiritual world, one whose inner

most truth we draw breath from.

I believe in a majestic world, full of magnificence

and boundlessness, an outburst of possibility

drifting on an undercurrent of matter, toward

nowhere and everywhere simultaneously.

I believe in a world where I Am that I Am,

a living God and self-actualized Master

who radiates Divine Love.

I believe we can co-create this in a world,

For everyone; Together, Spirit, You and I…

Love Always and Always with Love,

Carol Lefevre

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Happy Holidays, Blessings and Wishes for 2016

To: Vilcabamba With: Love and Gratitude

Wow, I can hardly believe I’ve been home from Ecuador for 22 days and haven’t blogged one thing about my trip. I guess there is so much to say, so many experiences to share and so many energies to describe I really didn’t know where to begin.

And then, just like magic it all came flooding in this evening after coming home from a much needed yoga class.

The Place: Healing Movements Yoga Centre     or on   Facebook

It has proven to be my sweet oasis, a safe and healing place that allows me to nourish my body and being on so many levels.

The owners are loving, kind, nurturing and conscious. They have worked hard to create a sacred space where we join together as a community to learn one of the oldest, most powerful and sacred teachings of all time.

It’s the perfect space for those with extensive knowledge of various healing modalities, meditation and yoga, yet comfortable for newcomers who are ready to enter a path of spirit development and de-stress their lives.

The Instructor: Patricia.

A breeze of fresh air. I peek up and see that she watches the entire class, paying close attention to their body, breath, life force and movement, all while teaching and holding the energy for each person to receive exactly what they require. Magnificent!

As I lay in Shavasana at the end of the class in complete gratitude, in comes “spirit” with a message. “Gift your necklace to Patricia”. The necklace is made with a tagua nut seed and crushed rhodochrosite crystal inside. It has kind of a hipster look, not something I’d normally wear but once I put it on, wow! I’m like, “WHAT…I just wore it for the first time today and I fell in love…You gotta be kidding!”

It is said that the meat of the tagua nuts and it’s seeds have the strength and intelligence of an elephant, thus natives of South America call it vegetable ivory. Because of its sanctity and healing properties, tagua has occupied an important place in every aspect of life.

Indigenous healers use tagua to replenish vitality and cure diseases caused by low energy and a weak immune system. It has a direct bearing on our bone marrow.

Tagua corresponds to the sun and the energy corresponding to the solar plexus, and therefore is especially good for enhancing vitality, boosting the immune system, and cultivating will power and determination…Nice, right!

My mind immediately went through all the back and forth arguing and detachment stuff that comes with surrender, then I finally chose to follow my guidance. Something felt off, like it wasn’t a piece she would wear, so after everyone left, I asked her if she would wear a necklace like this, and much to my delight and confusion she said NO. Delighted that I wouldn’t have to give it up, confused about why my guides were telling me to give her this necklace.

Maya was in the car, hungry and ready to go, so I told Patricia that when I got home, I would dowse to see if there was a crystal in the piece she needed. I made it to bed around 10:00 or so and as I began my evening rituals, in the back of my mind, still wondering what was going on, I was given a very cool message…”It’s not the energy of a crystal Pat needs…It’s Vilcabamba”.

And that my friends is how my instructor Patricia inspired me to finally write this blog, here goes…

It’s hard to explain the magical energy of a little town called Vilcabamba in Ecuador. I will start by saying that I have yearned to go to South America for over 30 years, so finally getting to go was a dream come true.

Ecuador, has a wide-range of scenery. Hills and mountains, huge cities and quaint towns, interesting wildlife, amazing flowers and trees, big bugs and beautiful coastlines with wide sandy beaches. I was so fortunate to have seen so much of the country. Transportation in Ecuador is inexpensive and so convenient. You can sit and enjoy the view while others are at the helm. I will blog about other parts of Ecuador in my next blog, for now let’s talk healing.

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Nestled on the edge of this remote town sits an oasis, Vilcabamba. I found Vilcabamba to have a deeply spiritual and unique international community that thrives in this “Valley of Longevity.” From a spiritual perspective it is the hard to explain but the energy there is different, it’s a feel good kinda place, the kind that makes you want to be more yourself, more present and in tune with source.

In metaphysical terms:

• The veil is thinner, so if feels as though you are closer to spirit
• There are orbs everywhere
• Thought forms manifest especially fast
• Synchronicity is unstoppable
• Almost everything is spirit directed
• The energy field is clean and pristine
• It touches a specialness deep within you
• It transcends boundaries of all types
• It embraces and connects you on many levels
• It’s like giving yourself the biggest most loving hug ever

After travelling to over 19 countries and living in several of them, I am confident in saying, “there’s magic in the air”, quite literally in Vilcabamba. I have seen a ton of ET activity and multi-dimensional cross over’s, still, nothing like this.

