Shamaret meditation Mon 7th Dec. 2020

7 pm – 8.30pm   Sydney time (AEST)
Fee  $10
Attend online or come and sit with me at Wareemba (Sydney).
If you’d like to attend please let me know and I’ll send further details.
You’re very welcome to attend for one evening or regularly. It’s suitable for both beginner and experienced meditators.
We meet on the first Monday of the month, March to December.
Further information about Shamaret Meditation:  http://www.maretstaron.com/meditation

Note:  no meditation in Jan or Feb; next meditation will be 1st March 2021

The integrity of ‘having’ – a way of deciding what things to have in your life

At the moment I’m focusing on the integrity (or inspiration) of ‘having’ – as distinguished from the integrity of ‘doing’ or the integrity of ‘being’.  We need all three in our lives but sometimes one or the other becomes the primary focus. 

For me it’s currently ‘having’ as I’m downsizing and pondering what to keep and what to let go. I’ve previously used the Marie Kondo advice of holding an object and if it brings me joy, keep it and if it doesn’t, let it go. This helped me let go of things that I thought I should have in my home eg. certain photos, gifts etc. Once I let go of those things that didn’t bring me joy, I felt so much better. 

I now have around me things that bring me joy. However, as I want to downsize and live in a smaller place, how will I now decide what to let go of? The process that I’ve decided to follow is about my integrity of having. It’s about having around me not just what brings me joy, but what actually inspires me.  It’s about ensuring that all the physical things that I have in my life support not just my human self, but also support my true self (or essence or resonance) and my alignment to that.

There can be many reasons why we keep certain things around us and find it hard to let go eg. childhood training about what we should have in our homes, or liking what others have and wanting the same, or subtle pressure from society, advertisements, or past life experiences, etc. It can also be a reflection of our own personality. Usually having things because we think we should have them, does not bring lasting happiness and satisfaction. What we want to focus on is the inspiration of our having and how that aligns to our true self or soul. 

If it’s time for you to focus on your integrity of having, I wish you inspiration in your choices. I also like to call it ‘right having’ (as distinct from what many Buddhists refer to as ‘right action’ or ‘right thinking’). Without right having, our lives are incomplete or not quite in alignment on all levels. 

maret@maretstaron.com  (email)
facebook.com/maretstaron   (facebook)
www.maretstaron.com (website)

Shamaret meditation Mon 2nd November 2020

7 pm – 8.30pm Sydney time (AEST)
Fee $10
Online only (for November) – if you’d like to attend online, please let me know and I’ll send you the zoom link closer to the time.
You’re very welcome to attend for one evening or regularly. It’s suitable for both beginner and experienced meditators.

We meet on the first Monday of the month, March to December.
Further information about Shamaret Meditation: http://www.maretstaron.com/meditation

What to say when there’s nothing to say? – an option, stay peacefully in silence

It’s time for my monthly reflection blog and I haven’t much to say. I’m in the throes of packing and moving and at the moment, nothing much else is on my mind. What I’m appreciating most is silence.

Silence is not about being without sound or movement around you. It’s about being in our inner stillness and silence. As Rumi says: “The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear” and “Silence is the language of God; all else is poor translation”. Many teachers have also said: the more silent you become, the more wisdom you’ll have; the more silent you are, the more you’ll be able to tune into your own essence or resonance; the more silent you are, the more you’ll be able to hear your own truth.

So I’ll continue practicing silence as I pack, release and let go – and prepare myself for my next life-adventure.

maret@maretstaron.com  (email)
facebook.com/maretstaron   (facebook)
www.maretstaron.com (website)

Shamaret meditation 5th Oct

Monday 5th October 2020
7 pm – 8.30pm Sydney time (AEST)
Summer Hill, Sydney
Fee $10

Attendance is either online (zoom) or in person (limited numbers). You are very welcome to attend for one evening or regularly. It’s suitable for both beginner and experienced meditators. We meet on the first Monday of the month, March to December. Further information about Shamaret Meditation: http://www.maretstaron.com/meditation
If you’d like to attend please let me know (by return email or text +61 414 432 737).

Acceptance … does not mean defeat

Sometimes the things that happen to us can knock us off our feet. Even if those things are not really tragic (in the big picture of life). For me, it was me railing against what life has thrown me (getting less for the sale of my house than I wanted to) and losing my strong connection to my place of centredness, joy and stillness. As I mentioned in the last blog, I eventually realised that ‘acceptance’ was a key for gaining back my true alignment. This does not mean defeat. It means accepting that things are as they are and then focusing on how to positively move forward. True acceptance comes from a place of strength.

Acceptance has been very liberating for me. I’ve also seen it’s effect in countless clients. Many have had horrendous experiences that leave scars for life. For them, acceptance is about saying this is how it was, this is the impact that it had on me, and it wasn’t okay, it was unacceptable … however I am going to move on from this and heal my wounds as best as I can and stop reacting to life from that place of woundedness. Instead I will find myself through all of this and start living my life from a place of who I truly am.

When people move into this phase of acceptance, it can take some time to change patterns. Old patterns that we take on board as a result of another person’s will to control us, have to be unlearnt. And they have to be replaced by new patterns of insight, thought and behaviour. It is a painful process to go through as our body is often in its comfort zone, even if that comfort zone simply brings us misery.

