METTA CENTER

One of my dear clients asked me to join a little experiment in appreciation. We spend a minute each day, at 9pm exactly, to send appreciation to each other and ourselves. This circle now is 3 people strong, and you are invited to join us if you would like to participate in this beautiful experience that transcends time and space. If you would like to join us, it's easy: Set an intention to join the appreciation circle for one minute at 9pm every night. You don't need to know anyone in the circle to join. When we send out appreciation, it is a well-being wish. It is one of the most potent forms of prayer. You can send your appreciation about life, people in your life, or about yourself in whatever way that feels right to you. There's no right or wrong way to do it. A general attitude of gratitude is fine, a simple thankful thought is fine, you can simply wish well-being to yourself, others and the whole Universe... Truly, whatever feels best for you at the time is

I was walking in the meadow up the hills from my house, communing with Nature, when I found myself singing a ditty I made up at the spot. "It's getting greener every day," was what I sang to the grass. Then, as I was basking in the feeling of pure joy, celebrating the grass, the song morphed into, "There is more love every day..." When I first noticed that the words had changed by themselves, I stopped singing. But, in the next breath, I found myself smiling even bigger and so I decided to sing it all the way home, "There is more love every day..." It was so much fun! I felt brilliantly alive and grand like a majestic oak tree. I was deliriously happy! I don't think it's because the song I was singing was going to be a hit song by any means. Interestingly, later on the same day, I read Tapas Fleming's wise words in her newsletter: "When we're actually luxuriating in who we really are, we're not having problems and there a

You are Amazing! You are Marvelous! You are Wonderful! These are the words that Spirit would like me to tell you. If no one has said these words to you today, please let me be the first one to do so. 2010 has been a glorious year! It has been a year filled with delights, healing, miracles, and abundance for me. You are a part of this deliciously joyous year, and I want to thank you for your presence in my world. Wishing you a New Year filled with exciting possibilities and joyous adventures! Happy New Year 2011!

As November rolls to an end, the holiday season is also just around the corner for many people. For some, the festive season can bring added stress as well as painful memories. There are many ways to manage the holiday season so that you can enjoy the season with more ease, grace and peace. Here are some tips: Set your intention as to how you would like to feel during the holiday season. Decide what activities you would enjoy doing. Let go of or delegate activities you don't enjoy. If you find yourself feeling resentful or uptight, use EFT and tap.  If painful memories come up, acknowledge your feelings. Use EFT to help dissolve these painful memories and bring more peace to yourself.  Eat healthily, avoid sugars and alcohol as much as possible. Just because festivities are typically associated with these substances, doesn't mean your body does well with them.   Take time to nurture yourself with quiet moments to journal, walk in nature, and breathe fully and consciou

Giving thanks to all the good in our lives can be done every day, as I am sure you all do in one fashion or another. We can do it quite effortlessly with a simple nod, a wink, a pat, a thought, a smile, a hug, a "thanks!", a kiss, a dance, an appreciative whoop -- all are ways to express appreciation. The best thing about appreciating someone or something is that we can't help but tuned into the energy of love. As we tune into that vibration of love, we are not only the generator but also the recipient of this beautiful connective energy. It really is an amazing feeling to be giving and receiving love in the same instant! I was recently in a meeting where the person I was meeting with brought her two-year old son along. He was a VERY shy boy, and didn't say a word during the entire one-hour meeting. For a young child, one hour must feel like an eternity. He tried to amuse himself as best as he could, playing with his yellow toy bus as he positioned himself close

(The following post was first published as an article in May 2005 Metta Center email Newsletter) How do you connect with Angels and Beings of Light? How do you know who your guardian angel is? You can connect to Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael, Archangel Gabriel, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, Krisna, Tara, etc. And, since there is no ego in their realm, they really don't care whom you called upon. They are just happy that you are willing to turn your attention to the Light Realm for assistance. No, you don't need incense or candles to make contact with them. If the act of lighting incense and candles brings you to a relaxed state of being then, by all means, enjoy your ritual. But, know that it is not a requirement to connect with these loving beings. You don't need to believe in them either, even though trusting them will bring clarity to the communication line between you and your angel. Think of doubt as static noise in your communication line. So, how do you con