There’s a cosmic force and a new kind of ET activity happening there. One with a Conscious Rising that is unique and brilliant one that changes perspectives and lives very quickly. I met some great new friends; David and Liz (she is Ecuadorian) who live in Vilcabamba. They say “It’s high energy that will swallow you whole, chew you up and spit up out”. So if you’re looking for change, to get closer to the Divine and really work on yourself and many aspects of your being, this is the perfect place to be. The individuals there, truly are “meant to be there” and a very interesting cast and crew I might add.

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I have often wondered how little old me could reach more people, share more love, raise more awareness, somehow open a door for the masses to experience gifts they may never discover on their own. Well, the energy of Vilcabamba allowed me to do just that. I met soooo many awesome people, and one in particular who touched my being and inspired an aha moment…Nelson Denman

Remember the unstoppable synchronicity and transcending boundaries of all types I mentioned? It turns out that with a little support from the cosmos, added with a sparkle or two of fairy dust and an open heart, Nelson and I co-created a simple and effective way to raise the consciousness of groups of people. How you ask? Through Reiki; I had the pleasure of initiating Nelson into Reiki.

He is currently writing and composing a folk opera entitled: “The Rights of Nature.” Nelson is an accomplished musician and cellist. He is spiritual, with real heart and creative inspiration running through his being. If you follow the link you can stay up to date with his project.

Nelson’s accomplishments are many, he performs and teaches guitar, bass, violin and cello and has collaborated musically with Paul Winter, Larry Littlebird, Peter Kater, Robert Sequoia, Consuelo Luz, Richard Russell and many others. He plays cello on the CD of the World Premiere of Voyages by Paul Cisze. He has completed 2 CDs of music: Earth Doctor, The Chakra Mode Cycle, and is working on Slack Key Cello.

Now every time Nelson plays to an audience or anyone, that Reiki energy is going out there with his intention, passion and music…Well Done! I was also guided to activate and initiate his three fold flame (Love, Power and Wisdom) so that when others hear his music theirs will also be activated. As Vilcabamba and Nelson magic would have it, Dominique and I were the first to receive and experience the gift of Nelson’s cello and new vibration that day. How enchanting. I so encourage you to hear him play.

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Vilcabamba inspires you to touch a specialness deep within yourself in remarkable ways:

• I had the pleasure and company of two amazing individuals, then I taught them (David and Liz) how to activate their 3 breath Merkabah, now they can really shake things up in town, lol.

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• It was a delight to work with another awesome, high vibration woman named Ann.

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• I taught 14 year old Cort how to dowse and spend a touching evening with his parents.

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• We played and prayed with orbs in the woods at night.

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• I learned how much commitment is needed to deliver great photographs from Paul, not many people can snap a great picture of me. Kudos Paul.

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• Most importantly I re-connected with Dominique, a beloved friend who I hadn’t spent real quality time for years., It too was magical in many new and powerful ways. Wow, did we do loads of spiritual work and have tons of fun!

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Dominique and I stayed at a place called Rumi Wilco. It was a 15-20 minute walk to the centre of Vilcabamba. Rumi Wilco is an Ecolodge that provides a human habitat within the only remaining semi-natural protected setting in the valley. We stayed in one of the River Cabins which are located in the midst of nature, a healing river and surrounded with 12 trails to explore. The cabin was the perfect size for us, with a well equipped kitchen and the most comfortable beds you can imagine.

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Every morning we wake up to the sound of the river and songbirds in the background. We had a gorgeous path through the forest daily, encounters with donkeys and cows, a river filled with quartz crystal, cool stone walls and domes in the middle of the forest and vibrant butterflies… fairly normal stuff for our daily trek to town and back.

Vilcabamba, is remarkably free from most kinds of pollution: electromagnetic, air and water. No planes overhead dropping chemtrails on the population, either. The ground water is amazingly clean because it’s recharged from rainfall on the nearby Podocarpus National Forest, where water flows down into the valley on a regular basis. It creates a unique situation for several types of healing. This leaves the air remarkably clean and energetically perfect for a great night’s sleep. I haven’t slept that well in 12 years…seriously.

Another grand design and wonderful manifestation was the convenience of our friend Paul, staying in town at Le Rendez-Vous. A quaint, beautiful hostal with gardens and mountain views from each adobe style room. After our 20 min trek through the forest with backpacks on in the heat, we were grateful to have access to Paul’s space. We were always welcomed with a warm smile and a glass of water. We had access to his Wi-Fi so we could skype with loved ones and change from our sneakers and damp clothes into our flip flops and sundresses before heading to the main square. Thanks Paul!

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Practically every restaurant around Vilcabamba serves fresh, raw fruit juices. Organic food is everywhere. I have to say that the environment energetically supports self development and spiritual awakening, whether you see it coming or not. The people in Vilcabamba are relaxed, welcoming, helpful, considerate and oh ever so interesting.