When we change our patterns, we often do it with our thoughts and actions first, and then our bodies need to start letting go of the pain. Many decide that it’s too hard and stay as they are. For those who have the courage and will to keep on, over time, they start to experience more happiness, fun, knowing, love and truth in their lives. Always a great thing to experience.

Having said that, it’s also a bit of a never ending journey. After we have made a significant shift in our patterns, we then tend to plateau and feel at ease as we complete that cycle. Then we get bored. So it’s time to move on. We can’t stay still forever. It’s either move on or go backwards. Hopefully the choice is to move on into the next cycle and shift. Challenging, though ultimately very rewarding.

I wish you all strength, courage, bliss and truth as you each walk your own path in life.

Shamaret meditation Mon 7th September 2020

7 pm – 8.30pm Sydney time (AEST)
Summer Hill, Sydney
Fee $10

Attendance is either online (zoom) or in person (limited numbers). If you’d like to attend please let me know (by return email) and I’ll send you further information.

You are very welcome to attend for one evening, or regularly. It’s suitable for both beginner and experienced meditators. We meet on the first Monday of the month, March to December.
Further information about Shamaret Meditation: http://www.maretstaron.com/meditation

Betwixt and between – when we want things to go differently

I’m still in a betwixt and between place and am struggling with unhlepful emotions and thoughts. I haven’t been in this place for quite some time. At times I can clearly feel that it’s my body (or human self) that is experiencing this, whereas my soul (or higher self) is quite calm and in her place of equanimity, peace and joy. Usually I manage to quickly settle down my body (human) thoughts and emotions and retain a focus on the energy of my soul and her joyful, calm self. But not at the moment.

The issue is that I’ve sold my home for far less than I wanted to (which gives me less money to spend on my new home). I’m angry with the universe because I’m feeling unsupported and in a way, abandoned. Probably a ridiculous thing to feel but nevertheless, that’s how I feel. And at the same time I’ve very grateful for family and friends who are supporting me through this and reassuring me that it will all work out.

It has been my choice to downsize and sell my home. I just wanted it to go differently. What can we do when things don’t work out as we wanted them to work out? In a way we just need to ride it through and sometimes we need to let ourselves mourn before we can move on. We can also forgive ourselves for being human. We can practice staying connected to our vision for the future and stay connected to the energy of our soul (or true self). We can simply get on with the things that we need to do (in my case find a new home) – while every day doing some things, no matter how small, that give us joy.

As I was pondering what I’ve written above, it just dawned on me that I now need acceptance, that it is what it is. I think this is the phase that I’m stepping into. From there I will find it much easier to start feeling positive again. So many of us are in the same boat, ie. feeling the emotions of betwixt and between, of not being able to control things, of not having things go the way that we want then to go. As I mentioned in my previous ‘food for thought’, this too will pass. I send blessings to you all and a prayer for insight, peace, joy and finding the delight in life again.

website: http://www.maretstaron.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maretstaron

Shamaret meditation Mon 3rd August 2020

7 pm – 8.30pm Sydney time (AEST)
Fee $10
Attendance is online (zoom) - or in person, numbers limited ( I’d need to give you further information about that).
If you’d like to attend, please let me know by email.

Shamaret meditation brings together awareness meditation and shamanic journeying. You are very welcome to attend for one evening, or regularly. It’s suitable for both beginner and experienced meditators. We meet on the first Monday of the month, March to December.

Further information about Shamaret Meditation: http://www.maretstaron.com/meditation

The very uncomfortable feeling of ‘in-between’

Today, I’m feeling a little flat. For the last few months I’ve been working hard to get my home ship shape for sale. The work has certainly kept me focussed and busy during these discombobulating times. However, now that the work is finished and my home is on the market, I’m feeling a little lost and ‘flat’. As a friend reminded me, it’s that feeling of ‘in-between’.

The in-between that I’m referring to is the time between the old or known, and the new or unknown. We know what we are letting go of, but don’t yet know what we are going to step into. For me, I’ve got through the sadness of letting go of my home that I love and am ready to step into the new – but I don’t know what that new will be ie. what and where my new home will be. It’s a most uncomfortable feeling.

We can experience this in-between feeling in any area of our lives. For example, steeping out of one job but not knowing that the next job will be; leaving one relationship and not knowing what/whether there will be a new relationship; leaving one town but not yet settled in a new town, etc. You get the picture I’m sure.

Often the discomfort of the in-between feeling can stop us letting go of the old (even when we know that it’s in our best interests to do so). It can simply be too daunting, not knowing what the future holds. And that’s the issue, not knowing what that new future is. However, we can make it a little easier on ourselves when we are in this situation. One of the most helpful things we can do is energetically, feel what we want our new future to feel like – or in my case, feel how excited, energised and delighted I am in my new home. And I can hold onto that feeling until I find it in the physical, ie. a new home that matches that feeling (or resonance).

And sometimes we just need to give ourselves time to mourn the old, sit in the uncomfortable feeling, and know that this too will pass.

www.maretstaron.com
facebook.com/maretstaron