Saturday, October 15, 2011

Book Review: The Power of Your Spirit

The Power of Your Spirit - Order Here!
Initial Impressions:

While we want to transform into spiritual beings, we fear the effort may be too complicated and the rewards not guaranteed.  So we learn  enough to talk about it, but stop short of experiencing it in the most direct way -- through a committed daily practice, because this is where "the rubber hits the road."




There is nothing like a good fussin':-) 

As a piano teacher, I can relate to someone who takes piano for a lengthy amount of time but doesn't get better because they do not have a daily practice at home.   I can imagine the same is true for psychics.  This, to me, is the foundation of this book - to get off our duffs and do the work.  The book divides into four sections - awakening, discovering, surrendering, and flowing,  Each section contains multiple stories with corresponding exercises and questions that are timeless.


Can you really create an authentic, Spirit-led life with daily practice?  Sonia says it will take "attention, discipline, and practice."   Lifestyle changes bring about real and lasting changes, not just isolated moments of the Divine.  She encourages us to center our daily lives with meditation, breathing, and looking within with journaling.  As a result, we can surrender to Spirit  "even when your truth makes you or those around you uncomfortable, unhappy, angry, or afraid?" Yeah - not easy if you aren't use it to it right?  Sonia does break it down in steps through this book.


I particularly appreciate the journal questions and breathing exercises.   These are questions you could go back and use every few months to reconnect to your Spiritual vital signs.   I kept wondering why she kept coming back to breathing and she did explain it!
As simplistic as it sounds, breathing is the only action that can interrupt and actually end the ego's game of fear and control.  You can reset your personal vibration to a more creative, empowered, and joyful level.
Sonia explains that Spirit is "best felt in silence."  This is an underscore of the important of moving from our head which wants to think and talk about spiritual things and moving into a much deeper place.  She gives ideas on how to connect to our Spirit during the day as well as reminders to be open to intuitive thoughts and ideas.    This really is such a wonderful how-to book that is great for beginners.  I think the stories will help beginners because they will see themselves in her client stories.  The journal and breathing exercises are wonderful for all because we can either forget the breathing techniques or it is time to ask the questions anew as we are move through stages of life.


Get out your tools!  We are building an altar!  To Sonia, the altar isn't about the exterior as it is about the interior.  I loved the description that it's similar to walking into a holy place - your energy and Spirit just respond!  What a beautiful space to create in your own home but "...if there's no holy inner work going on, though, the vibration of Spirit won't be present; and the portal won't open."  I wanted to give Sonia a big HIGH FIVE when she mentioned "becoming disconnected when our altars were moved out of our homes and into the churches."  I can't quote this entire chapter, but I would if I could.  It's my favorite!  It even includes things to do while at your altar to connect with your Spirit.  


The ego urges us  "to stay a step ahead of your fears."   I've been so many decisions based on fear, trying to maintain the status quo, please others, or simply from fear of failure and having lack.  That's a powerful sentence in this book.  The daily practice and journaling sections in this book are so rich and plentiful I feel I've had a workshop with Sonia herself.  This is absolutely a wonderful reference book that can be used at any time in one's life.  The questions and ideas presented her for immediate use will never become outdated, in my opinion.  The further I go in this book, the more I reap from it.  She recommends making these habits for 40 days.  This would be a *wonderful* book for a group study during Lent or any other time of year.  It would be wonderful to have a place for encouragement in our new practices as our egos flare up and say we are too busy.


I appreciate how Sonia makes it clear through different stories that it is either ego or Spirit running every aspect of our life.  As she simply states, "Unless we surrender, however, we cut ourselves off from our Divine power and burn out.  Then we're left to rise from the ashes and find our way back to Source once again.  In the end, there is no other place to go."  (emphasis mine)
The outdoor purple steps!  Click to order the book from Hay House


The final section of the book is Flowing with Your Spirit as opposed to "bullying" our way though life.  "The greatest challenge to staying in flow comes when you encounter "the ebb, which is any change, expected or unexpected, that leaves you threatened and insecure because you aren't sure what coming next."   Sonia says that ebbs are a "signal from our spirit to grow."   This section lovingly reminds that it is our purpose to move through these ebbs to reach higher places in our Spirit.  I hold to the thought Sonia shares,  "To flow is to believe that the Universe is always conspiring for our success as spiritual beings,..."  When in an ebb, it is okay to tell the Universe what we want, just leave it open how it will arrive!     As we deal with our own ebb and flow, we are reminded to be compassionate and loving toward others.  What a wonderful reminder as this book comes to a close.