You take a little seed, plant it, water it, and fertilize it for a whole year, and nothing happens. The second year you water and fertilize it, and nothing happens. The third year you water it and fertilize it, and nothing happens. How discouraging this becomes! The fourth year you water it and fertilize it, and nothing happens. This is very frustrating. The fifth year you continue to water and fertilize the seed and then sometime during the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree sprouts and grows ninety feet in six weeks! Sometimes, our healing journey and growth process can feel like the story above. Nothing happens after all this work! Have heart. Allow time for the process itself. In other words, what may appear to be "not working" or "not healing" is often a deeper need to experience growth, learning lessons of patience or receiving, learning to appreciate the present, learning to respect and care for yourself, and so on. And, at the end of this nurturi

Everything you see has its roots in the unseen world. The forms may change,     yet the essence remains the same. Every wondrous sight will vanish, every sweet word will fade.     But do not be disheartened, The Source they come from is eternal— growing, branching out,     giving new life and new joy. Why do you weep?— That Source is within you, and this whole world     is springing up from it. The Source is full, its waters are ever-flowing;     Do not grieve,     drink your fill! Don't think it will ever run dry— This is the endless Ocean! From the moment you came into this world, a ladder was placed in front of you     that you might transcend it. From earth, you became plant, from plant you became animal. Afterwards you became a human being, endowed with knowledge, intellect and faith. Behold the body, born of dust—     how perfect it has become! Why should you fear its end? When were you ever made less by dying? When you pass beyond this h

(This EFT script was first published in Metta Center newsletter, September 2010.)   Success and failure are siblings, I believe. Failures are great learning opportunities and help us build a strong foundation for future successes. Success brings us to new experiences where further successes (and failures) are possible. Sometimes, we keep ourselves small and not very successful in life because we fear that our success might lead to unwanted failure. So here's an EFT script to release the fear that success can create more opportunities for failure. Tap on the Karate Chop point or rub on the Sore Spot as you say the following setup statements : "Even though I am afraid that my success can create more opportunities for me to fail, I deeply and completely accept this fear and myself." "Even though I don't like the thought of failing after my success, so a part of me would rather sabotage me from achieving my success to protect me from further failures,

What shall I write about today, my dear friends, other than that you are loved more than you realized. You are valued and treasured. You are more powerful and resourceful than you give yourself credit. It is sometimes difficult to believe these words. I wonder, what do you need in order to know that you are loved, valued and treasured? What do you need in order to recognize that you are powerful and resourceful? Make a list of these needs, if you like. But, when it is all said and done, throw the list out. Just simply allow yourself to feel the love that is here for you, right now, in this present moment. Let the Universe show you the myriad ways you are loved and appreciated for just who you are, as you are. No list needed, no achievements required, no debts to be paid. The key here is simply to let, to allow. Allow yourself to be delightfully surprised and deeply touched by how creative the Universe is in reaching out to you. How powerful and resourceful do you think you a

I was sitting in contemplation when an inner voice said to me, "Do you realize that we often criticize ourselves when we make the smallest mistakes, and we don't celebrate ourselves or feel proud of ourselves until we accomplish something 'grand,' whatever that thing is? And, when we finally reach that big-goal, often after much stress and effort, before we even have time to savor our success and celebrate ourselves, we immediately give ourselves the next thing to do. We are bad if make a small mistake and only good if we make a good, huge, achievement. Don't you think that is out of balance when we do so to ourselves?" Hm, a good point, I thought. Looking at my own life, I can see places and times where I did just that, I got upset with myself for a small mistake and I didn't even realize when I did something significantly important for myself, my family or the world around me. Have you done that? Do you do so often? Well, how about joining me in

I have my daughter to thank for my spiritual awakening. Prior to her arrival on Earth, I knew very little about myself. (Although I didn't know it at the time!) Recently, a client shared with me that she believes when a woman becomes a mother, she has to give up her freedom to make choices. This is probably a perspective that many modern women hold. I certainly remember thinking that way myself. I was afraid of children. Yet, I have one of my own despite the fears of being a mother. After all the trials and tribulations of motherhood, I have grown so much emotionally and spiritually that I do not wish to trade the experience for anything else. My daughter is one of the most important teachers in my life. Because of my desire to connect deeply with my daughter, I have learned how to honor who I really am so that I can honor who she really is. I learned how important it is to communicate clearly and listen deeply. I learned how to set clear intention and create from my inner wo