Food production in the Valley of Longevity is so easy and abundant that it’s almost hard to believe. In mere weeks, you can grow a huge garden full of vegetables from the rich topsoil. In a few months, you can grow papayas, figs, babacos and berries. And…believe it or not, in a few years, you could have your own orchard of oranges, macadamia nuts, jungle almonds, noni fruit, avocados and much more if you wanted to. This is one of the reasons that Dominique is thinking of selling her beautiful home in Salinas, to buy a farm in Vilcabamba. We were lucky enough to experience some great fresh fruits and veggies while staying with Elizabeth (Liz) and David, they have amazing gardens, fruit trees and animals. I know it is a lot of work, and Liz certainly loves it and puts her heart and soul into it daily.

Dominique and I did most of our own cooking. We did our big shop in Loja 4 minutes from town before we arrived. It was hilarious watching 7 bags of groceries and two suitcases being packed in a wheel barrel through the bush to get to our cabin. The Sunday markets, both in Vilcabamba and Malecatos are amazing, check out the photos from Paul below.

 

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The essence of Palo-Santo loomed everywhere, in shops and from venders in the square. Palo Santo is a mystical tree that grows on the coast of South America and is related to Frankincense, Myrrh and Copal.  In Spanish, the name literally means “Holy Wood”.

It is an uplifting scent that raises your vibration in preparation for meditation and allows for a deeper connection to Source.  It is also said that Palo Santo enhances creativity (sniffing it now as I write, lol) and brings good fortune to those who are open to its Magic.  It is burned in ceremonies by Shamans and Medicine people for its energetically cleansing and healing properties similar to Sage. I am so grateful that I brought some home with me, the smell is a reminder of the energy and essence of Vilcabamba.

Wow, writing this blog and emailing my new friends, makes me want to move there…No wonder Pat’s spirit wants to connect with the vigour and power of Vilcabamba…who wouldn’t?

I’m glad to have so many reminders that hold this sacred energy with me. I asked the river for a rock, it surprised me with two. I asked Mother Earth for some clay and she gave me a wonderful stone buried within the clay. I asked for cleansing I received Palo-Santo. I asked for strength and vitality and I received a beautiful tagua nut seed necklace. All these gifts hold the energy and magic of the “Valley of Longevity” within them and reminders of the heart connections I made that will forever remain in my soul.

A: Vilcabamba Con: Amor y Gratitud

Carol Lefevre

Same God…different values?

Three nights ago I watched the news. Within 5 minutes I was crying and sobbing uncontrollably. The things that we do to each other in the name of religion blows me away!

For years now, a growing number of people in North America, have come to believe that regardless of which religion a person accepts as true, it will lead to some sort of salvation…provided that they lead a moral and honourable life. Of course this is based on the premise that God is just and could not have reserved a place in heaven for only those of one particular religion.

The doctrines of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Spiritualists all basically agree on the same definition of God. Each believes that God is a Supreme Being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the principal object of faith and worship. And…all the great Masters, Teachers, Guru’s from every religion say to honour one another!

So what is the PROBLEM? Why are we fighting wars in the name of God?

Personally, I believe that there is only one God and the only thing that really separates one religion from another is our personal values and or view points. So all this war, hatred and ignorance is really about value systems, which often stem from our cultural backgrounds.

This issue is the when we feel very strongly or emotional about something, we begin to gather information and evidence to support these emotions. Most of us can usually find some evidence to support and justify our emotional responses. Now add your personal value system and cultural beliefs to the mix and we have the recipe for WAR.

What if we were to take the emotion out of the equation and focus on being helpful whenever the opportunity presented itself. What if, we became conscious and responsible for our actions. What if we tried harder to develop the qualities of awareness, love, kindness, and wisdom. What if, we could forgive, trust and believe that we are all trying to do the best we can…is it possible that we could  co-create the space that would allow us to agree to disagree and live together peacefully regardless of our in-differences?

According to a Pew Research values survey, about three-quarters of the public (76%) say prayer is an important part of their daily life, while an identical percentage agrees that “we will all be called before God at the Judgment Day to answer for our sins.” And eight-in-ten say they never doubt the existence of God.

If this is the case, shouldn’t we all be making a greater effort? What if, everyone woke up one day and said, “Today I am going to be 10% kinder and more loving to everyone I come in contact with.” Could something so simple change our minds about our neighbours, friends, family or world citizens?

I believe that if each of us were to commit to being 10% more kind-hearted and open, we would collectively create a positive influence that could snowball and begin to return dignity and healing to all regardless of background and culture.

Buddha used to say, “Provide the cause, and the effect will be there.” This is the world of cause and effect in which everything is determined.”

So…in conclusion I challenge you all to be 10% kinder today…next time you look at someone who is different than you, instead of judging, try being open and curious. Instead of turning away or scowling, try smiling, the biggest brightest smile you can muster. And above all remember that we are all mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, fathers, sons, husbands, wives, partners or friends to someone who loves us.

Rev. Carol Lefevre

10 Days of Silence

If you ask most people what it is they truly want, you will likely hear, ” peace and harmony.” In an attempt to find my own inner peace, I recently went on a 10 day silent meditation retreat. Many of my friends and clients are curious about my 10-day meditation experience. The best way I could describe my experience was to say it was a cross between, being a monk or nun,  and a prisoner.

