One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. — Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)
Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. Many of our American friends are probably out taking advantage of the discounts and deals at JC Penney and Target that have now come to be a hallmark of most holidays but Memorial Day is a day that honors people who have served and died in American wars.
War is tricky. At a deep human level none of us would choose to war I believe and yet there are times when we must stand for what we believe to be truth. Even in Yoga one of the most revered texts, The Bhagavad Gita is set in the midst of a battle ground with Arjuna, who symbolically represents all humanity as a warrior who must fight his family and country-men to restore balance and harmony in the world. The debate perhaps is not whether war is good or bad but whether we are cultivating a society full of individuals who believe in peace, happiness and goodness as THE inherent truths of human consciousness.
If you watch CNN or most news show it would appear that we live in a world of immorality, evil and vengeance. Watch closely, the same 10 stories are on a constant loop. Truly, all the good news that occurs in one day in the smallest town in North America could not fit into one year of CNN broadcasts. There is literally thousands of great things happening right now in your town. So-and-so fell in love. So-and-so opened their first business today. So-and-so got pregnant today. So-and-so rescued a kitty. These are small yet powerful events that are happening everywhere right now and they demonstrate the goodness of us all. We are individuals making a society, a home together. We can decide one by one what we want to bring to the world and what we are willing to give our attention to AND what we are willing to celebrate and reward.
We CAN create common ground, peace and joy with all we meet.
I personally refuse to believe the media, the Homeland Security message or any apocolyptic predictions that the world is ending and we are in a code red. I don’t have to push against it but I can go for a walk, meditate, pet my cat, talk to a good friend or just gaze at a tree and KNOW that goodness reigns.
I don’t need Homeland Security to protect me because I believe in Heartland Security. Heartland Security is my deep belief in the power and potential of humanity – our deep desire to give and create love, life, peace, prosperity and well-being. Heartland Security protects me against my own small-mindedness. For example:
When I feel fear I ask Heartland Security for confidence.
When I feel confused I ask Heartland Security for clarity.
When I feel anger I ask Heartland Security for love.
When I feel overwhelmed I ask Heartland Security for peace.
Heartland Security is the source of great power, potential and peace in us all – the True Self, the Divine, Higher Consciousness – whatever you call it. One day very soon we will live in a country that celebrates Human Potential Day or Peace Day or Love for All Day but until then we can make everyday that day in our own lives if we choose.
So turn off the TV, trust within and go out there and give peace a chance.
If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace. – John Lennon (1940-1980)
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Join me for an experience of delicious renewal and bliss at the Prana-liscious Yoga and Nature Retreat December 4-10, 2011 in beautiful Osa Peninsula Costa Rica. Reduced rates til July 31, 2011.
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And remember to tune into my Vivid Life Radio Show Possibility 101 every Wednesday at 4:00 pm eastern standard time on www.vividlife.me.
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Shasta Townsend: E-RYT 500, Reiki Master, Cultivator, Creator Balanced Life Yoga & Host of Vivid Life Radio show Possibility 101!
A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see.
As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in Yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling.
www.balancedlifeyoga.ca
shasta@balancedlifeyoga.ca
Written by Shasta
Shasta loves to see women of all ages recognize, access, and utilize the greatness within them, and to be a small part of it. She is skilled at cracking the lockbox of limitation and revealing one’s inner gifts. She is a feisty champion of creating an unlimited life where ease, joy, and freedom reign, regardless of the circumstances. Shasta’s expertise in these matters does not come from a few letters behind her name, but from her own investigation, learning, and journey. Thanks to this, her offerings are not regurgitated from another’s textbook, but from her own personal evolution and inner guidance. Shasta shares her passion for living well as a Featured Columnist at Elephant Journal, The Good Men Project, Rebelle Society and Vivid Life. Shasta leads retreats, workshops and talks around the world. She lives in Canada with her husband, cat and creative impulse. Her debut book, Happy, Sexy, Shameless – What Our Mother’s Didn’t Know About the Birds and the Bees is available through amazon.com