A client, who is currently in Japan, emailed me her personal experience. It is such a beautiful story, I want to share it with all of you. Thank you, N.M., for giving me the permission to include it in this newsletter! It was a long weekend, so we went to Kyoto to our favorite temples. I went to the Tenryuji temple, which is the Zen Buddhist temple, but it was so crowded-I didn't feel that peaceful. My Buddhist monk moment came right here, in Okayama, in front of Big Camera, one of the biggest electronic stores. Often times, I see monks doing a standing chant in random places with a bowl for donations. (They are holding it, so it must make their arm sour -- that what I think about.) There was one in front of the Big Camera.  It was so hot, and I kind of felt sorry for him since nobody was giving any money, so I gave him 1000 yen (about 10 dollars) as I was walking, without slowing down. Then he yelled, "Stop!" And when I approached, I saw his monk hat had duct ta

(This article was first published in May 2006 Metta Center Newsletter.) Intuition is our great ally, a great force, to help in our journey of realizing who we are. It is one of our greatest gifts, and yet we don't always trust it. One of the issues that many of us have about trusting our intuition is that we can't distinguish which voice is intuition and which voice is just habitual mind-chatter. When we feel that "warning" in our stomach and start feeling anxious, is that our intuition? Or, is that habitual fear-based thoughts talking? The power of discernment is what we need to distinguish the voice of inner guidance vs. the other voices. Ask the Universe to help you grow this power so that you can hear your inner guidance the loudest, and give you the courage to follow it. As you learn to discern your voices, watch yourself and your life unfold in magical ways. Another issue we have about trusting our intuition is one of safety. Because intuition often will

(This article was first published in the Oct/Nov issue of Metta Center email newsletter.) When I first heard "Energy follows thought," it was all "hocus-pocus" to me. Life, however, is a great equalizer and teacher. After several "unhappy" life conditions (illness, relationship issues, etc.), I looked deep inside myself and, sure enough, I found that I held many negative beliefs that matched these "conditions". Apparently, I had been manifesting negative thoughts. When I decided to shift the thoughts connected to the issues, I noticed that my outer situation changed as well. Often times we manifest negative results unconsciously. What we feel, think and believe the most is what we will attract. Have you found that your positive affirmations don't always work? The problem is that these affirmations are not your prevalent thoughts. They are just a very thin veneer over a bunch of outdated and perhaps negative habitual thoughts. Just saying

I read these words on a cover of a magazine recently and started thinking how glad I am that I have given myself permission to explore my spiritual side and learn so much from so many different sources. My life has changed in such profound ways. I  have changed. Now, I am inviting you to give yourself the permission to explore the realm of the divine both within you and outside of you. Explore the realm of energy, of everything and nothing. Find out how high you can soar. How would your life be different if you give yourself permission to explore and soar? Where would you be?

(This article was first published in Metta Center Newsletter, April 2005) I would love to introduce you to the term "writing on the wall". Coined by Gary Craig, the founder of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), it refers to the sets of beliefs, shoulds, shouldn'ts, can, can'ts, etc. that we have agreed to, consciously or unconsciously, as "truths" in our individual consciousness. How did the writing get on our wall? In childhood, we received numerous messages from our well-meaning parents, teachers, friends, leaders, media, etc. We often formed our self-image and hoped to make sense of the world based on these "truths". We consult the writing on our walls to determine whether something is appropriate or acceptable to us, whether it is a "good" or "bad" idea, etc. The writing on the wall can be very positive and supportive in helping us achieve success in the world. At the same time, many of these "truths" limit n

Spring is here! I love watching all the new buds and branches shooting out from plants. It has been magical indeed to watch my plum tree blossoming and then, poof, the blossoms fell and new green leaves came out to adorn the tree. How did the tree know how to do that? Nature's designs are amazingly intelligent and graceful. Do you ever wonder how we grow? Our bodies just grow, from infant-hood to childhood to adolescence to full grown adult. For most people, the process of growing is very effortless. You don't wake up each day and say "OK, now, I am going to grow 1mm today" or "I am going to grow one more new cell for my nails". It's just done. Simple as that. Most of us need to enlarge our self-concept. We may see ourselves as a bag of bones but, in truth, we are eternal, multi-faceted and multi-dimensional spiritual beings having a human experience. It's time to think of ourselves as much larger and grander than just a physical and emotional be

This morning, I was thinking how so many of us (including me) are afraid to be a fool or make a fool of ourselves. Then, all of a sudden, the word "full" just floated in my mind, replacing the word "fool." And with that simple change I saw things with a different light! It dawned on me that when we are afraid of being a fool, we are afraid to be a full or abundant being in our own right. We are afraid to make ourselves full and be filled with our own Spirit. Hah! What a new thought for me! I was painfully aware of the various (and creative ways) I have chosen to stay small and withhold the fullness that I am because I didn't want to be a "fool." I know I have patterns where the "fool" in me got pushed aside for the voice of reason. So with this realization I have decided to no longer be afraid to be either a fool or "full" anymore. I choose to fully embrace the fool in me and honor the gifts of this archetype. I choose to liv