The most common first reaction is, “I could never do that, 10 days without talking or eye contact, just sit and meditate all day, you don’t eat dinner!” When I think back to past events at the center, I am amazed by how quickly time went by. While a day of 10+ hours of meditation passed by unexpectedly easier than I had imagined, 10 days of meditation with the same daily schedule passed by incredibly slow at times as well, I must admit, there were days when I was extremely bored. There were days that I was peaceful and totally blissed out and there were days when I thought if I had to listed to one more raspy, guttural chant I would lose my mind and be locked away forever (especially on day 2 & 6). There were days when the chanting lasted for what seemed forever and in the days to follow there were times I longed for this assault on my senses, because it meant that the one hour of no movement that filled me with joint pain, sleeping legs and excruciating back pain was about to come to an end! For me it truly was a love (craving)/hate (aversion) relationship. To fully understand what I am referring to click this link: Shri SN Goenka – (Vipassana metta chant)

At times I was grateful to be there in the silence and doing something just for me, and there were times I felt like crap, was in pain and felt like I was in some self imposed prison camp.

“What type of meditation was this” you ask?

Vipassana meditation, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills and purification on the mind.

The four qualities of a pure mind are:

• metta-selfless love
• karuna-compassion
• mudita-sympathetic joy
• upekkha-equanimity

There were roughly 28ish men and 23ish women present at the retreat and we were segregated, the men had access to one side of the site and the women the other – with separate dining halls and a separate field and woods where each group could meander around and be in nature.

This course was conducted in noble silence, what does that mean?

Well, Noble Silence  is a technique used by a lot of Buddhists, monks, and nuns in which a person refrains from speaking, eye contact or gestures as a way to help quiet the mind and condition the body. For me it was a way to focus internally without being taken out of my process by focussing on someone or something else. As one who does healing, I naturally and constantly make others a priority. I am easily distracted by their needs, and…voila, I no longer have to focus on my stuff. With 10 days of noble silence I was unable to allow myself to be taken of task. Although I felt myself being pulled this way or that at times by the many who were in pain or ill, I tried to remain focused on the fact that I could do nothing to assist them, I had to hold them as able and allow them to go through their own process…amazingly, everyone survived! For me this was a major breakthrough and I released a deeply entrenched habit pattern.

The daily schedule was as follows:

4:00                         Morning wake up bell

4:30 – 6:30              Meditation

6:30 – 8:00              Breakfast and rest

8:00 – 9:00              Meditation

9:00 – 11:00            Meditation

11:00 – 12:00          Lunch

12:00 – 13:00          Rest / interviews with the teacher

13:00 – 14:30          Meditation

14:30 – 15:30          Meditation

15:30 – 17:00         Mediation

17:00 – 18:00         Tea break (only fruit)

18:00 – 19:00         Meditation

19:00 – 20:15         Video discourse by S.N. Goenka

20:15 – 21:00         Meditation

21:00 – 21:30         Question time

21:30                          Bed

We were provided with two fantastic vegetarian meals each day, breakfast and lunch. At dinner time, we had a shorter break and were served fruit and tea. I must say people can be very creative when they receive the same food selection every evening for 10 days! For the evening break, many students soon discovered that a little cinnamon and honey on sliced banana or apples was a good combination. I even noticed one person mush up banana in a bowl and add hot water and honey. Others made fruit salads. I tried several of the previous options, closer to day 7 I began just having a 1/2 of a banana and some Bengal spice tea. surprisingly I wasn’t hungry in the evening and it all turned out just fine.

Those who were there in serve as volunteers were absolutely fabulous. I am sooooo very grateful to them for their loving contributions and have already decided that I will go back in a service role to contribute on another level.

I learned that my cravings/desires (raga) or my aversions (dosa) to certain things (possession, emotions, beliefs) create strong attachments. Suffering, unhappiness, anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, pride, arrogance, fear and worry are all derived from craving and aversion.

When the mind is being over-powered by craving or aversion, or continual focus on desires or aversions lead to patterns in the unconscious mind that are connected to the sensory output. This then transforms any attachment to a craving or aversion we develop into what is referred to as a “sankhara.”

According to our teacher S.N. Goenka the body creates these sankharas; deeply rooted mental patterns with some kind of karmically reactive energy knot that generates impure thoughts and actions. They are basically habitual patterns we have learned over the years or lifetimes buried in the unconscious mind that we respond to. They in turn begin to trigger our cravings or aversions or avoidances. Most people try to stop craving or stop avoiding at the activity level i.e. “I won’t have a drink tonight” Regular Vipassana practice assists us to observe our sensations with equanimity, by doing so, we begin to stop generating new sankharas, and our old ones bubble up to the surface and get evaporated. When we evaporate all our sankharas, we become enlightened.

For someone like me whose specialty is removing patterns from the unconscious mind, I was delighted to discover a technique that I could use to eradicate these blueprints not only this lifetime but from all lifetimes.

