Year: 2009

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The Center for Renewal

I am thrilled to announce a new center that I am opening with my partner (and sister:) Michelle O’Neill. It is called The Center for Renewal. It’s purpose is to provide a supportive environment in which people can come and fast for 24 hours.

As many of you know I am a big proponent of fasting. I do one-day fasts regularly and I can say without a doubt that these purification days save me. They save me from bad moods, bloating and weight gain while increasing my sense of playfulness, grounding and inspiration.

Fasting is also a key aspect of essentialization. It falls into the “shedding” category right after charging and alchemy.

The two steps following shedding are embodying and expressing your spirit – a natural result of letting go of physical and emotional blocks.

I’ll keep you posted on dates and locations for the first retreat!

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Projection

I’ve noticed that even though the word “projection” is thrown around freely along with some of Freud’s other classic defense mechanisms, such as “denial,” it seems to still be widely misunderstood.

Understanding projection has been central to my own healing and also in my work with others. If we all understood this slick form of avoidance the world would be much more straightforward and drama free:) Here’s a description of projection that I wrote to try to shed some light on the shadows that tend to make us feel crazy:

The psyche is such that anything out of our awareness is projected outward. Periodically, something comes along that resonates with the contents of our buried self and we become flooded with that feeling. Not being aware that these qualities are actually within us, we attribute them entirely to the person who activated them. Sometimes it is our dark side that gets activated and other times it is our light. Either way, any time we have a strong negative reaction toward someone, or desperately want to be like them, we are experiencing a buried piece of ourselves. Once we commit to health and well-being, each of these projections becomes an opportunity for integration.

So the next time you are overcome with envy or think that another person is despicable, check in with yourself and see if there might be any shred of their behavior that you have put out of your awareness. Here’s a secret to know if you’re projecting: If you feel highly charged about the person or situation, it means your simple observation has become an opportunity for integration.

If you make integrating your projections a part of your daily life, you will not only free yourself to experience more inner peace, but others will no longer have the power to push your buttons, because these highly explosive energetic land mines will no longer exist!
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Paying Attention

Last Sunday morning I watched Michael Beckwith deliver his sermon at the Agape Church in L.A. It was their first time streaming live on the Internet and they will continue to offer this every week now at 9:00 a.m. Pacific – http://www.agapelive.com/.

I always find Beckwith interesting, but this service gave me an especially large dose of inspiration.

One of the things he talked about was the difference between being curious, inquisitive, and paying attention. He described being curious as putting your toes in the water, but not really committing to the moment. He spoke of inquisitiveness as “trespassing” or stepping into someones business. Paying attention, however, is being available for whatever the moment has to offer.

I read a quote yesterday that said, “Love the moment and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries.” To me, this is what it means to pay attention. You really look at someone and their inner world unfolds before your very eyes. You notice a tree and it starts to glisten.

Paying attention is our way of loving God and appreciating life in all it’s different manifestations. A byproduct of this awareness is spiritual nourishment. Not only does the moment explode with life, but the life within you rushes in to fill you up.
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Community

I remember learning in school that at a certain point in life you become interested in giving back, in serving your community, in being part of something bigger than yourself. Well, I must be getting old because that time has come for me;)
I’m excited to be connected with a couple of organizations that are reaching out and collaborating with others in order to make the world a better place:

Both of these organizations are run by women who are reaching out to elevate those around them with the core desire to bring about more peace in the world. They both have incredibly cute t-shirts as well!

What really strikes me about these two organizations in particular is the commitment of the women behind them to demonstrate peace in the world. This is not rhetoric – it is the real deal. I’m incredibly touched by their demonstration and outpouring of love.

Just more evidence that we’re all moving in the right direction!

PEACE.
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Communicating with Spirit


My favorite word for Spirit or God is Life. I use life because it feels natural and universal, and to me it is the animating substance that flows through all living things.

However, when I think of communicating with the life within me it becomes a more personal matter. It then becomes my Inner Voice or the Voice of God or Spirit or intuition.

Communicating with spirit has become a huge part of my life. These conversations not only give me insight and inspiration, they give me security and the conviction that I’m not navigating through life on my own.

I say “conversation” because I’m an auditory person and many times I actually hear my inner voice. Other times I’ll channel it when I’m writing.

Some people get flashes of inspiration in their mind or a picture will come into their head. Others get spiritual guidance in the form of vague feelings or hunches that they feel they need to follow. It all depends on the predominant way you process information.

