For a New Beginning

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.


~ John O'Donohue ~


This came across my in box this week, and it ties nicely with what our theme was for conversation in our last circle gathering. We continue to support one another in breaking the patterns we no longer wish to continue and discuss the process of starting new patterns. There is so much emotion surrounding these changes, and it is so helpful to see that each of us are working on different details, but that the emotional work is so similar that we gain tremendous benefit in sharing the practices, progress, and breakthroughs. We listen with empathy, encourage one another to stand up for ourselves, and we are fed by the common ground that we all grow from.

Resonance in Circles

“In sacred circle, each participant is encouraged to take
guidance individually by listening to her inner voice. Each guidance, soul and life experience, when offered to the center, begins to resonate throughout the circle and creates what we experience as a resonant field. This unified field operates as a source of light that illuminates our individual blind spots, makes us grow and find clarity. It is one idea perceived from multiple perspectives at once allowing it to evolve to its most profound wisdom in that moment. In this way, the power and energy that flows through circle is guided by divine grace. Energy that we might otherwise experience as “local” or limited to our own perception becomes universalized and "global" through a balanced and refined process of circle. We discover, then, that we are as one, learning, living and sharing one spirit in a divinely orchestrated, authentic way.”

Susan Amari Gold, ESSENTIAL WISDOM

Aligning With Your "Genius", or Your Expanded Self

Sunday nite's circle had me searching my treasured video files for these two gems, that I would like to share with you. First is content by well known channeled guide, Abraham, featured in The Secret, and the second is a delightfully vivid poem by Australian poet, Cameron Semmens:

Own Your Power!

Posted on our facebook group wall by one of our participants and we wanted to share it:

We are the kings and queens, rulers and leaders, gurus and masters of our own domain and sovereign selves. Close the deal, pickup the keys, and take possession of your own home.

Connect to your Genius

Everyone has a genius. Your genius is being highly connected to what you most love to do and what you do best. Brilliance is putting into practice your genius on a regular basis. Forget this word "work". Just "be" connected to your genius.
~ from a dialog between Lori Steed and Terry Musch    May 11, 2011

I definitely believe we are each constantly in search of how to be who we truly are. 

I say constantly because we live in a dynamic physical universe where change is constant, so we must continually adjust, not only to our environment and its physical changes, but also to our world view, or our universe view.  Our world view is where we see ourselves, what we think our relationship is with all that we interact with, and our perspective.  It’s also been called our paradigm.

In search of means we want alignment and integrity with what we desire or prefer and what we actually experience.  We do this thing where we check in.  We take in input, or data and information, through our senses and we check that input against our world view.  We have experiences on an ongoing basis, and based on how we experience, which is expressed in our physical bodies as emotional responses, we adjust our behaviors and actions.  The negative and positive emotions are part of how our system operates.  Call it the emotional guidance system.  Another way of saying it is that we are comfortable, uncomfortable or neutral about any given situation, and then of course there are degrees or intensities on that scale.  The searching is the process integration of input in this constant living, breathing, experiencing and being thing we ALL do.  I use in search of because we never arrive.  We are always on the journey.  Even if we feel like we have arrived, change is constant, so we’re instantly thrust forward by default and must continue searching for the next expansion of the expression of who we are.

Coming together with others to dialog about this process is helpful to me, and I enjoy it very much.  This is why I explore life in Center Circle and invite others to as well.  Participate.  Connect to your genius.

Chakradance with Gail Johnson

May 1st Meeting:  Guest Facilitator

Chakradance is a totally new form of dance workshop for people who have an interest in healing, dance, chakras, energy and growth. The focus is on personal experience rather than performance. Guided by music resonating to each of the seven major chakras, Chakradance participants are taken on a dynamic dance journey through their own energy centers.

There is no right way to Chakradance as everyone has their own rhythm and movement. By surrendering to the music and dancing from the inside out, we are able to free our natural energy flows and feel more fully alive. On a deeper level Chakradance is about healing and balance. No dance experience or prior knowledge of chakras is necessary. All are welcome!

Fore more information contact:
Gail Johnson, Certified Chakradance facilitator 805-405-6107

Or visit the Chakradance website

Center Circle is a Women's Circle in Thousand Oaks.  We meet twice monthly, participating in inspiring dialog about things that matter to us, and exploring experiences together that allow us to expand with the goal of knowing ourselves and each other more deeply.  The experience being created this Sunday is one of many unique experiences that will be offered in our circle space.

Live and Learn

"Live as if you'll die tomorrow.

Learn as if you were to live forever." 

                        - Gandhi

How many of us have seen or heard this quote before?  It’s so easy to read a quote and nod our heads and say to ourselves, “yes, I agree with that!  That’s how I want to be!”

And then we continue our lives in the existing patterns and behaviors.  Fear is one reason we don’t take the first step toward living with courage and taking risks.  Overcoming fear is easier if we are surrounded by loving supporters who encourage us and/or distract us from the fear while we are in the act of breaking a pattern (acting, behaving, being, speaking, etc. differently).

Learning does not become a part of us until we imbed the new knowledge at the cellular level, which means a combination of multi-sensory experiences and repetition (creating a pattern).  That’s just part of the physics of how our bodies operate.  Knowing how the system works gives us the opportunity to change the system!   Knowing this about learning, we can seek out experiences that provide the opportunity for integrating new knowledge.

The circle participants voiced very strongly this past Sunday that when we bring in guest presenters “we want an interactive experience, not a lecture!”  It wasn’t because we had told them “you know you’ll learn better if we have an interactive experience vs. a one way communication stream of information coming at you.”  It was simply because we all know this.

Here’s a well done video making a similar point about learning, in observation of our current education system.   Although this blog post is not intended to head off toward “let’s change this country’s education system!” we still wanted to share this as further exposure to the topic of learning.

So, here it is again:

"Live as if you'll die tomorrow.

Learn as if you were to live forever." 

Our dear friends Joel and Michelle Levey offered these words following this quote in their thought for the day email today:

“Experiment with taking this quote to heart this week.

Remember, life is precious, and... we are all dancing on the edge.

Imagine the possibility of learning as literally never ending.

Look for opportunities to enrich your life and the lives of others in these ways.”

Give yourself the gift of the opportunity to risk in a safe environment and learn new ways of being.  Come to our circle and be supported in this process called life.