Through Vipassana meditation we discover that our happiness does not depend on manipulating the external world, we only have to see ourselves clearly in order to free out deep seated patterns. It is the method by which the Gautama Buddha and his disciples freed themselves from every form of suffering and attained awakening and enlightenment, it is not Buddhism. In Vipassana meditation we do not call on the assistance of god, spirit or any other external power, is a independent method, open to people of any faith or none at all, you and you alone through your own efforts find mastery.

So what was my personal meditation experience like?

In Goenka’s teaching, Vipassana goes as follows: feel the sensations in your body, both the gross sensations (like pain in your knees) and the subtle ones (like just focus on your hands, right now, and after a few seconds you’ll probably feel a little tingling, or maybe heartbeat-like pulsing.) Notice them, develop your awareness, and also develop your equanimity, don’t react to them with clinging or aversion.

Some sittings were very eventful, others were distracting, some boring, others blissful, some intriguing. When all is said and done, what I have learned is that instead of labeling or judging each sitting, I have become a silent observer. In fact, I now realize that if I become attached to a experience in a sitting I may begin to crave that, if I begin to dislike a bored sitting then I may begin to create aversion for it, this in turn begins the cycle again and creates new sankharas!

My intention was to go and do something for me, self healing. In doing this I in turn make the world a better place. I learned a lot about my body and my mind during the process and in the week since. So life becomes an observation and as I observe all aspects of it without cravings or avoidances, I begin to release myself from my disharmonious patterns and misery…this has got to be good for all those I come in contact with…allelujah!

I wish you all compassion on the path to liberation,

Rev. Carol Lefevre

Paradigm Shifts, Uncomfortable?…Hell Yes. Transcending?…Absolutely!

Hi Everyone,

I have had a miraculous weekend which included a huge paradigm shift. I love how the universe works, so complex and simplistic simultaneously. I guess it all depends on our “perspective.” Come to think of it ever since I came up with the name New Perspectives Ministry for my business I have had several paradigm shifts…yippee.

I’m so excited about the one that happened this weekend I can hardly stay in my body! So let me try to explain the just of it…

As many of you know I had a client who is preparing to get married. She approached me and said that they, her and her spouse would like me to perform the wedding. I was elated, after spending so much time completing me studies to become an Ordained Minister, I could now submerge myself in a worthy cause, unions of the heart…yummy, right?

I was then informed by the Minister at my church, “The International Spiritual Alliance” that it may take up to a full 5 years to become legally registered with Vital Statistics and she asked if I was prepared for this. She cited several other Minsters who have started their own Centers and who had, in many cases waited for years. I went into total and complete shock, knowing that I had committed to perform my clients nuptials in Sept. this year.

Imagine my surprise when I received my approval and certification within 6 weeks. I thought to myself, “Spirit definitely has something to do with this…and this is obviously part of my future work with the Divine.”

I began to do what most entrepreneurs do, study who else are doing weddings, what type, their prices, what makes them unique and all that research that is so important. In my attempt to put something professional together I took info from sites that spoke to me, or that I thought I should model. Let me just say I did a lot of copying, pasting and re-wording. I was attempting to create something tangible that I could show to my client when we met. I had very little time and a short window of opportunity to prepare something somewhat professional, so I adlibbed in the interim. Yikes, what a colossal mistake, or was it?

My meeting was, you guessed it, this weekend. Not only with her, but also with her future husband. During this meeting I came to a pivotal point in my thinking about myself and how I operate. Uncomfortable, OMG…yes, transcending…absolutely! I realized I was placing myself, my worth, values, beliefs and connection to unions of the heart and the Divine in a cookie cutter role. I didn’t really want to be like so many other wedding officiants. YIKES…what on earth was I doing???

I have to share with you my gratitude for being so very blessed for the opportunities provided by my guides to grow, evolve and shift in such momentous and powerful ways. They ALWAYS without fail come through for me. At times, I am send down what I believe to be my new path, only to discover that my limiting beliefs have attached certain expectations to a situation. My guidance is firm, yet yielding and compassionate, for this I have been eternally grateful. Of course, I have become more open, flexible and less stubborn as well, which has definitely helped me move through some of my life lessons unscathed.

On Saturday, before my meeting with this client, I tuned into spirit and I asked, “what would be in my highest and best good to focus on for this meeting?” My answer, “Expect powerful change and a sudden shift in your perceptions.” I don’t mind telling you that I was a little perplexed by the answer. Instead of trying to figure it out I carried on preparing an information package for the two of them.

Well, after the meeting, I sat silently for 30 minutes and just absorbed the energy, process and what had occurred during the meeting. In quiet reflection I realized that in my attempt to prepare a website, price list, ceremony information and tidbits that I thought were important I forgot one vital truth…that which I had put together, my heart, spirit and being did not feel moved to do. Again…What on earth was I thinking! Perhaps the issue was that “I was thinking”, not feeling, being and experiencing the depth of the commitment, love and understanding that such an important vow/oath has.