(Collected from email, March 2010) Worth thinking about... In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was re

"Each moment is actually a stepping stone--another chance at bliss." ~ N.M. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to see "Man of La Mancha". In one of the scenes, Don Quixote was observing that as he held dying comrades in his arms, their eyes seemed to ask him why. He said: "I do not think they were asking why they were dying... but why they had ever lived." That line struck a chord inside me. Why do we live at all? I have been contemplating that question. Why do we bother to live at all? Why do we come here? Many of us might think that we didn't choose to be here and were just plunked down by happenstance. We could have been dropped on a different planet, but here we are on Earth right now, reading this newsletter. But, what if we did choose our presence here? Why did we come to live in this body, in this particular time-space? A few days later, as I was walking in nature, enjoying the spring-like weather, I found my answer. I was walking o

(From "The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness" by Joel ben Izzy. This book is about the author, a storyteller, who lost his voice due to cancer and his healing journey. This is an inspiring and wonderful book! ) Story Origin: Sufi Muslim, Turkey Nasrudin is known much for his wisdom as his foolishness, and many are those who have sought out his teaching. One devotee tracked him down for many years before finding him in the marketplace sitting atop a pile of banana peels - no one knows why. "Oh great sage, Nasrudin," said the eager student. "I must ask you a very important question, the answer to which we all seek: What is the secret to attaining happiness?" Nasrudin thought for a time, then responded. "The secret of happiness is good judgment." "Ah," said the student. "But how do we attain good judgment?" "From experience," answered Nasrudin. "Yes," said the student. "But how do

(This article was first published in the March 2006 edition of Metta Center Newsletter.) "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anaïs Nin When I first read this quote, years ago, I was struck by the enormity of the truth resonating from these words. I felt it with my entire being. It has since been one of my favorite quotes that I go back to when I need an inspiration to renew my hope and grow my courage. This quote is so poignant to me now as we move into Spring where renewal and growth are obvious to the senses. Spring is practically bursting with new life: the flower buds are swollen and some even have blossomed, new branches are extending, soft green shoots are poking out from the cold ground, fresh flower fragrance is in the air. Mother nature is renewing herself after a winter of quietly gathering her potential for growth. It is as if She is telling us, “Trust that spring comes after winter. E

Diane (not her real name) felt stage-fright singing in front of a huge audience. She knew she was a talented singer because she had received many accolades for her work. Yet, when it came to singing in front of a big audience, she would fumble, forget her lyrics or just feel ill with anxiety. When we talked, she was a few days away from performing in front of an audience of 200. She felt nervous just thinking about it, with an intensity of about 3 or a 4. She said that perhaps if she was sick before the performance then she would have an excuse for not performing perfectly. I asked her what would happen if she “failed.” And she replied that it would be the end of the world for her. With such a strong statement, I suspected that her intensity was in fact higher than what she reported. I inquired into why she needed to be perfect, and she recounted the story of hearing her brother being hit by her father because he wasn’t “perfect.” We tapped: “Even though I feel nervous, I don’t

(This EFT script was first published in Metta Center newsletter, March 2009.) Our power is in the present, in the Now moment. However, so many of us have learned and trained ourselves to live in the past or in the future and ignored the beauty that is present in the moment. When we feel stressed, overwhelmed, or fearful over something or someone, it is an indicator that we have temporarily lost sight of the Now. Of course, you can always bring yourself back to your powerful and precious Now by doing simple breathing meditation or simply focusing on something pleasant in the Now. But for many of us who have been entrenched in this habit of dwelling in the past or worrying about the future, it can be quite challenging to practice living fully in the present. So, here's the EFT script that can help you become more present in your Now. Shorten the sentences or change the wordings to fit you better. Use this script as often as you like. I have included two more additional tapping

