Archives for April 2009

Apr 30 2009

One Power Focus

There is One Power, One Source, One Divine Presence. This Oneness is All Powerful, All Knowing and Everywhere Present. What would our lives be like if we really, deeply knew this to be true? What would we let go of , what would we welcome into our lives and what would we rejoice in knowing?

We typically move through our lives giving our power to all sort of things which are not the One Power. We give our power to worries, to fears, to the argument between our brothers, to what should have happened last month, to what may happen next week, to the demands of our job and perhaps even to the voice in our heads to “go ahead and buy it, you deserve it”. This has the effect of diluting the full presence of the One Power in our life.

It is our choice as to how we spend our time and what we put our attention upon even though at times we see ourselves as sacrificial beings to others. We have free will to give our attention and concern to anything we choose to, anytime we choose to do so.

As long as we choose to give our power to material things, problems, making money, pleasing others at the expense of ourselves, we have a “dim” and somewhat disconnected view of the Power of the Divine Presence. Focusing our power, energy and attention completely on the outside world dulls us to the intensity and magnificence of All That Is. What we have focused on and attended to, grows and grows.

What does giving our power to the material world look like?

Joe lives in Vienna, VA. He is an insurance executive with two children. He goes into work 6 days a week though Saturdays are not required. He has Sundays off and spends times with his kids and wife that day when possible.

In talking with him about his life he said, my life is pretty routinized. I put on my suit every day, drive to my parking spot and then begin going through all the tasks for the day. Sometimes I look up and 3 hours have simply passed me by. I am never bored as there is always more to do. I miss seeing the kids more, though. They are often headed for bed by the time I get home and eat. I know that Kate is doing a great job with them. I am simply not around much, not as much as I would like to be, anyway.

DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES? No, not really. I’d love to have the energy for something like that. I am usually beat when I get home though. I try to catch a ball game on TV or perhaps watch a show.

Riveting meeting by Mark Hillary — Riveting meeting by markhillary

I sometimes try to get some things done around the house on Saturday afternoon if I can get away from the office a bit early. Seems like my life is just passing on by while I give it all I’ve got.

ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE AT THE MOMENT? Not really, that is pretty rare. The insurance business has really clear mandates about serving people and making money while doing that. So, that is what I work with every day.

Joe came in saying he was tired all the time and had very low energy especially on Sundays.

In contrast to this scenario, Dan works in an advertising company in McLean, Va. He is the strategic adviser in the financial section of the company. He works 5 days a week and sometimes has work deadlines over certain weekends. He is married and has three kids.

In talking about his life, he said, I made a decision a few years ago to be in my kid’s lives. I try to get to their games and special presentations at school. If there is an issue about this at work, I take leave. Usually nowadays there is no issue with my taking the time to see their activities. I did not want to be absent while they grew up without me.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER ACTIVITIES OR HOBBIES? I play basketball one evening a week and serve on the board of a hospital near our neighborhood. I love to garden and most times I can wrangle one of the kids into playing with me in the dirt. I also love to cook but we have had to make some adjustments so the kids can eat early enough. I cook on the weekends now mostly.

ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE AT THE MOMENT? Yes. We have recently found a super young woman from Italy to live with us and help with the housework and the children after school so Terry can pursue her passion in therapeutic dance.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE NOW? Well, it is like one endless surprise. Every day is different. I try not to get too concerned by any one thing that comes up. Things usually work out though sometimes in really crazy ways.

Dan came in to discuss meditation and how it might help him be more present and centered.

Which life description most closely fits how you see your life at present? When we make choices for the expansion of love of self and others, we attract experiences and energy in the world which reflect these choices we have made, including the actual jobs we are currently doing. If we are making choices while attending to the One Power, love and balance manifest. If we are making choices which leave us feeling down, depressed and exhausted, we are not making choices for Love in our lives or the lives of others. This does not mean that we don’t love ourselves or our families. It does mean that we GIVE OUR POWER, time and attention to problems, concerns and demands in the outside world rather than to issues of the heart.