This book prompted me to sit on my porch and watch the leaves fall and hear the birds sing, paint my garden steps purple, and weed my garden.  All things that nurture me and calm me during my busy moments of the day.  When my toddler was acting out, I felt this beautiful inner calm and didn't get rattled.  This book will be referred back by me for years to come.  

*Hay House sent me this book for my honest review*

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

You Can Create an Exceptional Life - Book Review


!Order here!
Woot!  I'm reviewing a book and so excited about it.  I am thrilled that Hay House sent it to me to review.

I've decided to keep some colorful index cards with me while I read it.  I have a feeling there will be affirmations I will want to use.

Initial thoughts at the beginning of the book:

It is small.  It's very easy to travel with or pack in your purse.

Cheryl begins her introduction with doing things that feel good.  My Judeo-Christian background rebels against this.  However, I think feeling good means ten bags of chocolate.  This book assumes the reader understands that feeling good is about what your inner spirit needs to live an exceptional life.   I found Cheryl's introduction a bit of a 'Louise is so awesome' bit of pages.  My mind kinda nodded off and hoped the book would have more substance.  And substance it had.  Of course now that I've read the book, I see why the Louise is so great introduction was appropriate.

Louise Hay's introduction was very profound because she pulls back and examines what all writers, philosophers, and religions try to explain.Why do bad things happen?   Wow.  This point was addressed from the beginning.  Do I trust life?  Do I trust that life loves me?  Do I trust that what happens is ultimately for my good?  This section is so wonderful for people who might be in their 20's and 30's and need support and affirmation to look beyond what they currently see.  Oh and to top it off  Louise just rattles off this superb list of affirmations for those in a health crisis.  Can you say highlighter?


Chapter Two: Becoming the Creator of an Exceptional Life
Cheryl recalls moments of attempting to prove the correlation of our thoughts and our lives.  This chapter shows such beautiful examples by both women of the proof in our daily life that our thoughts do matter and do affect our world.  Self-care begins with our thoughts.   I associate self-care with taking a bubble bath or physical restoration. The wisdom in this chapter really gets to the core of true self-care which is what we are thinking.  Reading this chapter even gave me a sign.  Just this morning I watched  five minutes of a reality show concerning financially wealthy housewives.  I suddenly realized that these "conversations filled with useless drama and repetitive harmful thoughts" were tearing down the very thing I was building up in myself.  I canceled the season pass.  It was a great reminder that monitoring what comes into our minds and thoughts throughout the day is NOT a waste of time.   It can be so easy to listen to gossip - either in our real life or on TV and think "Hey that's not happening to me so who cares if I watch/listen to it?"  But - it DOES matter.  It matters a great deal.  As Cheryl says so well, "Without realizing it, we develop patterns of thought and behavior that direct our radio transmitter to search for AND emit negative signals that only create more negativity and difficult experiences in our lives."

Chapter Three: How You Start Your Day Is How You Live Your Day
Do you dread awakening in the morning? What message you are sending about what you believe about your life?   Louise likes to have two hours before she faces people.  ME TOO!  I love to walk slowly into my day, even if it means getting up early.  I suddenly feel so much more evolved knowing that Louise does too. :-)  Lest you not want to awaken at 3am, Louise shares "Everything we think and say to ourselves is an affirmation."   All of the moments in my day are important and can be used for my good.  Cheryl chimes in that she relaxes and enjoys her day FIRST thing.  Oh yes - I totally agree!  Highlighter please.  Oh and get ready because there are tons of affirmations to say during your day while you go about.  I wanted to leap with joy when I saw this page!  They also give great ideas for working with children using affirmations.

