“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Chinese Proverb

In my last article about the water element, I mentioned that a change came about for me during water week.   I needed to find new office space fast.  After allowing all the emotions (water) to surface and move, I received even more clarity.  I absolutely knew what I had to do.  This is the benefit of listening to your soul – a knowingness rises up from within as you clear the clutter from your soul.  During fire week, I made a decision to move out of my current office and put my things in storage, without knowing where or how I would land.  How did I do this?   Fear surfaced so I tuned into that knowingness and ”walked through the fire”.  I decided to trust and move ahead in faith.  This is no easy task and the process can be much like a toggle switch from fear to faith.  However, when your soul speaks and you listen, a deep peace resonates within.  This, is the fire element.

The fire element represents Spirit; your inner light,  energy, chi, and  movement .   Fire contains within it the ability to transform, changing something from one state to another.      It is times of darkness, we rely on our fire element, as it is our inner light (soul) and our connection to Spirit that can carry us through difficult times.   By relying on our inner light, we strengthen our spiritual muscles.  This is how faith and trust are developed. Fire also represents your visions, dreams and inspiration.  Fire makes us expand and reach out beyond our physical senses.  This element connects us to the unseeen.

During the 28 day Soul Coaching program, we identify fears, patterns and habits that may be keeping you from hearing your soul during fire week.    The fire element teaches: reach deeper and vision higher.  YOU, are so much more than you think you are!

“Every emotion you feel is real.  It comes directly from our spirit, from our integrity, it is completely authentic.” Don Miguel Ruiz

Change was thrust upon me during water week of the 28 day Soul Coaching program.   The septic system (water) in the building  where my office was located, was disintegrating and beyond repair.  The landlord was unable to repair it due to the high replacement cost and no budget.   I had felt  a change  coming for a while anyway, in regards to my office location, but this situation put me into action sooner than I thought.   I had been processing this potential change through my air (mental) and fire (spiritual) elements; understanding why from a logical perspective and even the higher meaning.  However, when the crisis occurred, I had neglected my water (emotion) element and it was not about to rest, thankfully.  At 4am one night, the  water element woke me up out a deep sleep and I began to feel what this change would mean for me.  Sadness, anger and grief appeared and I allowed all to flow through me by talking, writing and mainly simply feeling them deeply.    When we let our feelings flow, they move.  If we neglect them, they get caught in an eddy by the side of river and swirl aimlessly.  And they wait.

Many people fear their emotions and work hard to keep them in check.  Why the fear?  The most common response I hear is that “I will feel the emotion forever, without end”.  Actually, it is the opposite. The more you keep your emotions at bay, they will not cease trying to get noticed.  If you do not express, where do your feelings go?  They can move into your air element; you begin to think your way out of your emotions. Or perhaps they move into the body and you get a headache, tummy troubles, or a stiff neck or back.  Your fire element may ignite and you can “spiritualize” your way out of a feeling.  All diversions, all attempts that will not work as the nature of water is to move. 

Your emotions contain information and if you can allow yourself to feel, you can then get to the next best place to take action if it is required.  The water element teaches us;  feel ~  flow ~ heal.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Imagine yourself at the top of a mountain.  The vistas are spectacular and you can see clearly for miles.  You feel exhiliarted as you deeply breathe in the fresh, clean mountain air.  The crispness of the air touches your skin and you feel vibrantly alive.  Welcome to the air element!

Now imagine the same scenario above; you are at the top of a mountain, but the air is dirty, filled with smog and you cannot see very far in front of you.  You may feel frustrated that you cannot see into the distance and that you are breathing in unclean air. 

The air element represents our intellect; our thoughts and belief systems.  When we know ourselves more deeply, we make decisions with clarity.  When our untrue belief systems or negative thoughts lead the way, we may stumble or make reactionary decisions.  

During air week, we delve into our beliefs, values, thoughts and our clutter.  Why clutter?  Outer clutter represents inner clutter.  Therefor the more you clear on the outer, it frees your inner self to soar.  And that’s what air week is all about – soaring to new heights and an understanding of self. 

A quick way to clear your mind and create an opening to new possiblities is to clear the clutter in any area of your home.  Even it it’s drawer.  One of my favorite teachers, Caroline Myss says that if you want to invite change, clean out a drawer. This begins the process and the subconscious mind follows.  

The air element teaches; Breathe in clarity…breathe out disharmony…..

And tackle some clutter to create a clearer path to your Soul!

We’ve crossed over into a new year, a new number, and renewed hope in changing our lives and our world.  Before the new year rang in, I noticed a lot of press, even in the cartoon section of the newspaper,  about letting go of 2008 in terms of “thank goodness it’s over” and “good riddance 2008″.  It was a difficult year for many, and I had my challenges too. And yet reflecting back it’s important to take inventory of the successes we did have, what was learned, and what is up for change as we move ahead.

New years resolutions can be very daunting and seem overwhelmingly BIG to tackle and many people give up, just before change is about to occur.  A great way to ease into the new year with a cleaner slate, is to begin the 28 day Soul Coaching Program.  During the 28 days, you will move through and examine all the elements in your life including; air – mental, water – emotions, fire – spiritual, and earth – physical body.  The carefully crafted exercises assist you in clearing the debris that keeps you from hearing the messages of your Soul.   By listening to your Soul, you are able to live  in integrity with yourself and your life path.

For the next 4 weeks, I will be highlighting an element in my blog to offer you an excerpt of what we will delve into much deeper during the 6 week on-site group and in the on-line group.  Next week, I will be writing about the air element and your intellect.  Let’s clear the clutter, the cobwebs, the debris and find YOU at the core!

The following is a prayer/poem to honor the ushering in of the new year, that actually begins from this moment, to the next moment, to the next…

Crossing A Threshold by Gunilla Norris*

Many times today we will crossover a threshold.

We hope to catch a few of those times.

We need to remember that our lives are, in fact,

a continuous series of thresholds:

from one moment to the next,

from one thought to the next,

from one action to the next.

Help us appreciate how awesome this is.

How many are the chances to be really alive..

to be aware of the enormous dimension we live within.

On the threshold the entire past and the endless future

rush to meet one another.

They take hold of each other and laugh.

They are so happy to discover themselves

in the awareness of a human creature.

On the threshold the present breaks all boundaries.

It is a convergence, a fellowship with all time and space.

We find You there.

And we are found by You there.

Help us cross into the present moment –

into wonder, into Your grace;

that “now-place”, where we all are,

unfolding as Your life moment by moment.

Let us live on threshold as threshold.”

*Excerpt from Being Home: Discovering the Spiritual in the Everyday.

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