If you are feeling stuck, you might ask, what am I letting run me? What am I doing which separates me from things which bring me joy, balance and connectedness?

Invite the One Power, One Source, into your life. Ask and you will receive even if you don’t know how any changes might be possible. Simply call in this One Power out loud into your daily life and watch what happens. Then write in the comment box and let us all hear about it!!

[Editor’s Note] Click on the title of any post to go to it’s individual web page to leave a comment. Use the comment box below if you are reading the actual web page or click here http://www.robbinshopkins.com/2009/04/one-power-focus/ to leave a comment for this post.

Apr 18 2009

Questions and Answers – spiritual health2

How can we pray for others who are sick, afraid or in pain?

The first thing to remember is that All That Is, is already here. God is Constant, One Source, One Power. So asking for the healing of another is frequently not helpful to the other person, though it is not harmful either. All that is needed is already here. We are all made in the image of God and therefore we have all that is needed already. The fact that someone is manifesting illness means they are simply not demonstrating their full power at this time. Their Divine spark , if you will, is somehow diminished by the person giving his or her power to something other than Divine Knowing.

The most powerful prayers we can offer are those which call forth the Divine Oneness within others for their own healing and re-balancing. When we know of that power within a person, our calling it forth is one very powerful prayer for that person. Divine Power resides within every person but often it is not fully actualized because it is covered over with old emotions, thoughts, memories or a sense of separateness from God. When others recognize this in us and call it forth, it allows us to connected with our own sense of spiritual consciousness , power and knowing. The calling forth of Divine Presence in another is similar to Namaste. The God/Christ/Light in me recognizes The God/Christ/Light in you and the response is wholeness and healing vibration. http://www.robbinshopkins.com/2009/01/praying-with-power/

What would you recommend if I am repeatedly having unsuccessful relationships with guys I am dating? How can this type of issue be helped spiritually?

Begin by settling into Sacred Space and Stillness. The question you might ask yourself is, what patterns are your repeating in each relationship? What experiences are you having over and over again? Pick one, such as repeatedly going along with a guy, getting more and more serious and then realizing he is not into making a lasting commitment. Take this repeating pattern into Silence. Ask Divine Presence/ God/ The Oneness, what you need to learn from these relationships. Ask to be shown where you are separated from Divine Wholeness in these repeating patterns in your relationships. Then wait knowing you will learn what you need to know. Wait in the Silence and wait out of the Silence, knowing you will be shown in many ways, in the fullness of time, all that you have not seen until now. This will come in a time frame that is perfect for you, though it may not necessarily be within the time frame you have in your mind.

Your part is to bring the pattern into Sacred Silence and ask to be shown where you are separated from Divine Wholeness around this issue. The waiting upon the answer is also your part. Simply remain open and attentive to input and it will begin flowing towards you. The more you obsess over the issue, the harder it will be to receive guidance about it. Simply wait in attentive expectation. It is possible that the answers may be difficult to hear. You may be attracting these relationships because of some fear, mistrust, doubt or concerns you are carrying about being in a committed relationship yourself. In other words, the insights almost always lead us to the identification of our own fears and blocked energy. When you have a sense of what that looks like and feels like, simply command the release of this fear, mistrust, or doubt from your own energy field. Imagine this dark, heavy energy leaving your energy field and give thanks. http://www.robbinshopkins.com/2009/02/full-partners-with-the-divine-healing-service-excerpt/

Questions and Answers is a new feature of this blog. If you have a questions you would like answered, send them along in the comments section below. Some of the questions asked will appear in upcoming posts. I encourage you to take my answers to questions with you into meditative Silence and discern for yourself what your own answers are for the various questions presented here. Happy seeking.

Apr 14 2009

Questions and Answers – spiritual health1

What is happening spiritually when we are ill?