The commitment to heartfelt love and to our beloved is one of the most sacred and important vows, we as humans choose to make while on the Earth plane and I know it should not to be entered into lightly or for the wrong reasons. I of all people understand the long term effects energetically and how it can affect us for many lifetimes to come. There is an unseen power that we discover in Love when we move toward an open loving heart. This important realization compares to no other. So have chosen to dedicate my services, love, kindness, compassion and reverence to couples who resonate with this truth. To you, I offer, my passion, knowledge and wisdom of ritual and energy.

So, the bottom line…I have shifted my focus and now choose only to perform unique unions that have some sort of spiritual or ritual essence to them. This is my authentic self and belief, this is my domain, where I am comfortable, where my heart is. In this space I no longer have to try to fit into a world that is not like me just to get in the business of marrying people! If you are one of the couple who resonate with my words, I encourage you to contact me. Begin with checking out my previous blog or my other website that is the business that I have had for over 20 years and is ever changing: Soul Alchemy Healing.

It is my hope that in the next few weeks I can re-vamp my website to better reflect this important message and connect with those who have an affinity with how spirit has chosen to work through me.

Did I mention how precious and awesome my guidance system and spirit guides are? If you didn’t hear me…”OMG, my guides are totally amazing!!!!”

So, if it wasn’t for my client wanting me to perform her wedding ceremony, I likely would not have moved on the getting registered to perform weddings thing. If it wasn’t for her partner calling me on my word/intention I likely would not have come to the realization of how the sacred has chosen to work and move through me to co-create the most precious and magnificent expressions of LOVE. It is with humbleness and gratitude, that I give thanks for this lesson, information and redirection of my being.

Yours in Humility and Truth,

Rev. Carol Lefevre

Personal Healing Retreat

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…We need silence to be able to touch souls.”  ~Mother Teresa ~

I recently had an opportunity to escape for tres semanas increíbles (three incredible weeks) to a hot, sunny, beautiful space in Atenas, Costa Rica that allowed be to do a personal retreat. Atenas is slightly NW of San Jose. Have you ever wondered what you would do if you had nothing to do? Imagine being surrounded by beauty and healing energy 24/7. Waking up daily to just nurture yourself that’s right I said it…yourself, you and only you! Imagine having the time to heal the past so it can be cleared and released forever.

It was como un regalo (such a gift), to receive an amazing place to stay with a beautiful yard and view, an airline ticket, and  the company of a woman who is as dedicated to her personal journey as I am. I have known Ann Metcalfe for approximately 5 years now, she is a client, student and friend. In that time I have watched her blossom, grow and develop on so many levels. She is dedicated to her spiritual journey, assisting others and committed to healing Gaia, what’s not to love! I will always be grateful to her and her husband Howie for the amazing opportunity to do a personal retreat.

So what is a personal healing retreat anyhow? The true meaning of “retreat” is to turn inward. To retreat is to go into a space that allows us to deeply realize the truth of our being and to experience the essence of existence. This personal retreat offered me that one thing I so desperately needed…time! Time to step back from the course of daily life and enter into the unknown, in a new environment that provided both the structure and support to do so. Time to release old patterns of thinking inherited from my family and environment, time to releasing old habits of self abusive thinking, anxiety, overwhelm, destructive relationships, and ending other issues or behaviors that no longer served me.

We live in a world created by a divided mind, which perceives separation and thus operates with fear-based, repetitive thoughts, always planning and seeking some future imaginary peace.  I have often wondered, “do we ever find it?”

Not usually, instead what we usually find is the accumulated stress caused by constantly chasing after something, and a sense that something is always missing. In order to find relief and healing of stress, we need to stop all worldly activities, step back, retreat and just simply be. The experience I shared with Ann in Costa Rica allowed me to empoderar a mí mismo (empower myself), reclaim my lost energy from so many lifetimes, and most importantly be in ONENESS will all that is. It was a nurturing and healing experience that I will always be grateful for. Pulling back from our everyday world allowed us, through meditation,  prayers and energy work, to turned our attention back to what really matters, our True-Self, our God-Self.

It usually takes a serious life challenge, such as a midlife crisis, the loss of a loved one, divorce, break-up, serious illness to realize the need to search for personal spiritual retreat. Fortunately for Ann and I this was not the case. We chose to change, shift and grow within ourselves simply for the pleasure of doing so, to reconnect with our authentic values and fall deep into universal consciousness.

I couldn’t figure out how to embed the video directly so go to this link to see Ann and Howie’s home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coW9LJU3wV0&feature=youtu.be

In Costa Rica our healing journey/retreat was focused on our specific needs and included so many wonderful aspects, check out this list of things we did, and over 3/4 of them on a daily basis:

1. Sun Gazing: a practice of gazing at the sun for nourishment, as a spiritual practice at sunrise or sunset
2. Doing Mantras: a mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of creating transformation
3. Morning walks
4. Tuning into the Mayan calendar
5. Homemade, fresh tropical fruit drinks
6. Laying in the pool, just looking up at the sky
7. Reiki: a technique commonly called palm healing or hands on healing
8. Crystal Healing: placing crystals on different parts of the body, often corresponding to chakras, or places crystals around the body in an attempt to construct an “energy grid”, which is purported to surround the client with healing energy
9. Picking your own fruit off the trees
10. Studied and spoke Spanish
11. Celebrated Ann’s creation of her balancing boxes with a Gaia Ceremony
12. Mental, emotional and spiritual clearing work in the pool
13. Staying open, flexible and going with the flow
14. Meditation & breathing
15. Setting up Crystal Grids and Spiritual Vortexes: Grids are a number of crystals arranged into a particular geometric form creating a particular energy field
16. Massage treatments
17. Meeting and sharing with the local peoples
18. Sun bathing
19. Full Moon Ritual
20. Holographic Healing: a multidimensional healing which accesses the original thought form and clears a person’s body, mind, emotions, energy bodies, chakras and meridians
21. Kundalini and Hatha Yoga
22. Shopping at the farmers market on Fridays
23. Holding the space for others to heal and clear
24. Emotional Clearing: tracing conditional behavior patterns back to their source by connecting with your unconscious mind and then eliminating them
25. Journaling
26. Channelling important information
27. Painting with water colours
28. Recapitulation: a technique that enables an individual to repair damage and energy drain that comes from soul loss or soul fragmentation
29. Star gazing and connecting to ETs

Cada día era un poco diferente (each day was a little different) but for the most part, all days were spirit directed and our key focus was on ourselves. There were some days when I only spent time with Ann during meals or on our walk. Our walks even contained elements of shifting our being. For instance we would challenge ourselves by setting an intention before going for a walk and hold that thought while walking, often repeating an affirmation over and over. Here is an example: “The God power in me is greater than any power or force causing me mind chatter.  I yield to the God power within. The God power within me brings me peace of mind, joy and love. I am grateful to the God power within for Self-Mastery.” Another time we would focus on breath, “I breathe out negativity…I breathe in a positive new future.”

Ann spent a couple of days working on her property and Mario’s, her friend’s vacation property next door (this was the pool we had access too, thanks Mario!). It was fantastic seeing Ann dowse the energy grids, ley lines and do testing for harmful geopathic zones and fields of negative energy which are electromagnetic in nature that flow within the Earth’s crust. I wish I would have gotten a photo. Seeing her with a big hat, draped cloth around her shoulders, wearing a sarong and holding her notepad and pendulum helped me recall her as an indigenous shamanic healer, Peruvian is my feeling, in a past life. This is Ann’s website if you are interested in more about the incredible work she does with Gaia: http://www.soilclearing.com/index.html

I could go on and on about our trip and get into some of the details of what we did, instead I thought I’d give you an example of a typical day and post some photos. Un día típico cuando algo como esto (A typical day when something like this):

• 5:30am, wake up and go through my gratitude list while sun gazing, the sun was just beginning to come up
• 5:45am, read Mayan calendar for the day and tune into the energy
• 6:00am make a coffee and go back outside to do some chanting or mantras
• 6:30am, activate Merkabah and do a short meditation
• 7:00am, make a fruit drink, wash up and get ready for a walk or yoga
• 7:30am, yoga or a walk or both with Ann
• 9:00am, make a smoothie for breakfast and have breaky with Ann
• 9:30-11:00AM, study Spanish either alone or with Ann
• 11:00am-1:00pm, recapitulation, at poolside (Ann and Howie’s friend next door)
• 1:00pm-2:30pm, connect with Ann, pick some fresh fruit, make and eat lunch
• 2:30pm-4:30pm, clearing work, or hanging out with God and all that is, being One
• 4:30-5:30pm, reconnect with Ann, chat and figure out dinner
• 6:00-7:00pm, eat dinner
• 7:00pm-8:30pm, read, check emails, skype, journal, study Spanish, settle in
• 8:30-9:30pm, sit out and star gaze with Ann
• 9:30pm, usually wake up outside and come to bed
• Before sleep, send Reiki healing to clients, friends, stacking lists, Ann, home, Gaia and guides
• Often wake up in the middle of the night and either do clearing, prayers or channel info from spirit

Of course there were days when we chatted with the locals when we were on our walks, that was our Spanish lesson for the day. We found a little church that we stopped into during our walks and did prayers, sent healing and did meditations. Fridays we went to town on the bus to the Farmers Market, loaded up on produce and fish then took the noon bus home, again a good opportunity to practice our Spanish.

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure:

This is Ann and I doing a crystal healing and reiki treatment on a new friend:

This is the Farmers Market

This is a couple of local birds

This is a bug that makes and incredible sound as it calls for the rain, you will hear it in the background on the video

This is what our view was like when we went for walks

Ann and I met some lovely people and made some new friends. Being flexible and adaptable to what spirit put in front of us allowed those connections to come to fruition. We assisted others in unique ways that we may never totally understand, embraced community and left with full hearts.

There is nothing outside of ourselves that is going to bring joy unless we first become that joy from the inside. If you want to change your reality? Cambiar a ti mismo (Change yourself). An individual spiritual retreat may help you to rediscover an important place within, a true You.  You may become an individual, undivided by the mind, becoming One with a diverse world, and when you come home, you will bring this change with you, showing others a way to come back home to themselves, helping to change the world in your own special way.