Chapter Four: How You Live Your Day Is How You Live Your Life
I've always associated Louise Hay with crisis affirmations, if you will.  If I'm ill, or in the middle of a break-up, dealing with my self-worth, weight loss and loving my body - the big challenges for me.  In this chapter, Louise brings out the seemingly little things that add up such as blessing our food, our cars that take us where we need to go and everything in between.  For example, have you ever given thought to what you see all day sitting at your desk?  As Cheryl says, "Sometimes all it takes is a small change to send a big message to yourself that says, "I love you, and I care about what you need."  We can learn intentional actions that create a beautiful life.   There are more suggestions than I could list here, but this chapter is life-changing if you put it into practice in your own unique life.  They touch on work in such a powerful way and include affirmations.  What a relief to know I don't need to fix the world, I just speak the words of affirmation and the Universe handles the rest.


Chapter 5: Don't Break a Habit - Dissolve It!
Ala ego!  This is a great discussion about how to handle life's problems.  You know the ones that just tick you off?  Louise returns to her affirmation that "All is well.  Everything is working out for my highest good.  Out of this situation only good will come.  I am safe."   Louise explains "the more you turn away from a problem, the quicker the solution becomes."   Wow!  I never thought of this before but it makes total sense.  The more I want the problem handled, the more my ego jumps in and tries to dictate all the moves in the game instead of TRUSTING LIFE!  You should read what Louise says about complaining.  That moves into a financies discussion that includes a journal question and of course, wonderful affirmations.   I am realizing this small book kinda covers everything.  This was the chapter that moved me to tears.  Louise shared how affirmations would affect family relationships with those dying of AIDS.  I just broke down.  Using affirmations for family, yes of course, why didn't I think of that.  Chapter Five is my favorite chapter so far.

Chapter Six: The Beauty of Wisdom
 Oh this is so yummy!  Louise shares about growing older and the secret.  It makes so much sense.   They talk about wrinkles, weight-loss, the relationship to one's body.  Loving ourselves first creates this beautiful trickle down effect.  I take that to mean that when I love myself, I'm more tuned into my body (because I love it) and therefore make the best choices in the care of that body.  As opposed to listening to someone else tell me what I need and giving no heed whatsoever to what my body is saying.  Cheryl's input on aging at 50 are so remarkable.  Instead of fighting aging, we learn to see the value in it - becoming intentional about our energy, our time, and our relationships.  Hugs, Cheryl.  This spoke to my heart. 

Chapter Seven: The End of the Movie
This beautiful chapter is one worth keeping for the rest of my life.  Louise, someone who has worked with many dying people, shares her thoughts, beliefs, and insights about death in such a compassionate, real way.

This is a heart book.  It's not a book of scientific theories and big words.  It is a book of how your heart lives, breathes, and moves throughout the day and into the nights.  It's about how we look at  flower, a boss, a co-worker, our employees, our children, our car, our toasters and everything in between.  Cheryl delivers the message of Louise with such gentleness and respect.  She shares her own insights when appropriate, but never competes with the message.

Trust Life and our thoughts are our first step in self-care. Now, off to work on step one.

Much Love

Order You Can Create An Exceptional Life

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Forgivness

Do you know the moment you have forgiven someone?  REALLY forgiven them?  For me, it's when I am filled with emotion which then turns to gratitude.  We love because God first loved us comes to mind.  After a moment of true forgiveness  I wrote this song.  I was walking out the door and stopped in my tracks singing the chorus.  A song I'd heard all my life, but it made sense to sing it.  Why?  Because I felt that all the LOVE, that pure, honest, love does come from God and I want to show that gratitude in this song.

The part I remember as a child was
"How wonderful!  How marvelous!  And my song shall ever be...
How wonderful!  How marvelous!  Is my Saviors Love for me. "
click on "What Forgiveness Feels Like For Me Today"

Friday, September 30, 2011

Things Your Piano Teacher Will Not Tell You

The quotes that spurred this rant/epiphany/growth:
"When I wasn't hiding anything any longer, when I wasn't trying desperately to appear sane or put together or profound, I had nothing to lose. And I began to trust something even more fundamental than my craziness: my basic sanity."
Geneen Roth Lost and Found

"Culturally we've been scared away from our creativity by what my dear friend Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist's Way, calls creativity monsters--the voices from the past and present who criticize, attack, ridicule, and judge us, and who banish us from owning and expressing our creativity with joy and abandon....  They're the people who imply that creativity must be "good" in order to be valuable, who subject your work to public appraisal before you're allowed to join the club...
One of the problems that distances so many of us from our creative Spirit is the notion that being creative is synonymous with being a professional or an aspiring artist.  It's not.  It simply means making something new out of something that presently exists."
The Answer is Simple...Love Yourself, Live your Spirit!   Sonia Choquette



I don't create the desire for music - I can only nurture and support it.