Illness is blocked energy which has been blocked long enough for our body to manifest the imbalance as illness. Humans have at least four energy bodies which each manifest different types of energy. There is emotional energy, mental energy, spiritual energy and physical energy. Many times when a rib is out of alignment or we are manifesting a cold or the flu, there is unseen blocked energy in our emotional, mental or spiritual bodies which has originated the imbalance. When the core source of the imbalance is cleared, this allows the realignment of the bone, clearing of the cold or shortening of the healing cycle for the flu. All illness is some type of energy congestion or constipation. When all energy is flowing, the body manifests health and balance. http://www.robbinshopkins.com/2009/01/good-work-if-you-can-get-it/

Why haven’t we heard of this before now with all the advances in medicine?

What we are speaking about is energy at an unseen level. Emotional, mental and spiritual blocked energy can’t be seen by anything. It can only be discerned through Silence and through practice working with Divine Knowing. The ability to understand this dimension of the unseen though is accessible to all who enter into regular Silence. Divine Knowing is accessible to all, if we seek it. Divine Knowing exists, all the time, everywhere. If we listen in Silence to the “still small voice”, we eventually begin to get messages from that Source of Knowing. The answers and insights may show up in the midst of our daily activities but they can only be received if we are tuned into the questions we have asked. If we are waiting expectantly, we will realize when the messages are delivered. They will register with us as answers to what we have asked. The energy of the unseen level is subtle energy which can be discerned if one is tuned into it. Otherwise, it is as if it does not exist.

How do we know that what you are saying about specific situations is accurate, if everything is unseen ?

There is no sure way to distinguish between those who are accurately receiving Divine Knowing and those who aren’t, except through one’s own inner senses. Intuition and accurate discernment develop over time. Therefore, it is most important to listen carefully to a teacher for a good long while to be sure that what is being said connects with your own true knowing. A teacher is most valuable until such time as the student develops his or her own Inner Knowing. If one’s own Inner Knowing is growing, that is perhaps a good indicator that the teacher is a good match for you. If this is not happening, the match between teacher and student is perhaps out of Right Relationship and needs to be changed or broadened in some way.

What is detox? When does it happen in spiritual healing?

Detox is the abbreviated term meaning detoxification. This is the process of the body sloughing off unneeded toxins as a result of the clearing of unseen or blocked physical energy in the body. All emotions carry specific and unique vibrations within our energy field. If we carry anger, envy, mistrust, unforgiveness or shame, for example, these emotions each vibrate at a unique level of megahertz. As these specific energies are released from our energy field, the overall vibration of the body rises. When this happens the toxins being held at the previous lower level are released and flushed out of the body.

There is a wide range of detox symptoms ranging from bowel imbalances, to thirst, rashes, headaches, runny noses, bad taste in the mouth, vomiting and many others. Each body is different and reacts to spiritual healing differently. Typically detox begins 1-3 days after spiritual healing has occurred and usually lasts 2-3 days. However, it can last much longer depending on the individual involved. Eating lightly, resting and drinking extra water are good ways to assist the body into returning to a new state of balance.

Apr 02 2009

Entering Silence

There are infinite ways to enter Silence. Success with intentional Silence is accessible to all human beings, with practice. Silence is the space beyond conscious thought. It is the space beyond lists, questions, concerns and fears. It is the space of Infinite Possibility. When first exploring time in Silence, many of us think we will find some direction, get clarity on an issue or feel safe and supported. These things can and do occur in Silence but usually meditators have to overcome feelings of discomfort, insufficiency and sometimes even boredom when first entering intentional Silence. Early experiences with Silence can be filled with self-doubt, fears of what we will find in Silence, and even a sense of unworthiness about communicating with The Great I AM. Others feel afraid of the unknown or of dark spirits which may be “out there”. Additionally, because we come from a culture with a healthy focus on doing and accomplishing things in the outer world, we can feel guilty, disconnected from “real life” and antsy to have something concrete take place in the Silence. The key is to keep at it, repeat the process over and over again. It is worth any discomfort, frustration or angst you may encounter in the process.