My relationship with Spirit is primary. I would not be able to have a healthy relationship with anyone else if I did not have a strong connection to the ONE that connects us all.

I share this because so many of us are anxious and ungrounded – including myself at times – and going within brings us back down to earth and provides clarity, peace and guidance.

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Milk the Moment



Friday before leaving for The Flagstaff Yoga Festival I spoke to a client over the phone. The last thing she said was, “Have fun at the Festival this weekend and don’t forget to milk the moment!” That was the first time I’d heard anyone say “Milk the Moment” and it really stuck. What a perfect way to describe being fully present! This was my mantra all weekend and it turned out to be a collection of some of the best moments ever.

In addition to being with a few of my favorite people including the beautiful ladies at IntentionLove.com (shown in picture), we got to enjoy the presence of all the kind and open yogis. On top of that, the weather was to die for… After 100+ degree weather for months, the coolness was a welcome change:)

Thankfully this weekend is going to be a little cooler for us in the valley – only 105 degrees;) So cool that my boyfriend and I are planning to have dinner on the patio! Go figure…

Have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget to milk the moment!

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Flagstaff Yoga Festival

Hey All! I will be doing a Portals of Peace book signing and talk at the Flagstaff Yoga Festival this weekend – August 8 & 9th.

It’s going to be a very cool event, both in terms of content and weather:) The marketplace is free and open to the public. Along with an Intention Love (http://www.intentionlove.com/) booth selling beautiful tees and my books, there will be lots of good food, fun products and healthy, radiant yogis milling about.

Come up if you’re inspired – I’d love to see you!

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Only Abundance

I’m experiencing an unfolding awareness about the nature of abundance that I’d like to share.

I understand the intellectual principles of abundance, but I’m not sure that I’ve integrated them the way I have some of the other spiritual truths. For me, none of this stuff is real until I feel it in my cells.

Earlier this week I had a glimpse of “experiential abundance.” I felt and realized that there is nothing other than abundance. Think about it. Life is procreating all around us all the time. cells multiply, water flows, energy expands.

This is along the same lines as light and darkness. Darkness is simply the absence of light and when light appears the darkness no longer exists. Abundance is the constant expansion of light, and the only thing that is real!

This may sound basic, but for me it feels profound and also liberating. It takes the work out of focusing on abundance when you realize that abundance is all there is:)
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The Art of Being Human

If I were to write a book on the art of being human it would have to be centered around walking the fine line between consumption and expression. Some of you may be chuckling, “You’ve already written that book Kim – three times actually!”

Well, Sunday morning I kept hearing the intuitive message, “write about when less becomes more.” So in Lieu of writing another book on the topic, I thought I’d share my thoughts in a blog entry.

You all know the fine line I’m talking about. It’s when a pleasurable meal turns into bloating and guilt. When exercise becomes the compulsive pursuit toward perfection. When a drink with dinner becomes a binge in search of one’s “spirit.”

But what about when speaking crosses the line and turns into stealing energy from another, or when work becomes a never ending chase for power and wealth?

My belief is that the pleasure that arises out of fully experiencing the world with our senses is what life is all about and to make these pleasures out to be “bad” is missing the point. At the same time, I wonder how many of us really walk the fine line between enjoying life’s pleasures versus looking to them for life.

Those of us who are inclined to master the art of being human know that to cross over even just a little bit is a mistake – to miss the mark, which happens to be the very definition of sin.
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Why do we bully each other?

Today I watched part of the tribute to Michael Jackson. At one point, Rev. Al Sharpton told Michael’s three kids, “Your dad was not strange, it was strange what he had to deal with.”

It was a beautiful and compassionate thing to say, and I doubt those kids will ever forget it. The whole thing just about broke my heart. But what hurts me most is how badly Michael was bullied when he was alive.

Would it have been so hard to have had compassion for a man who never had a childhood? Would it have been too much of a stretch to remember that he was abused in the pursuit of perfection? Would it have been so difficult to imagine what life must have been like for a man who ultimately decided to reject himself in pursuit of perfection?

Honoring Michael has helped me remember that bullying of any kind is damaging and wrong. Bullying is pervasive in our society. We not only say mean things directly to others, but we say things behind their backs and we say hurtful things to ourselves in the privacy of our own minds.

Michael Jackson was brilliant and full of love. Like many of us, he wanted to create a better world above all else. Like all of us, he wasn’t perfect. But in life and in death he reminds us to be kind to others and ourselves.