Our relationships can help us grow personally and spiritually. They invite us to rise to the challenge to be our true Selves. They invite us to allow ourselves to align with the unconditional Love we are inside, the love we want to give and receive. The most important of all the relationships we have is our relationship with our deep inner Self - the Love we hold within us and the Life that is us. Gently, just observe how often you accept and love yourself on a daily basis. How much do you trust your own goodness and gifts? How do you treat yourself? How do you perceive yourself? How do you soothe, comfort, care and support yourself? Do you bother to give your Self the time of day? Are you caging the Love you hold within, keeping it from radiating out and thus depriving yourself of your own fulfillment? You can't afford to deny the importance of You, the importance of being the Love that you are. It hurts deeply when others invalidate the love you have to offer and it hurts e

As we are thinking of love this month, or any other month, here's a song that might stir the beautiful Love deep in your core. This song was originally sang by Nat King Cole (album: "The Greatest of Nat King Cole" LP Capitol). Words and music by Eden Ahbez. This song was #1 Billboard for 8 weeks in 1948. Click here to listen to Nat : Click here to hear this song ala Pomplamoose (a really cool two-person Bay Area indie-band that I just recently discovered!) Lyrics: There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he wandered very far, very far Over land and sea A little shy And sad of eye But very wise Was he And then one day A magic day he passed my way And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings This he said to me "The greatest thing You'll ever learn Is just to love And be loved In return"

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see clearly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery "Jerry" (not his real name) asked me to help him move past his painful feelings of loneliness and his need to be connected through touch. He found that his feelings and needs were getting in the way of his relationships. He quietly suggested that perhaps instead of simply getting "rid" of things that didn't work, maybe it would be helpful to give himself a "replacement" item that he would like to experience in his life. I encouraged him to follow his inspiration and asked him what that replacement item would be. He thought for a moment and then very softly said, " I choose to trust that I will be loved again. " As soon as he made that choice, his energy body sighed with relief and he burst into tears. He sat for a while as his body rocked with sobs, releasi

My daughter asked me a thoughtful question: "Mom, is it OK for us to feel a 10 about ourselves?" Some background: many of you who work with me using EFT know that I use the scale of 0 to 10 to measure the intensity level on feelings as well as the "truth" of belief-statements. So, my daughter was simply indicating a scale, in this case "10", in how good she was feeling about herself. This question struck me as very poignant for several reasons: (1) there was a possibilty that it is not "OK" to feel good about ourselves, (2) that despite the belief I share openly with my family that we all deserve to feel good about ourselves, she is clear that, outside our home, this belief is not shared with her circle of friends in school, which led me to point (3): while my daughter attends a school that believes in developing children's self-esteem by honoring who they are, the influence of the message "it is not ok to feel so good about yourself&

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." ~ Buddha The practice of metta , or loving kindness, cultivates unconditional friendliness toward the self and others. It raises the vibration of the person practicing it as well as the people receiving the energy of loving kindness itself. In this simplified version of the traditional form of metta meditation, send metta to yourself by inwardly repeating the following verses: "May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be at ease. May I live in peace." Repeat the phrases several times, noticing and accepting any feeling that arise from deep within your heart chakra. Then, bring others to your mind and silently direct those wishes to them, replacing the "I" with "you". If you like, as you go about with your day, direct these thoughts and metta to everyone you meet.

New Year is an exciting time for me. It is true that we can start anew any day, any time and every day. However, New Year always holds a special energy of growth for me. There is an energy of excitement, and anticipation of all wonderful things. And, the New Year bears with it powerful potentiality ready to express itself. Setting your sacred intention for the New Year is a powerful step to consciously create the year that you want. Unlike a New Year's resolution, setting a sacred intention for the New Year is not about just setting goals to be reached. It is more about setting the "flavor" for the year: what spiritual qualities would you fill your new year with? For example, if you would like to have a year of meaningful work and deep connection with others, your intention could be something along the line, "I intend to create a meaningful life for me filled with fulfilling work and loving relationships with others." Maybe what you would like is to explo

I call this the other "F" word. No, not because it is insulting or derogatory in any way. It is just that it has so much charge associated with it, almost like the word "God". Many people are turned off by it, and some people  get defensive when this word is mentioned as a possibility to heal and change a situation. I think that is because we each have such varied definitions of forgiveness. Oh yes, I have heard about forgiveness since I was a little girl.  What I thought as of forgiveness was simply not to talk about the issue or think about it anymore. On the surface, all was "forgiven", but not really. In my early 30s, something happened in my life that shook me to the core and brought out all my fears. I felt bewildered, trapped and scared. Right around that time, someone gave me a book by Gary Zukav "The Seat of the Soul". I read it to take my mind off the situation. And, somewhere in it, I remembered reading that when we are face