So how can one intentionally enter into Silence and have a positive experience? Begin by asking Divine Source for help in entering Silence in a way that will be good for you. Call to yourself a positive meditation experience and wait until you get a sense of how to proceed. In other words, prepare for success.

Or if that is not your style, jump right in one day and see what happens. You will learn a great deal from that experience of Silence for yourself. If you do go this route, you might first consider why you want to enter into Silence. Then let that all go as you actually begin to enter Silence. Leave all the thoughts, fears, judgments and uncertainties at the doorway to Silence. Zip off the roles, the responsibilities, the shoulds, the demands, the worries and enter as freely as you are able. “Become as a child, to enter the kingdom of God”.

There are many reasons to enter Silence. I work with those interested in seeking a deeper, personal relationship with All That Is. All That Is or Divine Presence is within our own being, so we end up coming to a deeper knowing of our own True Power, Creativity, and Knowing along the way. This is the full course menu for entering Silence. There are a number of other menus available as well. Knowing why you are seeking Silence is a really good place to begin.

Steps I take when entering Silence

1. I prepare for quiet time by turning off the phone, telling family members I am not available and retreating to a place where I will not be disturbed. I select some material to read and possibly something to listen to, in my space. I set aside a specific amount of time for being in Silence.

2. I open the space I am in to the Highest Divine Energy of the Universe. I invite my Highest Self, Ascended Masters, The Angelic Host, Divine Nature Spirits, Highest Divine Cosmic Light Beings and any other forms of Divine Light who can help me hold the space of Silence that day. Alternatively, you can call in the Holy Spirit or Spirit of the Living God.

I do this because my intention is to connect specifically with Divine Energy rather than with all the other energies in Silent space. I also like the idea of being in the presence of Evolved Spirits who know how to navigate the Silence. Their conscious knowing of All That Is helps me find my own source of Knowing within. I like the idea of inviting knowledgeable company to join me in this process.

3. I call for the Divine Presence of the Great I AM to lead me into the experience of Silence.

4. I can sometimes settle right into a place of stillness and quiet. If this is the case, I sit with my back upright, legs crossed beneath me and breathe in and out, focusing on my breath until I drift into a place beyond thinking.

5. Sometimes I can’t be still. Then I most frequently read a spiritual passage until I feel settled enough to be still. If that does not work, I may sing, chant, om, recite a psalm, listen to a beautiful piece of music or recite an affirmation to calm my mind. If that is the sum of my meditation time that day, I have simply connected with All That Is in a different way, from entering Silence. We have still connected.

6. In using affirmations, I select one and repeat it over and over again from my heart, until I drift into stillness. Some of the affirmations I use are:

I AM God’s Beloved Child.

I AM One with All That Is.

I AM lovable and capable.

Upon Me God’s favor rests.

All is well and that’s the truth.

I AM safe and at peace.

I AM God breathed.

7. When I end, I give thanks for the experience, regardless of how my judging self might be seeing the experience I have just had.

Entering Silence is like learning to play the piano. In the beginning, even the simplest learned pieces bring us pleasure. However in learning the piano pieces, we may have struggles with ourselves over setting aside time, breaking down the piece to learn it, and mastering it to our satisfaction. This can be exactly what we face with beginning to meditate. We are learning something which we do not know how to do. We are entering into unknown territory, that of Silence. So, patience and seeking is called for. However, the greatest counselor of all is the Great I AM, Infinite Knowing and Boundless Love. If you continue to seek in meditation, in the Silence, all that is needed is provided. The pathway for each person will be revealed in just perfect ways. Our part in this is to keep seeking and trying things until we have the success we envision.

If you are trying to meditate, go deeper in your meditation or have slacked off for a while and would like to start again, send along any questions you may have and the responses can be shared on-line for the reading community. If you have a personal suggestion of what is working for you, please share those as well.