Adult students show me that desire and passion overrule any preset rules about music education as child.

Music will call the child to it.  The music calls you - you do not call it.  This is why parents can't MAKE their children want to practice or love music.

Outside events and recitals build skills - but they don't build passion and love for the art of music.  Task oriented/checklist kids like these -but it doesn't mean they love music and creativity.  It could be they are too busy to relax and enjoy the process.  It could also mean it's just not there and piano is just one more thing they need to learn (to be well-rounded and smart, right?).

Who gives a shit if music raises test scores?  Just sayin'.

If, in their lesson,  your child can't tell a note from a piece of broccoli, they are too freakin' tired.  Nothing will go in.  Stop wasting everyone's time and put them to bed to restore.

There is no such thing as quitting piano- everyone quits and begins something.  It's called life cycles and seasons.

My desire for student approval, parent approval, and peer approval no longer dictate my teaching.  I have something that tops all of those: my experience, the gift of prayer, and intuition.

Stressful lessons come from the teacher (me) wanting the students to be "ready" for the next piano event.  Who cares?  I mean if they are ready then great.  If they are not?  Maybe they will be in a few months or next year.

I am not a students' God - I'm just a facilitator of the gift of music. [ BIG difference.]

You can show children pathways and possiblities - absolutely but ultimately - their calling comes from God. 

If you feel led to put your child in piano - then do it.  If you feel led to take them out - do that too.  There are no quitters in life, just people who are stubborn to start or stop something because they refuse to listen or pay attention to the ebb & flow of life.

I don't need to have my students in a "certain" recital, program, or association - to prove to you that I am a good teacher.



I feel good when I let go of thinking a student should be "here" or "there" by x date.
I feel good when I accept that a student may never be into piano.
I feel good when I show unconditional love to all students - regardless of ability.
I feel good when I honor a students' creativity and desire.  Conversely, I DON'T feel good when I make them learn stuff just to have it learned by a stupid date, at the expense of them playing something they truly love.
I feel good when I remember that I make a living teaching music and being a damn good musician - despite the fact I had "cheap" and supposedly unqualified teachers - by today's standards anyway.   I had NO lessons in high school because my parents didn't really care.   AND - I ended up with a music scholarship to college.  Therefore, what do I know about what makes a good musician as a child?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

We are getting chickens!

Oh my my!  We are going to get some little chicks and build them a pen.   Two chickens for fresh farm eggs!  YEAH!  Lest my blog be completely serious, I wrote a little, goofy, so not going to Carnegie Hall song about it!

Granny, We Are Getting Chickens

Monday, September 26, 2011

Holy Ground

Reinvention


Written by Me:

I am one with you  and you are one with me

But is the God that sees you    the God that sees me?

I love how you love my rambling ways

I love that you get my need

To see beyond the rules and regulations

To the part that underneath



To love those they say we “love”

Yet their love is full of hate

It’s a twisted and unmerciful love

Be like us then you can be with us

Talk like us then we will love you

Look like us then we will let you in

Let you in our world

But my world with you is not based on conditions

My love for you stands even when

You change your mind and your bend with the wind

Discovering who you really are




I am one with you   and you are one with me

But is the God that sees you     the God that sees me?

I love how you love my rambling ways

I love that you get my need

To see beyond  the rules and regulations

To the part that’s underneath.


Who I am is changing     Who you are is coming to light

I’ll never be the same       You’ll never sound this way again

Loud and tormenting my soul


Developing my sacred space, nurturing the sacred place

Knowing the map of my soul


It is not open to you; but you have placed your mark

Solidly on my shores…


Thank you for bringing me closer to this authenticity

Loving you feels so easy now

Loving you is so easy now…





Tarot Cards, Rosary Beads, reciting Glory Be’s

All feel the same to me now…

They touch the special place, that gentle loving place

Bringing me closer to you

I feel my grandmother when I eat farmer’s eggs

Holding me loving me, like a little prayer

I know that You are near when we sing Draw Me Near to the cross you bore

I cannot contain you in one house of boxes.  Boxes with bows in knots.

You are much more than this – all of this and none of this. 

You are not only for me to hold…so no one can contain my soul