Que todos ustedes encontrar el tiempo y el espacio para crear su retiro personal…May you all find the time and space to create your own personal retreat,

Rev. Carol Lefevre

Recipient of the Liebster Blog Award

I am both humbled and honoured to be the recipient of the Liebster Blog Award. I enjoy being a part of the Blogging community and sharing my insights, wisdom and knowledge. It is pretty easy to figure out what is going on with me, simply by reading my blogs, as I tend to write about what is happening with my life in the present moment. It feels great to get it out of my mind and release it. I feel that the Blog is the perfect outlet for my doing this. It seems that once I write it out, the issue seems to clear and leave.  My hope is that it will be of some value to others as well.

I would like to thank my friend and fellow Blogger Jackie McSween for this award,  for sparking an interest in painting and for encouragement to participate in her Blog: pointsthruprose.com   I would also like to thank my followers for taking the time out of their busy lives to contribute to the Blogging community and for being actively involved in their personal growth and learning.

For those of you out there who haven’t tried Blogging yet, I would definitely recommend giving it a try and WordPress is a great platform to use. Until I blog again, Thank You!

The Award; The Liebster Blog Award is given to up coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest,dearest, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

Authenticity, Improved Communication and a Deeper, more Fulfilling Life

Countless books and articles have been written on communication that explain why sending the right message is so important. They try to teach us how to send exactly the message we want. Authors often stress the importance of being concise, precise, and specific in choosing our words, regardless of whether we write them or speak them. They tell us that this is the best way to get your point across to your audience.
Sometimes we practice what we are going to say. Often we write drafts of our memos and speeches to make sure we use the right words. All this is done to make sure we send the right message, and that we are understood. There have been times in my life that regardless of following communication advise things get rattled, confused and downright messy.
As a Minister, Spiritual Coach and Metaphysical Practitioner, there is a beautiful flow of hearing, receiving, being understood and facilitating change with my clients and students. It’s out in the world where diversity, cultural awareness, stress and busyness and surrounding conditions seem to affect how we relay communication to one another.
I most recently had a 3 month contract as a Business Advisor for a government funded entrepreneur program. I had been facilitating there for two years so when offered an opportunity to work with the clients one-on-one I was thrilled. It was only 3 days a week and left sufficient time for me to continue serving my personal clients from my healing practice.
As an entrepreneur and business owner myself, there is a real satisfaction that comes with supporting and guiding others to create their visions. I loved the clients I worked with, there excitement and ideas. Within a month a strange dynamic with the staff began to take place, communication became strained and at one point was unbearable. From that point on we never seem to got back on track. I really put myself out there, begging for open dialogue, contact, communication….anything to resolve this uncomfortable feeling, NOTHING! For the life of me I just could not figure it out. How could I have vibrant and satisfying relationships with my clients in the program and not the staff working there?
So I prayed, sent love and held the energy for things to open up and change. They did, but not with the staff members or our communications. Instead a beautiful, young entrepreneur from the program,  beginning a healing practice Angelika Bendrich ~ Fundamentals Of Life:  http://www.seedsbdc.com/clients/1921   gifted me with a free workshop called:

“Living from Truth – Getting Yourself Understood”

In the words of the facilitator Anjali Hill, ” People often feel victim to their own relationships not realizing that they can do something about them. Not only can you do something about them, you can change them! You have known people who put the responsibility on others to understand them and get angry when they feel misunderstood. In ‘Getting Yourself Understood’ you create ways to express yourself that leave you feeling very satisfied and able to do what is required to bring about real understanding in your relationships.”    http://anjalihill.com

Taking Living from Truth is an investment that you will use every day of your life. As a facilitator and Metaphysical Practitioner myself, meeting Anjali was a real privilege. She goes with the flow of the group, is genuine, has fantastic knowledge and leads with compassion. She embodies the kind of knowledge that comes from dedicated practice and unwavering self honesty. When I met her, simply being in her presence caused an inner stirring and excitement of what the weekend would hold.
So where am I only two days after the classes? I now understand the importance of completing communication cycles, heck now I know what a communication cycle is! I know how to ask for clarification without having to ask half a dozen questions, I can assist others in getting their point across simply by holding the space for them to do so and I can pinpoint exactly where communications break down. I now know never to try to communicate into a space that is unwilling or unable to understand, and have left my part-time Advisor position. Most importantly,  I have already used several of the tools successfully and will continue to do so.
Anjali Hill is a very generous woman and gives back to the community. Her commitment to assist individuals to Live in Truth is unprecedented which is demonstrated through her generosity of offering everyone their first course absolutely free with no strings attached…what a fantastic gift to the consciousness of our planet.
For more information on workshop schedules and to download a free gift certificate:
http://anjalihill.com/workshops/workshop-living-from-truth/

I send my love and gratitude for Angelika whose gift improved my life, to Anjali who preciousness and love changes our world and to God who answered my calls for assistance.